St. Bride's Radar Station

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St. Bride's Radar Station
Part of United States General Surveillance Radar
Newfoundland
Emblem of the 685th Air Warning Squadron
Coordinates46°55′54.7″N 054°10′49.2″W / 46.931861°N 54.180333°W / 46.931861; -54.180333 (St. Bride's Radar Station)
TypeRadar Station
CodeTrio
Site information
Controlled byNewfoundland Base Command
Site history
Built1942
Built byUnited States Army
In use1943-1945
Garrison information
Garrison685th Air Warning Company
St. Bride's Radar Station is located in Newfoundland and Labrador
St. Bride's Radar Station
St. Bride's Radar Station
Location of St. Bride's Radar Station, Newfoundland

St. Bride's Radar Station was a United States Army General Surveillance Ground Radar Early Warning Station in the Dominion of Newfoundland.[1][2] It was built during World War II and responsible for monitoring air traffic from Naval Station Argentia to RCAF Torbay and into the Atlantic Ocean.[3] It was located in St. Bride's, 135 kilometres (84 mi) southwest of St. John's.[4] It was closed in 1945.

History[edit]

The site was established in 1942 as a United States Ground Radar Early Warning Station, funded by the United States Army,[5] which stationed the 685th Air Warning Squadron on the site under operational control of Newfoundland Base Command at Pepperrell Air Force Base.[6][7] Fifty-two members (three officers and 49 enlisted men) of the 685th were assigned to St Bride's. It operated an SCR-271 manned early-warning radar with information sent by radio to a plotting center at Pepperrell AFB to track aircraft. St Bride's was the third of a chain of four stations around the Newfoundland coast and was accordingly given the radio code name of "Trio".[8] The station was assigned to Royal Canadian Air Force on 1 November 1944, and was given designation "No 41 RU". The RCAF operated the station until 7 October 1945.

United States Army Air Forces units and assignments[edit]

Units:

Inactivated November 1944

Assignments:

References[edit]

  1. ^ Cardoulis, John N (1990). A Friendly Invasion (The American Military in Newfoundland: 1940-1990). St John's: Breakwater Books Ltd. p. 25. ISBN 0-920911-85-4.
  2. ^ "Searching the Skies, The Legacy of the United States Cold War Defense Radar Program" (PDF).
  3. ^ Cuff, Robert (1981). Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador (PDF). St John's: Newfoundland Book Publishers (1967) Ltd. p. 14. ISBN 0920508146.
  4. ^ "The CADIN Pinetree Line Locations".
  5. ^ "A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980" (PDF).
  6. ^ Group, NBC (1997). A History of the Air Defence of Canada 1948-1997. Washington, DC: Commander Fighter Group. p. 148. ISBN 0-9681973-0-2.
  7. ^ "Other American Stations". www.heritage.nf.ca.
  8. ^ Cardoulis (1990) p. 134

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

  • Cornett, Lloyd H. and Johnson, Mildred W., A Handbook of Aerospace Defense Organization 1946 - 1980,[1] Office of History, Aerospace Defense Center, Peterson AFB, CO (1980)