LORAN STATION ST. MATTHEW
Station Information
| Site Survey: | SEP 1942 APR - OCT 1944 - USC&GS surveyed by first order astronomic observation |
| Construction Date: | JUN - SEP 1943 |
| Constructed by: | Construction Detachment "A" |
| Established: Commissioned: |
SEP 1943 |
| Disestablished: | OCT 1946 |
| Operated by: |
USCG |
| Station Unit Identifier: |
USCG Unit 05 |
| Mail address: | |
| Station code name: |
MIKE |
| Personnel Allowance: | 1943 - 1 Officer, 23 Enlisted |
| Station Mascot: | |
| Miscellaneous: | 15 SEP 1942 - U.S. Army established a Weather Station on St. Matthew 28 JAN 1943 - CNO directed the CG to establish a Loran chain in the BERING SEA. St. Matthew - St. Paul - Umnak 1943 - One year rotation established. 1943 - First station the decision was made that loran stations were expendable. 17 JUN 1943 - USCGC CLOVER departed Dutch Harbor with building supplies. 20-21 SEP 1943 - During the testing period, five enlisted set out from the loran station in a small surfboat for a trip along the shoreline to the Army Weather Station about 9 miles away to pickup a small gasoline engine generator. The men, the boat and all equipment disappeared without a trace, despitethe fact that the sea was calm and that they had orders to remain within 200 yards of the shore. Search parties failed to find any clue other than a 5-gallon oil can which was known to have been in the boat. The men lost: HAGLUND, Floyd O. (220-806) RM1c BREIMO, Elmer O. (538-963) Cox. (R) MACLEAN, Thomas L. (636-878) Sea.1c (R) SCHMOLL, Kenneth H. (506-786) RM3c (R) HAGEN, Edward C. (584-147) RM3c FALL 1943 - The U.S. Army consolidated their quarters with the loran station 9 miles west of the station. 28 JUN 1944 - CG Unit 254 requested authorization from General Reindeer Supervisor, Nome, AL for 25 females and 5 male reindeer to be purchased and transported from Nunivak Island to St. Matthew. 30 JUN 1944 - Approval granted. The captain of the boat and CG Unit 254 was given Circular Letter No. 60 on the procedures of loading and unloading reindeer. 14 AUG 1944 - CG cutter transported the reindeer to St. Matthew and released. The herd grew to a population of over 6000 and the last female died in 1981. 13 SEP 1946 - CO and 20 enlisted men departed the station aboard the CGC UNALGA 27 - 29 MAY 1949 - CGC NORTHWIND work party ashore at the abandon LTS - loaded skiffs and dory of equipment. |
| Commanding Officers: | 1943 - 1944 1944 - 1945 ENS Eugene T. Barwick (? - 07 JAN) 1945 - 1945 ENS Albert J. Christman (07 JAN - 27 NOV) 1945 - 1946 LTJG Ellsworth O. Swett 27 NOV - 13 SEP) |
Station Operations
LORAN-A
60 21 30 N - 172 42 56 W
60 21 35.46 N
- 172 42 53.11 W (Approx. Google Earth)
| Chain: | BERING SEA |
| Station Letter designation: | "M" |
| Radio Call Sign: | |
| Declared Operational date: | 10 JUL 1944 |
| Operations Ceased: | SEP 1946 |
| Station Operation: | Single SLAVE (SS) |
| Station pair: Loran rate: Coding delay: Baseline: |
ST. MATTHEW (S) - ST. PAUL (M) 1L1 1000us Approx. 205 nautical miles |
| On-air testing date: | 11 SEP 1943 18 OCT 1943 - 10 Hour Service 10 NOV 1943 - 16 Hour Service 01 JAN 1944 - 22 Hour Service |
| On-Air: | 10 JUL 1944 - 24 Hour service |
| Off-Air: | SEP 1946 |
| Equipment: | |
| Radiator: | "T" |
Awards:
U.S. Coast Guard Restricted Duty Ribbon
Documents:
A History of Human Land Use on St. Matthew Island, Alaska - pdf
Pictures:
Nathaniel Wilder 2019 photos
image from Google Earth