United States Navy Argus Units

The United States Navy created the Argus Training program during the first stages of World War II in the Pacific. The Argus program was strategically designed to train and deploy elite amphibeous combat teams able to land in potentially hostile territory and rapidly deploy radar and radio communications equipment, thus paving the way for the beginnings of effective land based fighter aircraft direction. This coordinated fighter direction allowed for interception and prevention of enemy air and surface attacks on allied Pacific bases. The name Argus, referring to a mythological Greek being with 100 eyes, was chosen to symbolize the 'all-seeing' radar of the Argus Units.

In October 1942, five officers arrived at the Advance Base Depot, Port Hueneme, California with orders to assist in setting up the Argus Training program and to serve overseas in the first Argus Unit. By January 1943, the Argus training program was shaping up and included classes covering radar plots on polar coordinate charts, operation of radios, the study of 588, 270 and ASE radars as well as other functions all of which were either at Warehouse "I" or at outposts. The first commanding officer, Lt.Comdr. Ralph A. Jack A-V(RS) and other administrative officers were stationed at Port Hueneme.

On April 23, 1943, Argus Unit 1, consisting of 20 officers and 94 enlisted, shipped out of Port Hueneme for combat duty in the South Pacific. Lt.Comdr. Jack accompanied the unit as commanding officer. Lt.Comdr. Andrew Cowan took his place as commanding officer of the Argus Assembly and Training Detachment.

On December 12, 1943, Commander Arthur H. Cummings succeeded Lt.Comdr. Cowan as Commanding Officer as the Argus Training detachment moved to spacious new quarters near Point Mugu. The former schedule of producing four Argus Units per month (which inevitably resulted in inadequate training) was reduced to one unit per month, and a new training syllabus was worked out assuring units were far more competent the earlier ones. Improved radar, radio and other gear were obtained for the units by CNO (Op-30-E) under the sponsorship of Commander M.J. West and the future for Argus operations assumed a broader role than ever before.

Under the new syllabus, training of enlarged units (21 officers and 220 men) went through three stages:

At the completion of the training syllabus the units were ready for combat duty overseas, being a close-knit combat unit, skilled in all Argus functions, self-sufficient and with high morale. These three stages of training emmulate the stages in the conquest of a Pacific island - assault, development and occupation.

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