Historic California Posts, Camps,
Stations and Airfields
Laytonville Gap Filler Annex P-37A
Typical AN/FPS-14
Gap Filler Radar
"During the late 1950s another area
of progress was the development and deployment of AN/FPS-14 and
AN/FPS-18 gap-filler radars. Having a range of around sixty-five
miles, these radars were placed in areas where it was thought
enemy aircraft could fly low to avoid detection by the longer-range
radars of the permanent and mobile radar networks. Gap-filler
radar deployment peaked in December 1960 at 131 sites throughout
the continental United States. Because the introduction of gap-filler
radars alleviated the need for civilians to scan the skies for
enemy bombers, the ADC disestablished the Ground Observer Corps
on January 31, 1959."
Searching The Skies
USAF Air Combat Command
June, 1997
Typical floorplan
of a Gap Filler Annex
Site Name:
Laytonville Gap Filler Annex (Z 37A). The site was also known
as Laytonville Gap Filler Annex (P 37A); Gap Filler Radar Site
P 37A, Laytonville; and Laytonville GFA (P 37A), CA.
Location:
The site is located in Mendocino County, five miles west of Laytonville,
CA
Site History: On
24 February 1960 the U.S. Air Force acquired 8.72 license acres
in addition to 6.09 public domain acres acquired by transfer
from the Department of Interior for a total of 14.81 acres. The
site was developed by the Air Defense Command Installation as
an unmanned radar gap filler station. The site was an subinstallation
of Point Arena Air Force Station and provided radar coverage
to an area blocked from Point Arena's radar coverage by the mountainous
terrain.
he improvements included one concrete
block building, a chain link security fence, and a gravel surfaced
road. On 30 August 1963, 6.09 public domain acres were re transferred
to the Department of the Interior and on 1 November 1963, 8.72
license acres were terminated without restoration. The Bureau
of Land Management of the Department of the Interior currently
owns the site.
Real Estate Map
Source: Los Angeles District,
US Army Corps of Engineers
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