Frobisher Bay, NWT

1959 – Historical Report – USAF Historical Division


Historical Record
926th AC&W Squadron
Frobisher Bay, NWT
1 October 1959 to 31 December 1959

Section I

REQUIRED DATA

  1. Unit and Location

926th Squadron, (ADC)
Frobisher Bay, Baffin Island, Canada

  1. Name and Grade of Commander

Frederick L Schanberger, Major, USAF

  1. Chain of Command (Superior Echelons)
  2. 4732nd Air Defense Group, APO 677, New York, New York,
    64th Air Division (Defense), APO 862, New York New York.

  • Subordinate Units (Down to and including squadrons)
  • None

  • Mission (Give authority and brief statement of primary mission)
  • To conduct Air Defense Operations within that area assigned by Headquarters, 64th Air Division (Defense) Regulation 55-24 and function as a GCI Station in the Air Defense System.

  • Personnel
  •    

    Officers

    Airmen

    Civilians

    Total

     
     

    Assigned

    11

    118

    20

    149

     
     

    Attached

    1

    9

    1

    11

     
                 
  • Equipment (Give official nomenclature and quantity of mission-type equipment)
  • AN/FPS-3C; AN/FPS-502; AN/TPS-502.

    Section II

    COMMENTARY

    Operations:

    The AN/UPS-T5 wan non-operational during October. Depot assistance was requested on 14 September 1959. An overhaul team arrived on the site on 22 October 1959 to perform the overhaul. The CMC overhaul team completed their overhaul of this equipment on 6 November 1959.

    The modification of the AN/FPS-3C with the AN/GPA-27A into an AN/FPS-20A was completed at this station on 31 October 1959.

    AN/FPS-20A Channel 1 has been RNFP for a relay assembly in the Anti-Chaff unit since 19 November 1959.

    AN/GPA-30 – This equipment is not operational because there is no syncro power available in the FPS/20A tower where this equipment is located.

    AN/TPS-502 – During December 14 hours of PM time were required for replacement of five magnetrons. One was bad when unpacked and three others were found to have cracked windows when removed from the set. Forty-nine hours of PM and ROCM time were required to change over to a new Amplidyne PU-5004 and to clean and replace wave guide sections which were believed to have caused some of the magnetron failures. While off the air the local oscillator was changed, the range mark and trigger generator overhauled, and the RHI sweep generator completely aligned.

    Captain Robert W Hopkins transferred from the 922nd AC&W Squadron and assumed the Operations Officer position on 10 December 1959.

    I&E Maintenance:

    The annual inspection was performed on the two boilers in the heating plant. Relocation of all sections of the Installations Office into one single location was completed during the month of October. This relocation was resulted in more efficient operation for all functions of the Installations Section.

    The sewer effluent line was extended 330 feet.

    The Officer’s, NCO, and Airmen’s Lounges were redecorated during this period.

    The installation of a new mail room was completed and all personnel now have individual mail boxes.

    The installation of five buzzers (one on each inside sewage tank) to warn Installations of pump failures and prevent the tanks from overflowing was completed.

    The elevation of a three inch line to the domestic water storage tank (90,000 gallons) to enable Installation to pump approximately 3125 gallons more into the tank was completed.

    A water pressure by-pass was installed in the fire water pipe system to enable the operator to start and run the water pressure without disconnecting the coupling from the engines to the pump that was originally required to prevent excessive vibration of the water pipe system.

    Installation of a 2 inch line from the flash tank to the main condensate return tank for the purpose of: (a) preventing the loss of condensate return water, (b) keeping the condensate return tank full of hot condensate return water at all times, preventing the float from opening the cold water make up valve and taking on cold water, and (c) maintain higher temperature in condensate return water tank, thus saving chemicals and oil.

    Personnel:

    Captain David O Manlove reported for duty on 10 December 1959 as the Squadron Supply Officer.

    Miscellaneous:

    The relocation of the Squadron Hobby shops was completed during the month of November 1959. All shops are now consolidated in Tower #2.

    The Headquarters USAF Northern Area Study Group visited the station on 1 October 1959.

    Mr. Wigglesworth, US Ambassador to Canada, accompanied by Mr. Allen Dulles head of the Central Intelligence Agency and Major General Taylor, CCS Ottawa, visited the station on 3 October 1959. After a briefing, they inspected the station facilities.

    Colonel Philip A Sykes, Vice Commander 64th Air Division, and a party of twenty visited Frobisher Airport on 27 October 1959.

    Typed Name and Grade of Commander

    Frederick L Schanberger, Major, USAF

    Signature