History of
Communications-Electronics in
the United States Navy

Prepared by Captain L.S. Howeth, USN (Ret'd.)
under the auspices of Bureau of Ships & Office of Naval History

The following are excerpts from the extracts regarding development of radio stations in New York which were sent to us by Bernard F. Cavalcate, Head of the Operational Archives Branch of the Department of the Naval Historical Center in Washington, D.C.  In his  recent letter to our Corresponding Secretary, Natalie Stiefel, he quotes: "I am placing the enclosures  that you kindly  provided to us regarding the wireless stations on  Long Island in our  Early Records Collection.    These documents will enhance this office's  small collection of pre-World War I records and will prove useful to future researchers.  Please feel free to stop by and visit our office here in the Washington Navy Yard.  The Center's Home Page on the internet is http://www.history.navy.mil

"Prior  to the war, the Atlantic Communication Co., an American subsidiary of the German Telefunken Co., had constructed, obtained a license for, and was operating a high-powered radio station at Sayville, Long Island, in conjunction with a sister station at Nauen, Germany.  It had originally been equipped with a spark transmitter but in 1914 its owners desired to increase its power.  New towers were erected and a new antenna system was installed.  The spark transmitter was replaced by a 100-kw. Telefunken alternator.  The Secretary of Commerce deemed the act of increasing the power equivalent to the construction of a new station, an act prohibited by the Hague Convention of 1907, to which the United States was a signatory power.  On the admitted evidence that the majority of the stock of the Atlantic Communication Co. was owned by the nationals of a belligerent country, the company was refused a license.  In order  not to leave the station idle, the Navy Department, on 9 July 1915, took over its control in accordance with the Executive order of  5 September 1914 and utilized it to communicate with Nauen. (16)  For the next 20 months it was operated by the Navy as a commercial station.  In 1916 its revenue was almost $1 million.  After the entry of the United States into the war, it was deemed the property of enemy nationals and title to it was turned over to the Navy Department  by the Alien Property Custodian. (7)

During 1917 the Sayville station was used for transatlantic work when conditions permitted.  In consonance with the New London recommendations, work on the installation of a 200-kw. arc transmitter and other improvements were begun in the early part of 1918.  The transmitter was also ready for operation by July 1918.  It afforded increased  reliability of  transatlantic transmissions, but did not possess  the    capabilities of the New Brunswick alternator.

A 100-kw. arc  transmitter  with additional power-generating  equipment  was  installed  at  Tuckerton.            During the period improvements  were being made at  New Brunswick  and Sayville, it handled most of transatlantic transmissions.  After the installation of the 200-kw. arc alternator  at New Brunswick  was completed, Tuckerton was used primarily for fleet broadcast purposes." 







16  Annual Report of the Secretary of the Navy, 1915 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1915), pp.266-267.

17  "History of the Bureau of Engineering, Navy Dept. , During the World War" (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1922) p. 4