CHAPTER Ii, SECTION 6
Departmentincluded telephone and teletype sec-
tions at each atoll, plus a directory section and
a television section at Elmer. While the communications
responsibilities
increased
several
fold during HARDTACK,it was necessary to
increase communications personnel requirements
only 22% over REDWING.
TROPOSPHERIC SCATTER SYSTEM.
Early in 1957 the planned scope of Operation HARDTACK indicated the need for a new
Communications System between Bikini and
Eniwetok Atolls. It was essential that the system
carry with utmost reliability a large number
of radio telephone, teletype, and data channels
plus a wide frequency band voice cryptographic
system in the process of development by the
National Security Agency.
As a result of the efforts of the AEC Com-
munications Engineer and the JTF-7 Communications Section, a 72-channel Tropospheric
Scatter System, excess to military requirements,
was located. The Air Force experimental system,
engineered by Lincoln Laboratories, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was in operation
between North Truro, Massachusetts,
and
Stewart AFB, Newburgh, New York. A survey
was conducted ii n May 1957 by the Contractor’s
engineers, and it was determined that the system
would meet the requirements at EPG. The sys-
tem was dismantled and crated under the Contractor’s direction and wasairlifted to EPG in
six C-124 aircraft. The equipment was placed in
dehumidified storage to await the completion
of the addition to Building 488 at Elmer and the
new Communications Building, No. 204, at Nan.
Installation of the system paralleled building
construction at both sites. The Tropospheric
Scatter System was placed in full operation on
8 March 1958.
Two-way service between Elmer and Nan
included 10 dial trunks and 6 ring-down trunks
for general telephone service, 10 hot-line intercom channels, three teletype channels, one IBM
data circuit, and two voice cyphony channels.
The dial trunk installation made it possible to
dial the Nan operator from any Eniwetok Atoll
_ telephone and allowed the Nan operator to dial
any number in the Eniwetok Atoll. Voice quality
on both the general service channels and the
cyphony channels was comparable to commercial
land-line telephone standards.
4.
e
fo
4
A.
ak
|
'
|
.
!
amgt
Sy.
woe.
“
-
8
Sony
'
web
.
all, aw
—
.
:4
“is
Gea
£
$
awe
ee
«
wt Sake og ag RT
te
.
SOEST Ee ee
er
>
+
apt
Mme a
(Neg. No. W-V-341-3)
Figure No. 2-152.
Building 488 and Tropospheric Scatter
Antennas — Elmer.
Page 307