Air surveillance tower m/56

Air surveillance tower m/56

The air surveillance tower m/56 was located opposite the bathat Tingstade swamp since the end of the 50s. The tower was named with the letter T/ "Tore". The tower was part of the 132.Air Guard Company and was mounted on three four meter mast sections (12 meters).

Optical air surveillance, which is done by eye scouting, was a supplement to radar air surveillance to report low-altitude aircraft that were difficult or impossible to detect by radar.

Events at sea and on land are also observed and reported.

The system was built up with an extensive network of air surveillance stations all over the country. The stations were manned with female aerial scout and military personnel and reported to an air defense group center (Lgc).

On Gotland, the optical air surveillance was organized in the 132. air surveillance company (132. Air patrol company) with 25 air surveillance stations (Ls) which were grouped all over Gotland. The company was staffed with five reserve officers and about 150 volunteer female aerial scout, air force volunteers and conscripts.

Reporting took place to the air defense sub-centre (Lfuc 010) in Tingstäde.

More about 132 Air patrol company vs / Shelter 4)

Air surveillance tower (Ls-tower m/56) consists of an open square observation basket in sheet metal which is placed on a braced three-sided truss mast with three guy lines. The mast is modularly constructed of mast sections of 2 or 4 m length.

At the top of the mast is an open tower basket assembled from sheet metal with a wooden floor and interior. In the middle of the floor is a wooden hatch that is the entrance to the tower basket from the ladder in the mast. The outer sides of the tower basket are provided with outer cladding of galvanized sheet metal.

The towers' lightning rods consist of a vertical iron pipe in each corner of the tower basket. The four iron pipes are connected diagonally in pairs with two iron wires that form a cross over the tower.