Cape Meares WWII Radar Site

Cape Meares WWII Radar Site (1943-1944) - A World War II U.S. Army Radar Site established in 1943. Used to provide early warning of enemy aircraft approaching the Oregon Coast. Located on Cape Meares near Oceanside in Tillamook County, Oregon. Deactivated in 1944. Also known as Station B-25. Cape Meares WWII Radar Site Overview in 2018. History This radar site was established in 1943 during World War II as a part of a chain of some 65 radar stations along the West Coast of the United States and Canada. These secret radar sites were built to provide early warning and interception of approaching enemy aircraft and ships but also served to assist friendly aircraft that were lost or had in-flight emergencies. This radar network was in addition to a network of search and fire control radars established at each of the West Coast harbor defenses. This chain of West Coast radar stations was established in response to the June 1942 Japanese invasion and capture of the U.S. Aleutian Islands of Attu and Kiska. The islands were both recaptured by U.S. forces and declared secured by 24 Aug 1943. The radar chain was constructed in late 1942 and early 1943 while the Japanese still had control of the islands and had conducted air raids on the U.S. bases at Dutch Harbor. The threat of further air attacks on the West Coast appeared real as did a possible Japanese invasion of the Pacific Northwest. Two types of Air Warning Service (AWS) radar stations were built, long-range search radars (200~ mile range) and short-range Ground Control Intercept (GCI) radars (50~ mile range). The search radars would pick up and track possible enemy aircraft while the GCI radars would guide U.S. interceptor aircraft to these targets. The long-range search radar sites typically used the SCR-270 series radars while the short-range Search/GCI sites typically used the SCR-588 series radars. The Cape Meares WWII Radar Site was established as a Search radar site with a SCR-270-B radar set under the command of the Portland Air Defense Wing. While the SCR-270 was a mobile radar set it was often placed in fixed sites. The site was operational from sometime in 1943 to mid-1944 and then placed in standby status with the equipment removed. Manning during the operational period was typically 45 to 50 men operating as a detachment of the headquarters at Portland International Airport (note: the detachment numbers and unit designation changed several times while the site was active). Physical Plant The operations building was built into the side of a hill as protection and to camouflage its functionality. The camouflage included a large pre-existing tree that overhung the building and was left in place to prevented the antenna from casting a recognizable shadow and to hide the generator and equipment exhaust vents. The operations building itself was 80' by 21' with two protected entrances and 12" thick concrete outer walls. Four internal rooms provided an operations room for the shift workers, a duty officer's room, an equipment room for the radar and a generator room with two generators. Closure Deactivated in 1944. The SCR-270-B Radar equipment was later declared obsolete by AG letter 17 Jan 1946. Tower and equipment to be disposed of while the buildings were retained. Current Status Now a part of the Cape Meares National Wildlife Refuge. Located on the east side of Cape Meares Loop Road at Short Beach, just north of town. Concrete ruins of the operations building and the antenna pads still exist. Access Easiest access to this site is from the Indian Beach Day-use Area of the Ecola State Park (not the Ecola Point Day-use Area). Parking is limited and there can be a long wait for a spot if you come at a busy time. At the Indian Beach Day-use Area, two trails go up to the Hikers' Camp, these two trails make up the 2.5 mile (round trip) Clatsop Loop Trail that takes you very close to the radar site. As you start out from the parking lot, a wide trail goes straight ahead and a narrower trail branches off to the left, the wide trail was formerly the military road to the radar site while the narrower trail is a typical northwest hiking trail. The wide trail is a steady climb all the way up to the 700+ foot level, there are few a flat spots but the climb is unrelenting for a mile and a quarter. This path is by far the easiest for the non-professional hiker and can be done in sneakers. The narrow path is more arduous and less safe for inexperienced hikers because it has many uneven areas strewn with rocks and exposed tree roots. You probably need to have hiking boots on for this trail or you risk a fall or a sprained ankle because the damp nature of the forest makes everything a bit slippery. We took the wide trail up and the narrow trail down and if I were to do it again I would take the wide path both ways. Once at the top you will find the Hikers' Camp close to the junction of the two trails and the radar site is straight ahead west toward the Tillamook Rock Lighthouse Overlook. The radar site is on the left-hand side of the trail to the overlook and you cannot miss it because the trail actually goes through the site right where the wooden catwalk starts. Look to your left and you should see the steel door to the underground entrance the second entrance is a bit further down. Above the doors, you can see the vents and to the right of the second door, you can see the remains of the antenna piers. {"selectable":false,"width":"500"} Location: Oceanside in Tillamook County, Oregon. Maps & Images Lat: 45.47411 Long: -123.96790 Multi Maps from ACME Maps from Bing Maps from Google Site Elevation: yyyyy' See Also: Western WWII Radar Sites Western Canada WWII Radar Sites US Radar Sets SCR-270-B Radar Set Sources: Deur, Douglas, Empires of the Turning Tide, NPS, 2016, Publication No. 2016-001, ISBN 978-0-692-42174-1 Pdf Radar Station B-71 HAER No. CA-332 Appendix A Links: North American Forts - Cape Meares Radar Station YouTube Video - Abandoned WWII Radar Station - Cape Meares Oregon Visited: 8 Sep 2018