THE LEGEND OF JULIE-JEZEBEL

[Jezmonster]

Hi, I just joined this forum and was involved in these systems all my career. I also attended the advanced Jezebel Course in 1965 in Norfolk and received my course binder that had a black silouette of the stripper Jezebel as the cover. Can't say we had anything about Julie but we were already using and developing tactics for the Julie system in the RCAF at that time.
I flew on all four VP/MP squadrons ( 404,405,407 415 ) during my career and when not flying spent most my career working for the Acoustic Data Analysis Centre (ADAC) .I was a founding member of that unit which was originally called "Jezebel Central" but we had to change the name for security reasons soon after we formed up in Haliax NS in 1967. Before I finally retired I spent 3 tours with ADAC hence my handle - Jezmonster>

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Welcome Jezmonster!

 

[Jezmonster]

Julie was developed as an operational system largely by the Test,Development and Evaluation flight (TD&E) of 404 Squadron, Royal Canadian Air Force based at Greenwood, Nova Scotia with support by the Operational Research scientist from the Canadian Defence Research Board. My log book shows evaluation trials conducted off Bermuda in January of 1956.

My log book shows that we demonstrated the potential of this system on 27 November 1956 to a USN Admiral, Admiral Shea, if my memory serves me correctly. As I recall he got quite excited saying drop another one (a Practice Depth bomb containing aboout 2 pounds of explosive). This demo flight probably supported the adoption of this system by the USN.

In April of 1956 I wrote the "Julie Manual", developed the training program and was the chief instructor.

In February of 1957 we trained RCAF crews from 404 and 405 Squadrons in GITMO. The following year this training was repeated at GITMO with crews frrom The RCN who flew Tracker aircraft and USN P2V7 crews. My log book shows that on 13 and 14 February I was a"screen" instructor on flights of Lt. Gregg, USN who flew P2V7 No. 175 and on 15 February of Lt Cdr Hubbard USN who flew P2V7 No. 172. Don't remenber what USN squadrons they came from. GITMO was an ideal training area because of the deep offshore water.

As for Jezebel, our TD&E flight, using the prototype equipment from Bell Labs, proved out the capability of this system which helped in this system becoming operational

This must have been the forerunner of Maritime Proving and Evaluation Unit (MP&EU) Right???
I think I remember studying your "Julie Manual" at 2(M)OTU in Summerside..

 

[oldcrowcv63]

I have forwarded this thread and info to my crew's Sensor 1 (acoustic operator) and others in my last squadron. (VP-93) Great stuff!

 

[Chris O'Brien]

Hey gents. Thought you guys might find this interesting. It's one of her promotion posters that she autographed. Cheers.

I first saw this poster many years ago. My Dad was in the RCN and was stationed in Washington DC as Naval Attaché back in the early '60s, and I remember him telling me about going (with my mother!) to a nightclub in Washington to see Julie, so I guess by that time the Julie/ASW connection had already been made. From Washington Dad went to serve in Halifax, Nova Scotia as the Senior Officer Afloat on the carrier, HMCS Bonaventure, known affectionately as "Bonnie". So that's why "Bonnie" is on the poster, and "VS 880", of course, refers to one of Bonnie's squadrons of Grumman Trackers. Here are some photos of VS 880 and Bonnie at sea with Trackers on the flight deck:

 

[FLYBOYJ]

Welcome Chris! Thanks for your post!!!

 

[fubar57]

Welcome Chris, good story.


Geo

 

[Chris O'Brien]

Welcome Chris! Thanks for your post!!!

'Twas a pleasure. I love this stuff!

 

[DerAdlerIstGelandet]

Welcome aboard.

 

[XBe02Drvr]

Just out of curiosity, is there any aspect of carrier aviation and airborne ASW that was invented in the US, and not handed to us by the Brits and Canucks? (other than the planes themselves, of course)

 

[EwenS]

The concept of the expendable air launched sonobuoy can be traced back to May 1941 and a British Admiralty proposal which was subsequently developed by RCA in the US into a workable system. Avenger aircraft from the USS Bogue, used them to achieve the first sonobuoy assisted sub kill in June 1944 when they intercepted the Japanese sub I-52 in the Atlantic.

Other aircraft also used them in WW2. For example, RAF Coastal Command Liberator aircraft from late 1944 used them under the code name "High Tea".

Article here about US sonobuoy development

https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/pdfs/ADA597432.pdf

And here about the operation of JULIE & JEZEBEL and some other ASW systems from a Canadian site (you need to scan to near the bottom).

Radio Research Paper - Neptune Electronics Suite

 

[EwenS]

Just out of curiosity, is there any aspect of carrier aviation and airborne ASW that was invented in the US, and not handed to us by the Brits and Canucks? (other than the planes themselves, of course)

Well the US can claim the first ever take off from a STATIONARY ship by Eugene Ely on 14 Nov 1910, followed by a first ever arrested landing, again on a stationary ship, on 18 Jan 1911.

Britain's Lieutenant Samson achieved the same take off feat on 10 Jan 1912 from HMS Africa. He surpassed that feat by achieving the first ever take off from a MOVING ship on 9 May 1912. And then on 2 Aug 1917 Britain's Squadron Leader Dunning achieved the first ever deck landing on a MOVING ship.

So the early lead by the US was just as quickly given up But then the US didn't have the urgency of a world war to gee it up!

 

[XBe02Drvr]

But then the US didn't have the urgency of a world war to gee it up!

Or the U-boat menace to strangle it to death. (X2!)