EAST ISLAND
1944 - 1952
Station Information
| Site Survey: | NOV – DEC 1943 |
| Construction Date: | 3 JUL 1944 – End of JUL 1944 |
| Constructed by: | Construction Detachment “C” |
| Established: Commissioned: |
JUL 1944 8 NOV 1944 Station commissioned and turned over to 14th District |
| Decommissioned: Disestablished: |
06 NOV 1952 |
| Operated by: |
USCG |
| Project code name: |
Project 4 |
| Unit Identifier: |
1944 - 1950: CG Unit 204 1950 - 1952: 14-350520 |
| Mail address: | 1949: c/o: Commander, CGD14, Box 4010, Honolulu, T.H. |
| AKA: |
The most isolated loran station |
| HAM Call Sign: |
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| Personnel Allowance: | 1944: 1 Officer, 26 Enlisted 1948: 1 Officer, 14 Enlisted |
| Station Mascot: | 1949: Scopie (died in 1949), Grumpy |
| Station events: | 1942: A Marine detachment was located on East Island after the Japanese utilized FFS shoals to launch a recon flight over Honolulu. 13 – 26th AUG 1945: Unit 26A on site for upgrade 1940's: Personnel were given a choice to complete 12 months on site or 6 months on site and then transfer to another unit. 1 APR 1946: Tidal wave stuck the island , no personnel injury, serve equipment damage 1946-47: CO murdered in bunk (rumor did not occurred) 17 AUG 1950: station evacuated due to typhoon notice. 07 MAY 1951: A Monk seal (Harvey) was capture at the request of the director of the Honolulu Zoo. 02 AUG 1951: Coast Guard planned to discontinue FFS Loran service in connection with the new reconfigured Hawaiian Chain in 1952. However, Military Air Transport Service (MATS) requested continuation service to transit Midway to Johnston Island (Commandant Bulletin article - courtesy of HathiTrust) 25 OCT 1952: East Island LTS relocated to Tern Island. OCT 2018: Typhoon WALAKA caused East Island to disappear Note: The station held the responsibility of assembling data for daily weather reports to Fleet Weather Central. |
| Commanding Officers/Officer in Charge: | 1944 - 1945 LTJG John J. Rashti (06 NOV - 5 SEP) 1945 - 1945 LTJG Herrick T. Wilson (5 SEP - 11 OCT) TEMP 1945 - 1945 LTJG Alexander Zavelle (11 OCT - 26 NOV) Adv to LT 1945 - 1946 LTJG Morgan R. Wright (25 NOV - 02 FEB) 1946 - 1946 LT Charles W. Jackson (02 FEB - 24 NOV) 1946 - 1946 LTJG Albert L. Preston (24 NOV - 09 DEC) TEMP 1946 - 1947 LTJG Fred T. Coombe (09 DEC - 13 MAR) 1947 - 1947 LTJG Earl H. Adams (13 MAR - 01 OCT) 1947 - 1947 RE John Ribarich (01 OCT - 17 DEC) 1947 - 1948 1948 - 1949 LTJG Walter O. Henry (? - 01 SEP) 1949 - 1950 LTJG Thurston L. Willis (01 SEP - 08 SEP) 1950 - 1951 LTJG Edward L. Hauff (08 SEP - 31 AUG) 1951 - 1952 LTJG Norman P. Ensrud (31 AUG - 13 AUG) 1952 - 1952 ENS Frederick P. Schubert (13 AUG - 25 OCT) |
Change of Command relief documentation:
01 SEP 1949 LTJG Henry/LTJG Willis - pdf
08 SEP 1950 LTJG Willis/LTJG Huaff - pdf
31 AUG 1951 LTJG Huaff/LTJG Ensrud - pdf
13 AUG 1952 LTJG Ensrud/LTJG Schubert - pdf
Station Operations
LORAN-A
23 47 04.7 N 166 12 39.5 W (1948 Operational Data Report)
23°47'12.63"N 166°12'33.02"W (Google Earth)
| Chain: | HAWAIIAN |
| Station Letter designation: | “G” |
| Radio Call Sign: | |
| Declared Operational date: | 2L1 - 4 NOV 1944 |
| Operations terminated: | 25 OCT 1952 |
| Station Operation: | Single SLAVE (SS) |
| Station pair: Loran rate: Coding delay: Baseline: |
FFS (S) - NIIHAU (M) 2L1 1000us Approx. 353.5 Nautical miles |
| On-air testing date: | 2L1: 27 JUL 1944 |
| On-Air: | 2L1: 08 NOV 1944 |
| Off-Air: | 2L1: 25 OCT 1952 |
| Monitor Rate: | |
| Equipment: | Model C Timer |
| Radiator: | 125 Vertical radiator |
Documents:
01 NOV 1948 Operational Data Report - pdf Photos
17 AUG 1950 Evacuation of station crew - pdf
1951-52 Disestablishment of French Frigate Shoals LTS - pdf
02 AUG 1951 Retain French Frigate Shoals LTS - pdf
Pictures:
U.S. Coast Guard Official JUN/JUL 1944 construction photos
U.S. Coast Guard Official photos
1945 USO Show on Naval Facility Tern Island