15th Army Air Forces; WWII
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Annex 5: Operation Frantic Three

HEADQUARTERS FIFTEENTH AIR FORCE

APO 520, U. S. Army               J-AIL-sar

11 July 1944

ANNEX NO. 5                                                                                                    

COMMUNICATIONS ANNEX

Fifteenth Air Force Plan for Operation “FRANTIC THREE”

GROUND COMMUNICATIONS

  1. Telephone communications will be established by U. S. Forces now at the following bases in U.S.S.R.:
    1. Poltava (Hq., Eastern Base Command of USSTAF) Central office set TC 12, 20 lines.
    2. Poltava (Airdrome) Central office set TC 4, 40 lines
    3. Mirgorod (Airdrome) Central office set TC 12, 20 lines
    4. Piryatin (Airdrome) Central office set TC 12, 20 lines.

Telephones will be available at all base staff sections and at important points of operation.  Use will be made of those existing facilities.  If switchboard code names are in use, determine upon arrival.

  1. Teletype (Soviet installation) will be available between the bases listed above.  Teletype call signs as in use at destination.
  2. Radio Teletype (U. S. installation) will be available between Poltava, U.S.S.R. and Caserta, Italy.  Existing communication channels from Caserta to Fifteenth Air Force and thence to 306th Fighter Wing will be utilized.  Radio teletype equipment is being provided and installed by higher Headquarters.  Radio teletype call signs:

MAAF, CASERTA – JJHL

AACS and EBS, POLTAVA – JBMP

  1. Radio – Point to Point Ground.
    1. Poltava to Widewing England, USSTAF redline net on 5970, 11455 and possibly 16155 kilocycles.
    2. Poltava to Caserta, Italy MAAF redline net on 5210, 10710 and possibly 14205 kilocycles.
    3. Poltava to Widewing and Caserta weather net on 5685, 10595 and possibly 14910.
    4. Poltava, Mirgorod, Piryatin, base net on 5930 kilocycles.  Equipment being provided and installed by higher Headquarters.

Call signs to be announced later.  Radio teletype might be utilizing these frequencies.

AIR COMMUNICATIONS

                Facilities listed below are scheduled to be in operation.  Any changes will be promulgated by message before take-off.

  1. Airdrome Control
    1. Frequency:  126.18 mc (“A” channel)

Call Signs: - “VOLLEYBALL” – Poltava

                        “WHEATEY” – Mirgord

                        “SWANNEE” - Piryatin

    1. Conventional light signals will be used as an alternate to radio.
    2. Aircraft making emergency landings without radio contact with the tower will fire a white Very flare or flash a series of dots on the downward recognition lights.
  2. A VHF/DF station will be in operation on “A” channel at Piryatin, call sign “SWANNEE”.
  3. IFF in P-38’s will be turned on approximately 100 miles before crossing the Russian front.
  4. The following Russian identification signals are effective on the dates shown below.  This means of identification will be employed by any aircraft over Russian territory when it is evident that the aircraft is being challenged by light signals or by gunfire from either ground batteries or Russian aircraft.  These signals will only be employed over enemy territory when challenged by gunfire from Russian aircraft

Date                                      Signal

July 11 – Basis 2 or 3 right dips; secondary 3 to 5 rocks.

July 12 – Basic 3 to 5 rocks; secondary 2 or 3 right dips and red flare.

July 13 – Basic 2 or 3 left dips; secondary 3 to 5 rocks.

July 14 – Basic 2 or 3 right dips; secondary 2 or 3 left dips.

July 15 – Basic 2 or 3 left dips and green flare; secondary 2 or 3 right dips.

July 16 – Basic 2 or 3 right dips; secondary 3 to 5 rocks.

July 17 – Basic 3 to 5 rocks; secondary 2 or 3 right dips and red flare.

July 18 – Basic 2 or 3 left dips; secondary 3 to 5 rocks.

July 19 – Basic 2 or 3 right dips; secondary 2 or 3 left dips.

July 20 – Basic 2 or 3 left dips and green flare; secondary 2 or 3 right dips.

  1. Colors and Letters of the day for the return flight will be obtained from copies of SP 02440 and 02442 already available at the Russian bases.  Colors of the day for use on Russian-based missions will be obtained from the Russian publications held at the bases.
  2. VHF channels will be used in normal manner in the Italian area, and as prescribed by the Task Force Commander in the Russian area.  The following special call signs will be used:

Task Force Collective                      MOONSHINE

31st Fighter Group                          BLUECAR

307th Fighter Squadron                 BUCKSACK

308th Fighter Squadron                 THREESOME

309th Fighter Squadron                 SULPHUR

82nd Fighter Group                         HOMEMADE

48th Fighter Squadron                   TINSEL

95th Fighter Squadron                   WAMPUM

96th Fighter Squadron                   WHITEWALL

CODES AND CIPHERS

  1. Normal Fighter R/T Code.
  2. Point-to-point-------------as provided at Russian bases.
  3. Mission recall code words will be furnished in normal manner.

MAINTENANCE

                All necessary personnel, parts, and test equipment will be available at the Russian bases.

Veteran Roster

15th Air Force personnel records and roster in World War II.

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