Narrative Report
1 Aug 55
Operations commenced at 0645Z as scheduled in Air Division Ops Order 27/55 a copy of which is attached as Appendix "F". The unit callsign is Yellowjack. F/L J Legare acted as Duty Controller with F/O’s Llewellyn-Thomas, Nixon, Paige and Zoltvany as Intercept Controllers. F/O G Ford was in charge of radar and had the Type 80 operating, MPS-11 back up search serviceable but no MPS-14 height finders working. The lay-out of the Operations Room was shown in Appendix "G". The areas of responsibility of units within 4 ATAF are shown in Appendix "H" which also points out the manner in which Yellowjack’s coverage is superimposed upon that of neighboring units. Surveillance and cross-telling areas are also shown in this diagram. Operational links between 61 AC&W Sqn and other 4 ATAF units are shown in the organization chart given in Appendix "I".
4 Aug 55
Track numbers from 1 to 99 inclusive were allotted to the unit. Telling commenced to 1er CATAC on a daily basis from 0600Z to 2200Z.
14 Aug 55
Back up search facility lost when the MPS-11 transmitter burned out.
15 Aug 55
Erection of MPS-14 height finders numbers 2 and 3 commenced. A copy of the report is attached as Appendix "J".
27 Aug 55
Calibration of the Type 80 search gear commenced and continued to the end of the month.
5 Sep 55
ADIZ penetration seen by Yellowjack was reported to 12 AF who initiated scramble which resulted in identification of four USAF F-86s.
7 Sep 55
One calibration run.
11 Sep 55
First successful intercept on a Lone Ranger track. Lone Rangers are long-range navigational aircraft flown by RAF Bomber Command.
14 Sep 55
MPS-14 No. 2 operating.
15 Sep 55
Telling line to 1er CATAC taken out. After many complaints from both ends the PTT is finally putting in a new line.
17 Sep 55
Type 80 unserviceable. Search capacity lost for 2.34 hours during the day and at frequent short intervals during the night.
18 Sep 55
Type 80 again unserviceable. Off the air 4.21 hours during the day and frequent short intervals during the night.
20 Sep 55
Calibration of MPS-14 height finder. Familiarization visit by three USAF officers from Landstuhl.
22 Sep 55
Security guard fired at moving object near the east side fence at about 0200Z. Subsequent search revealed nothing.
23 Sep 55
Fighter Marshal set-up confirmed by Air Division signal to all Wings. Yellowjack to monitor Air Division Common frequency 155.7 mcs throughout the flying day. All aircraft are to check in after take off and to check out before landing. Exercise Beware commenced. Yellowjack’s role is to monitor massed flights of Air Division fighters on offensive sorties against south-eastern UK and to provide emergency recovery as necessary. Today’s sortie was of 36 aircraft from Soellingen.
24 Sep 55
Exercise Beware. 24 aircraft from Marville.
25 Sep 55
Exercise Beware. 28 aircraft from Zweibrucken.
27 Sep 55
Col. Bond and party of two officers of 12 AF on familiarization visit.
28 Sep 55
Exercise Beware. 63 aircraft from Zweibrucken and Soellingen.
29 Sep 55
G/C Timmerman and party of two officers from AFCE and 4 ATAF visited the site.
30 Sep 55
Telling to 603rd AC&W Sqn USAF, callsign Logroll, commenced. Note: - Statistical summary for the month is attached as Appendix "J".
1 Oct 55
Exercise Fox Paw, CPX involving higher echelons primarily, commenced. Masses flight of 126 F-86 aircraft from all Wings scheduled for today was reduced by cancellation of 3 Wing to 114 aircraft. Yellowjack surveillance of raid from take-off 1515Z to landing 1707Z.
2 Oct 55
Exercise Fox Paw – three sweeps. Recall passed during sweeps via Yellowjack was successful.
3 Oct 55
Exercise Fox Paw continuing but no longer affecting this unit. Overflight of Austrian territory by aircraft of 4 Wing prevented by Yellowjack querying the flight plan and issuing recall to pilots who were already south of Switzerland. All but one made it back to base and he, Stylus 21, diverted to Istres.
4 Oct 55
Exercise Fox Paw ceased at 1720Z. Major Stapleton of SHAPE visits the unit and was given a familiarization tour of the site.
5 Oct 55
Operations suspended throughout the day for laying of linoleum flooring in Operations Room: 0735Z to 2130Z.
6 Oct 55
Indication that Yellowjack’s GEOREF video-map overlay was in error occurred when track 489Y cross-told to 12 AF paralleled the movements of track 535 carried by 12 AF 30 miles west of this unit’s track.
8 Oct 55
Track 16 appeared at 1918Z inside the ADIZ at MD5558 heading west, speed 300K. Turned east at MD1555, increased speed to 600K and was faded on an easterly heading at NE4532.
10 Oct 55
Video map overlay presentation undergoing correction to minimize errors. Operations Crew 4 visited 603rd AC&W Squadron USAF and 12 AF ACC for familiarization and liaison purposes. Track 522 which originated in ADIZ intercepted by Yellowjack controlling Muscular Zulu Coco handed over from 603rd AC&W Squadron. Identified as a French aircraft, type unknown, 10M19894 carrying black and yellow tip tanks.
12 Oct 55
Type 80 off from 0622Z to 1905Z because of rectifier failure. Video map overlay error reduced to 1% at 200 miles range.
13 Oct 55
Telescramble circuit to 3 Wing unserviceable. Other Wings circuits not working yet.
14 Oct 55
Type 80 off for 2.10 hours when the water pump for the magnetron cooler failed.
17 Oct 55
Type 80 off from 0735Z to 1645Z for pre-calibration check. Off and on again at frequent intervals during the night because of trigger trouble. Cooler for the turning gear also unserviceable causing a reduction of maximum rotation rate to 3 rpm.
18 Oct 55
High level penetration flight organized by 12 AF intercepted only by aircraft under Yellowjack control; one B-57 splashed at 50,000 feet and shadowing aircraft seen at 53,000 feet plus but not attacked. All lines except those to the Wings were put out of action at 1620Z when a bulldozer at Air Division ran through the main telephone cable. F/L Davies, Telecom Officer remained on duty throughout the night installing a temporary field line to Air Division HQ.
19 Oct 55
Calibration of Type 80 by a team of USAF specialists began. F/O R Vance of this unit is acting as liaison officer.
20 Oct 55
Exercise Argus.
21 Oct 55
Lt. Col. Wolfe of 12 AF and a party of 11 officers visited the unit for familiarization purposes.
21 Oct 55
G/C Turnbull headed a party of 28 visitors made up of Wing Ops officers and staffs.
24 Oct 55
Dr. Hilliard of DRB visited the unit.
27 Oct 55
Calibration ceased.
28 Oct 55
Random flight of 26 F-86 Mk6 from Kinloss to Zweibrucken completed at 1625Z. Yellowjack afforded surveillance. Air conditioning unit installed in Ops Room.
30 Oct 55
Water bowser froze during the night; no water available on site.
31 Oct 55
Type 80 off for 2.25 hours with trigger trouble. Mr. A Garin, Decca technical representative called in from town during the early hours of the morning to rectify trouble. MPS-11 serviceable again at 1650Z. NOTE: Statistical summary for month is attached as Appendix "L". Training report for the month attached as Appendix "M". Photograph of Ops Crew 4 taken at 603rd AC&W Squadron USAF attached as Appendix "N". Photograph of main site taken early October attached as Appendix "O".
1 Nov 55
GEOREF calibration cancelled owing to Type 80 failure.
2 Nov 55
Type 80 transmitter failed again. ETRO two days time. The AOC accompanied AVM Guthrie on a visit to the unit.
3 Nov 55
Exercise Argus followed by Exercise Bomex. Type 80 back in operation at 1712Z.
4 Nov 55
Type 80 off again at 0812Z.
5 Nov 55
Type 80, worked on all night, became serviceable at 0700Z. Operations suspended for 25 minutes when contractor working on site cut the power supply without obtaining permission or giving warning.
7 Nov 55
GEOREF calibration scheduled for today cancelled because Type 80 again went unserviceable. All operations suspended for 52 minutes when back-up MPS-11 also went unserviceable.
8 Nov 55
Track 59 appeared in MF3550 at 1630Z; strength one, speed 300K, heading 200T, height not available. Declared hostile by 12 AF ACC. Forward CRPs and RPs of 12 AF alerted but no trace of this track seen by any of them. Dead-reckoning of this track ceased at 1650Z.
9 Nov 55
Handicap Black communications exercise began. 444 Squadron flight from Rabat to Sollingen produced an emergency with one bail out ten miles NW of Istres at 1130Z. All other aircraft landed safely.
10 Nov 55
Strike of French Air Traffic Service began; flights which had previously been obtaining clearances through agencies of the FATS began leaning heavily on Yellowjack for surveillance on flights through France. This applied particularly to USAF aircraft. Telling to 615th AC&W Squadron, callsign "Barber", commenced. Exercise Bomex during evening.
14 Nov 55
Air Defence aircraft, fully armed F-86s allotted. Two sections at each of 3 and 4 Wings to be on states from one half hour before sunrise to one half hour after sunset. Callsigns composed of code name of base from which operating, plus "Zulu", plus section identifying letter. Scramble authority vested in 12 AF via 603rd AC&W Squadron. Yellowjack to obtain release of these sections from 12 AF for practice missions and at no time are practice missions to reduce the status of Zulu sections below the requirement of one section on five minutes (Readiness) and one section on ten minutes (Available). Zulu sections on states of 0630Z today received six practice scrambles during the day and two handovers were attempted to 12 AF CRCs. Communications difficulties were experienced during the handovers. Telescramble circuits at both Zweibrucken and Sollingen were unserviceable.
15 Nov 55
The French Air Force D/F station, callsign Mira, located near Metz closed down today in preparation for its forward move to Germany. The AOC, AVM Godwin, escorting M.de la Tour de Pin and four members of the French Liaison Mission visited the unit and were conducted on a familiarization tour by the Commanding Officer.
16 Nov 55
Security checks of the main and ancillary sites are to be made at least four times outside normal working hours; responsibility for the performance of these checks rests with the Duty Controllers of the evening and night shifts. The AOC again visited the site and was accompanied by Lt. Col. Blank and Col. Bonnet of the French Air Force. Inside toilets opened at a ceremony held at 1430 hours. Photographs are attached as Appendix "P".
17 Nov 55
An aerial explosion was reported by 1er CATAC, GrosTenquin, and the Orderly Officer at ADHQ to have taken place at 1640Z in the Luxembourg area. Reports from Geneva and London at 1658Z confirm the location of the explosion but no further details were ever obtainable.
22 Nov 55
First scramble live for Zulu actions. Strongbox Zulu Alfa scrambled on instructions from 12 AF for track 502 not seen by this unit. Handover effected to 616th AC&W Squadron USAF who in turn handed over to their forward CRP. Mission unsuccessful: target faded prior to intercept.
23 Nov 55
IFF antenna removed from Type 80 for checking. Performance of IFF has deteriorated steadily during the past month.
25 Nov 55
Coolant pump on Type 80 unserviceable; ETRO two days. Back-up facility operating below optimum. MPS-14 No. 1 also unserviceable.
26 Nov 55
Makeshift pump installed on Type 80 returned the main search gear to operation. Replacement pump received later in the day installed within ten minutes of receipt.
27 Nov 55
Operations suspended for 47 minutes during the evening. Type 80 oil supply failed; investigation revealed metal filings in the filter.
28 Nov 55
Handover of Air Division Zulu aircraft restricted to Live or Hot Scrambles when Yellowjack does not have contact with the target track or to properly scheduled handover exercises. Type 80 returned to operation at 0842Z.
29 Nov 55
Four officers from 12 AF visited the unit for familiarization.
30 Nov 55
Exercise Weapon Fire involving 16 aircraft returning to Marville from Rabat. Surveillance afforded by Yellowjack. NOTES: Statistical Summary for the months is attached as Appendix "Q". Training Report for the month is attached as Appendix "R".
Signed by:
M Strange, W/C,
Commanding Officer,
61 AC&W Squadron.
