Activities of the Naval Communication System

by Alvin H. Grobmeier, CDR, USN (Ret.)

Anyone having questions or comments on this topic is invited to contact CDR. Grobmeier.

Chief of Naval Operation OPNAV INSTRUCTION 29 of 10 May 1952 - The Naval Commmunication System (one of the elements of Naval Communications) is the integrated network, essentially interarea in nature, required to provide the basic framework for rapid communications for the U.S. Navy on a world-wide basis. The Naval Communication System, under the direction of the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO)/Director of Naval Communications (DNC), maintains and operates the essential shore facilities and services required to provide adequate communication support for the Operating Forces, the Navy Department, and the Shore Establishment, and to perform such special communication functions as the Chief of Naval Operations may prescribe.

Explanatory notes:

• (T) for transmitting
• (R) for receiving
• (L) for link relay
• (S) for Special indicating performance of special communications functions as prescribed by the CNO/DNC (Naval Security Group)

The activities which compose the Naval Communication System are identified by command titles and geographical locations as follows:

• U.S. Naval Communication Stations/Facilities
  • 1. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION BOSTON, MASS. (NAD)
    • a. Communication Center, Headquarters First Naval District
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office (RPIO), Boston
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T) (R), Squanton, Mass.
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), Winter Harbor, Maine, including associated components located at Bass Harbor and Corea, Maine.
  • 2. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, NEW YORK, N,.Y. (NAH)
    • a. Communication Center Headquarters, Third Naval District, including transmitting equipment at Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y.
    • b. Registered Puclication Issuing Office, New York (located at Naval Shipyard, Brooklyn, N.Y.)
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R)(S), Bellmore, Long Island, N.Y.
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), Amagansett, Long Island, N.Y.
  • 3. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, PHILADELPHIA, PA (NAI)
    • a. Communication Cener, Headquarters Fourth Naval District, Philadelphia
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Philadelphia
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T)(R), Cape May, NJ
  • 4. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION NORFOLK, VA (NAM)
    • a. Communication Center, Fifth Naval District, Norfolk, including transmitting and receiving equipment based at Naval Base, Norfolk
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Norfolk
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R), Northwest, VA
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Monogram, VA
    • e. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), Northwest, VA 5
  • U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, CHARLESTON, SC (NAO)
    • a. Communication Center, Sixth Naval District, including transmitting and receiving equipments located at Naval Base Charleston
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Charleston
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), DuPont, SC
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), Key West, FL
  • 6. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, NEW ORLEANS, LA (NAT)
    • a. Communication Center, Eighth Naval District Headquarters, including transmitting and receiving equipment located at Naval Station, New Orleans
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, New Orleans
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R), Belle Chase, LA
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), vicinity of New Orleans, LA
  • 7. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, GREAT LAKES, IL (NAJ)
    • a. Communication Center, Eighth Naval District Headquarters, incuding transmitting and receiving equipments at Naval Training Cener, Great Lakes, IL
    • b. Registered Pubvlication Issuing Office, Great Lakes
  • 8. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, SAN DIEGO, CA (NPL)
    • a. Communication Center, Eleventh Naval District Headquarters, San Diego
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office (including sub-RPIO at Long Beach Naval Station, Long Beach, CA)
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Chollas Heights, San Diego, CA
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R)(S), Imperial Beach, CA
  • 9. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, SAN FRANCISCO, CA (NPG)
    • a.Communication Center, Twelfth Naval District Headquarters, Federal Office Bldg., San Francisco, CA
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, San Francisco
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Dixon, CA
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Mare Island, CA (at Mare Is. Naval Shipyard)
    • e. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R)(S), Skaggs Island, Sonoma, CA
  • 10. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, SEATTLE, WA (NPC)
    • a. Communication Center, Thirteenth Naval District
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Seattle
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T)(R)(S), Bainbridge Island, Port Blakely, WA
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T) (Very low frequency), Arlington, Snomish County, WA
    • e. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), Marietta, Lummi Indian Reservation, WA
  • 11. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, SAN JUAN, PUERTO RICO (NAU)
    • a. Communication Center, Tenth Naval District Headquarters, including the radio relay facilities located as Site Seven and a Half
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, San Juan
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Martin Pena, PR
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R)(S), Sabana Seca, PR
    • e. Fleet Post Office, Headquarters Tenth Naval District
  • 12. U.S. NAVAL COMMNICATION STATION, PEARL HARBOR, TERRITORY OF HAWAII (NPG)
    • a. Communication Center, Fourteenth Naval District, Pearl Harbor (within Naval Shipyard, Pearl Harbor)
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Pearl Harbor
    • c .U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Lualualei, TH
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T) (Very low frequency), Haiki, TH
    • e. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Heeia, TH
    • f. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R)(S), Wahiawa, TH
    • g. Fleet Post Office, Pearl Harbor
  • 13. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION , BALBOA, PANAMA CANAL ZONE (NBA)
    • a. Communication Center, Fifteenth Naval Distrtict, Balboa
    • b. Registered Publcation Issuing Office, Balboa
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Summit, CZ
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T) (Very low frequency), Gatun, CZ
    • e. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R), Farfan, CZ
  • 14. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, KODIAK, ALASKA (NHB)
    • a. Communication Center, Sixteenth Naval District Headquarters, including remote transmitting and receiving facilities at Buskin Lake and Buskin Beach.
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Kodiak
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Buskin Lake
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R), Buskin Beach
    • e. U.S. Naval Radio Station (S), Cape Chiniak
    • f. Fleet Post Office, Kodiak
  • 15 U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, ADAK , ALASKA (NUB)
    • a. Communication Center, Naval Communication Station, Adak
    • b. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Mount Moffett area
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R)(S), Clam Lagoon
  • 16. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION, GUAM, MARIANA ISLANDS (NPN)
    • a. Communication Center, Naval Communication Station, Guam
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Guam
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Barrigada
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Station (R)(S), Finnegayan
    • e. Fleet Post Office, Guam
  • 17. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION FACILITY, PHILIPPINES
    • a. Communication Center, Headquarters, Commander Naval Forces Phillipines, Sangley Point, including receiving equipments located at Naval Station, Sangley Point.
    • b. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (T), Bagobantay
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (T)(R)(S), Subic Bay area
    • d. Fleet Post Office, Manila (located at Sangled Point)
  • 18. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION FACILITY, YOKOSUKA, JAPAN (NDT)
    • a. Communication Center, Commander Naval Forces Far East, Tokyo
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Yokosuka
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (T), (Very low frequency), Totsuka, Japan
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (TO,Josami, Japan
    • e. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (S), Yokosuka, Japan (includes Kannon Saki site)
    • f. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (R)(S), Kami Seya, Japan
    • g. Fleet Post Office, Yokohama (formerly at Yokosuka)
  • 19. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION FACILITY, LONDON, ENGLAND
    • a. Communication Cener, Headquarters Commmander Naval Forces Eastern Atlantic, London
    • b. Registered Publication Issuing Office, London
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (T)(R), Londonderry, Northern Ireland
    • d. Fleet Post Office, London (NAVCOMMFAC London later moved to Londonderry (NST))
  • 20 U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION FACILITY, PORT LYAUTEY, MOROCCO
    • a. Communication Center, Naval Communication Facility, Port Lyautey, including transmitting and receiving equipments located on Naval Activity, Port Lyautey, and employed for general and special communication operations. (NAVCOMMFAC, PORT LYAUTEY later became NAVAL COMMUNICATION STATION PORT LYAUTEY (NHY)
    • b. Fleet Post Office, Port Lyautey
    • c. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (T), Bouknadel
    • d. U.S. Naval Radio Facility (R)(S), Sidi Yahia
  • 21. U.S. NAVAL COMMUNICATION FACILITY, EASTERN MEDITERANEAN
    • a. U.S. Naval Radio Facilities at Nea Makri Greece (NGR0 and at Naples, Italy (NNI)

U.S. Naval Communication Units

• 1. Unit No. 3, Asmara, Eritrea. (later became NAVCOMMSTA, Asmara, Ethiopa (NKA)
• 2. Unit No. 4, Tripoli , Libya
• 3. Unit No. 5, Dhahrain, Saudi Arabia
• 4. Unit No. 8, Bremerhaven, Germany (Naval Security Group Activity, Bremerhaven - NGB)
• 5. Unit.No. 31 (Location being determined)
• 6. Unit No. 32 Navy No.510 FPO, New York. NY
• 7. Unit No. 33 c/o CNO Op-202, Navy Department, Washington 25, DC
• 8. Unit No. 34 c/o Commander Sixth Fleet, FPO, New York, NY
• 9. Unit No. 36 Fort Randolph, Galeta Island, Canal Zone. (Naval Seacurity Group Activity)
• 10. Unit No.37 Okinawa, Ryukyu Retto, Japan
• 11. Unit No.38 Navy No. 1165 (Tokyo, Japan), FPO, San Francisco, CA
• 12. Unit No.39 Bermuda Island
• 13. Unit No.40 Kwajalein, Marshall Islands
• 14. Unit No.41 Trinidad, British West Indies
• 15. Unit No.42 Azores
• 16. Unit No.43 Midway Island. (Became Naval Communication Unit - NQR)
• 17. Unit No. 44 (Location being determined) Note - Units 1, 2, 7, 9, 10-30 and 35 are reserved for planning purposes and future assignment.

Associated Activities

• 1. Communication Center, Navy Department, Washington, DC
  • a. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T), Annapolis, MD
  • b. U.S. Naval Radio Station (T)(S), Cheltenham, MD (Later assigned to Naval Communication Station, Washington, DC (NSS) )
  • c. U.S. Naval Radio Station, Arlington, VA (NAA)
  • d. Registered Publication Issuing Office, Navy Department, Washington, DC

  Note - Collectively, the above activities perform communication functions for the Navy Department comparable to those provided by a Naval Communication Station.

• 2. Fleet Post Offices
  • a. New York, NY
  • b. San Francisco, CA
• 3. Registered Publication Issuing Offices (not part of a Naval Communication Station)
  • a. Newport, RI
  • b. New London, CT
  • c. Key West, FL
  • d. Guantanamo Bay, Cuba

  Note - These RPIOs are maintained and operated at locations remove from existing Naval Communication Stations but at which large concentrations of fleet units normally exists.

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Created on April 2, 2008 at 23:34 by Albert LaFrance