Lewes Delaware US Naval Radio Station
UHF Troposcatter Relay for NECPA Ships

USS Northampton and USS Wright were national command center ships (NECPA - National Emergency Command Post Afloat) and included extensive communications equipment and capability. While on station off the US East Coast, Northampton and Wright maintained contact with the shore via UHF troposcatter links to Lola (NC), Lewes (DE), and Cape Cod (MA).

The tropo equipment may have been the AN/FRC-92 on shore and the AN/SRC-24 (REL 2500) shipboard- please send me e-mail if you have any info on this or anything related to these ships.

Photos thanks to Dennis Page

March 1963 

    
1963 MAR - Lewes DE - USN ComSta site (before) 1.jpg (625809 bytes) 1963 MAR - US Naval Radio Station - Lewes DE.jpg (476782 bytes) 1963 MAR - Lewes DE - USN ComSta site (before).jpg (661523 bytes)

June 1963

    
1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - view from road 1 - June 1963.JPG (905330 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - view from road 2 - June 1963.JPG (947192 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - view from road 3 - June 1963.JPG (1025351 bytes)
1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - officers & CWOs under satellite dish - Jun 1963.JPG (1610573 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - enlisted crew under satellite dish - Jun 1963.JPG (2072393 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - crew at attention - Jun 1963.JPG (1255520 bytes)

September 1963
1963 SEP - Lewes DE - USN ComSta (from above).jpg (740373 bytes) 1963 SEP - Lewes DE - USN ComSta (ground level).jpg (467379 bytes) OIC LT Warren M Page
1963 SEP - Lewes DE - USN ComSta OIC Lt Warren Page.jpg (608545 bytes)

June 1963 Standup (Activation) Ceremony
1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony 1 - June 1963.JPG (1430982 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony 2 - June 1963.JPG (1668260 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony 3 - June 1963.JPG (1799191 bytes)
1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony 4 - June 1963.JPG (1493966 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony 5 - June 1963.JPG (1510496 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony LT WMP at lectern - June 1963.JPG (1904295 bytes)
1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony - LDP Patsy Rhodes DLP & LT WMP - June 1963.JPG (1332656 bytes) 1963 JUN - Naval Radio Station Lewes DE - standup ceremony - LT WMP & HMP cut the cake - June 1963.JPG (1422147 bytes) OIC LT Warren M Page
1963 LT WMP (OIC Naval Radio Station Lewes DE).JPG (807580 bytes)

Additional Info

Articles on Lewes - Delaware Outdoor Magazine and Coastalpoint

More info & photos on Lewes tropo antennas
original tropo antenna installation atop Battery Hunter - photo from RM 3&2 manual 
tropo-ant-01.JPG (1306010 bytes)		 Later Lewes, Delaware tropo antenna installation at Battery 519

Later Lewes, Delaware tropo antenna installation at Battery 519  (thanks to Delaware State Parks)
lewes_Tropos_1a.jpg (1343976 bytes)

 

 1969 photo
lewes-1969-01.jpg (136474 bytes)