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LORAN STATION COCOS ISLAND

13 13 42.1 N 144 38 40.5 E (1944)

13 13 42 N  144 38 40 E (Dec 1948 OP DATA Report)

Fact Sheet:

Site Survey: SEP/OCT 1944
Construction Date

11 NOV 1944 – 27 NOV 1944: COCOS ISLAND under LTjg Marshall T. Munz

1 MAR 1945 Station commissioned turnover to 14th District

Constructed by: CONSTRUCTION DET “C”
 
Established: 1944
 
Disestablished: 15 FEB 1966
 
Operated by: USCG
 
Chain: THE MARIANAS
 
Station Letter designation: 4H2; 4H3 - "V"
2L2; 2L3 - "U"
Station code name:  
 
Station Unit Number: CG UNIT 336
Navy Unit 926
 
Radio Call Sign:
 
Station aka:  
 
On-air testing date: 4H2 - 27 DEC 1944 - ULITHI
4H3 - 28 NOV 1944 - SAIPAN
 
Operational date: 4H2 - 12 JAN 1945 - ULITHI
4H3 - 16 DEC 1944 - SAIPAN
01 MAR 1945 - Chain Declared Operational
 
Operations Ceased: 01 FEB 1966 - Operations shifted to Orote Point
 
Station Operation: Double SLAVE/SECONDARY (DS)
 
Station pair: 4H2; 2L2 - ULITHI
4H3; 2L3 - SAIPAN
 
Loran Rate: 4H2; 4H3; 2H2; 2H3; 2L2; 2L3
 
On-Air: 4H2 (S), 12 JAN 1945 – ULITHI (POTANGERAS IS.)
4H3 (S), 16 DEC 1944 – SAIPAN
2H2 (S), 01 JUN 1952 - ULITHI (FALALOP IS.)
2H3 (S), 01 JUN 1952 - SAIPAN
2L2 (S), 01 MAY 1953 – ULITHI (FALALOP IS.)
2L3 (S), 01 MAY 1953 – SAIPAN
2L2 (S), 01 FEB 1965 - YAP
 
Off-Air

4H2 (S), 1 JUN 1952 – Change of rate
4H3 (S), 1 JUN 1952 – Change of rate
2H2 (S), 01 MAY 1953 - Change of rate
2H3 (S), 01 MAY 1953 - Change of rate
2L2 (S), 01 FEB 1966 - Station operations shifted to Orote Point
2L3 (S), 01 FEB 1966 - Station operations shifted to Orote Point
 

Monitor Rate:
 
Equipment:  
 
Antenna: Windcharger
Personnel Allowance: JAN 1953 - 1 Officer, 16 Enlisted
 
Miscellaneous:

17 NOV 1949 – Typhoon ALLYN destroyed station – station off-air

MAR 1950 – Station rebuilt at previous Nov 1949 location

09 MAY 1950 - Typhoon DORIS station evacuated

1954 – Typhoon – Off air for 40 minutes while the antenna was replaced

20 JUN 1962 - Declared Non-restricted

11 NOV 1962 - Typhoon KAREN - LORAN crew evacuated from station to the main land. Station off air.

1965 - Relocated station operations to OROTE PT
 

Commanding Officers /
 Officers in Charge
1st CO: ENS David B. McCoy 1944 - 1945
Temp OINC: RM3c Daniel P. Sanderson ? – 25 OCT 1946
1st OINC: ETC (Z) David A. Webb 25 OCT 1946 -
OINC: ETC (Z) William H. Hudson 1948
OINC: ETC (Z) Fidilla Henderson ? – 5 SEP 1949
OINC: ETC (Z) James L. Glass 5 SEP 1949 - ?
CO: LTJG K. B. Schumacher 1955 - NOV 1956
CO: LTJG Robert W. Jeffrey NOV 1956 - 01 NOV 1957
CO: LTJG Lawrence D. Levine 01 NOV 1957 - 08 NOV 1958
OINC: BMC Taplin 1960 - 1961
CO: ENS Bornstein 1964 - 1965
 

Fred's Place Reunion Hall: OLD NEW

HEALTH: Agent Orange Presumptive - pdf

Awards:

Coast Guard Restricted Ribbon
(Prior to 30 MAR 1967)

 

Change of Command:

25 OCT 1946 - RM3/c Sanderson/ETC(Z) Webb - pdf

05 SEP 1949 - ETC(Z) Henderson/ETC(Z) Glass - pdf

Documents:

16 APR 1948 - USCGC KUKUI C & R Inspection Report - pdf

130100Z MAY 48 - Consideration for LTS Relocation to Ritidian Point - pdf

10 DEC 1948 - Operational Data Report - pdf (page 10 missing)

30 DEC 1948 - Status of Occupancy of Site - pdf

17 NOV 1949 - Typhoon ALLYN message traffic, correspondence - pdf

30 AUG 1950 - Temporary Installation of 25 Watt Homing Beacon at Cocos Island with approvals - pdf

08 JUN 1956 - Overseas Loran Station Survey - pdf Photo 1 Photo 2 Photo 3 Photo 4

Pictures:

Cocos Island: Picture from google earth

Cocos Lagoon Boundary

The photo below were retrieved from NARA Washington DC
(U.S. Coast Guard official photos)

Aerial View - c./1948

Photos retrieved from Coast Guard Historian Office

The offloading of fuel and oil supplies c./APR 1949

Damage from Typhoon KAREN c./NOV 1962

Photos during 1950 Reconstruction by the crews of USCGC KUKUI and LORANERS

Thanks to the staff of the CG Historian Office!
(Scott, Helen, Beth, Nora)

The below photo was contributed by Mike Blaschum c./1961

Cocos Island Loran. Taken from a Navy helo that came over once a month to pay us in two dollar bills.

The boat in the foreground ia a Japanese fishing vessel long since grounded. We used it for target practice with our M-1s every two weeks or so.

Thanks Mike!