B Battery History

Early in 1957, Air Defense site PI-37, at Herminie Pennsylvania was officially activated.  It was part of ARAACOM (Army Anti-Aircraft Command), and its designation was B Battery, 1st AAA Msl Bn.  It was part of the Pittsburgh 18th ADA Grp. In 1956,  Army personnel assigned to B Battery quartered and trained with C Battery at Irwin Pennsylvania while the site at Herminie was being constructed.

B Battery was one of 12 Nike Air Defense sites defending Pittsburgh. It was armed with the Nike Ajax, the worlds first operational, guided Surface to Air Missile.  This missile carried high explosive warheads and had a range of around 30 miles with a ceiling of 70,000 feet.

In March 1957, ARAACOM was redesignated United States Army Air Defense Command (USARADCOM).  In 1961, USARADCOM was shortened to ARADCOM.

On 1 September, 1958, the Herminie Nike site was redesignated as B Battery, 3rd Msl Bn, 1st Artillery Regiment.

On 19 March 1959, 1st Artillery Regiment was redesignated 1st Artillery.

In the fall of 1959, B Battery personnel were sent to Ft. Bliss for Conversion Package training for the new Nike Hercules missile.  The Hercules had the capability to attack supersonic aircraft with nuclear warheads at a range of around 90 miles and an altitude up to 150,000 feet.  Beginning in 1962, the Improved Nike Hercules System with its greater range and accuracy was introduced to B Battery.

On 1 September 1971, the 1st Artillery was renamed 1st Air Defense Artillery.

The Herminie Nike site was deactivated in mid 1974.

During its operational years, from 1956 to 1974, the Herminie Nike site was manned by an estimated 1,200 Regular Army personnel.

Source: Much of the information presented above was taken from RINGS OF SUPERSONIC STEEL by Mark L. Morgan and Mark A. Berhow

Historical Photos of Nike Site PI-37

(Click on any photo to view full size image)

This is the Herminie Nike Site, PI-37, as it appeared on 1May, 1960.

(Cold War Note: This is the same date that Gary Powers and his U2 Spy Plane was shot down by a Russian SA-2 missile while over the Soviet Union)

Although not readily apparent in these US Army photos, Site modifications for the conversion from Nike Ajax to the Basic Nike Hercules had been completed just six months prior, in November, 1959.  The FIPSY Early Warning Radar can be seen in the Integrated Fire Control Area (IFC), off the road, near the rear of the Mess Hall.

Visible in the Launcher Control Area photo, are the Dog Kennels and Exclusion Area Guard Post/fencing that were additions for the Hercules upgrade.   Visible also in B-Section, is a Hercules missile on launcher 4, with a Portable Hoisting Unit nearby.

The Herminie Nike Site, PI-37, was originally planned as a Double Nike Site, hence the large fenced areas in both the IFC and LC Areas.

Thanks to Jim Plassio for these photos.

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Herminie Nike Site, PI-37, as it appeared in 1963.

In this photo of the IFC Area, the HIPAR (High-Power Acquisition Radar) and HIPAR building has taken the place of the FIPSY Early Warning Radar.  Also, the Target Ranging Radar (TRR) has been added.

This was the new Improved Hercules System.  It greatly improved the acquisition and tracking capabilities to fully exploit the missile’s greater performance.  Other improvements to the TTR and TRR resulted in greater ECM resistance.

The Water Tank by the Main Gate has been painted with “Welcome to B Btry”, thanks to Bob Davis and his artistic talent.

Thanks to Jack Boggs for these US Army photos.

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Herminie Nike Site, PI-37, 1968.

This photo shows the addition of the 100 ft. Microwave tower that was added to the Site for additional communications backup.

Thanks to Harry McMackin for this US Army photo.

Click sentry dogs to read an article about the use of sentry dogs at ARADCOM sites. This article was submitted by Jim Plassio.

Military pay chart published in 1960.