Secret WWII Rhode Island Intercept Post

[Tom WA3KLR]

I came across this link yesterday on a military forum I participate in:

During WWII, there was a listening & DF post called Chopmist Hill in Scituate Rhode Island.  I don't think it has been mentioned here before and I never heard of it.  Have you?

Very interesting:

http://www.providencejournal.com/article/20150808/NEWS/150809367

[KA0HCP]

I read this article in August when it was published.  A well hidden secret.  I've never come across this in any history.   Even Walt, W2DU-SK didn't mention as I recall.

[Todd, KA1KAQ]

N4ZED broke the 'secret' here back on August 17th:

http://amfone.net/Amforum/index.php?topic=40464.0

[W3NE]

A similar article appeared several months ago but I can't remember where.

The item about copying German tank communications has been around for years. It was not a technological feat -- the band was open but the Nazis did not realize it so their most secret tactical messages were copied in London!

Bob - NE

[Steve - K4HX]

That site and Tom Cave are mentioned (including photos) several times in publication below.

The History of the Radio Intelligence Division Before and During World War II
1940 – 1945

A collection of articles and manuscript of George E. Sterling

http://users.isp.com/danflan/sterling/ridhist.pdf

[W3RSW]

This may have helped a bit too   as well as having an eastern US location with the reflective Atlantic Ocean to the immediate East.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_cycle_17

Probably covered in that extensive compendium you've referenced Steve. Over  200 iBook pages and I've not had time to read it yet, but quite detailed. Mucho Tnx.

[AJ1G]

.....as well as having an eastern US location with the reflective Atlantic Ocean to the immediate East.

The location of the subject site in RI is actually quite far from the ocean. It is many miles west of Providence near the RI/CT state line.  During WW2 its remote location was probably electrically very quiet.

[W3RSW]

Oh like RI is more than three wavelengths wide. 

A high hill in its west may even have an almost-to or at the ocean horizon.

[Tom WA3KLR]

When I was a kid I remember my father telling me that tank transmissions were picked up here from North Africa.  Could have been from our Beasty-604's also.

As far as I researched, it looks like solar cycle 18 hit the minimum in May of 1944. ?

[WBear2GCR]

Someone who is within driving distance ought to take a mobile rig and drive up to the hill, since it now has houses on it, and see just how great the reception is!

I'd go. It's a bit of a run from here though.

Maybe in the spring... of course I don't have a mobile rig in the car, nor an antenna on it...

How exactly they got direction information is rather unclear.

                   _-_-

UPDATE: the pdf from K4HX above tells much: "Adcock direction finder" the results showed as an oscilloscope
display! Neat.