Comcen Stats - 1971

104 Sig Sqn, 1 ATF, Nui Dat, Vietnam 1971
(Supplied by Ken Mackenzie)

COMCEN Traffic Statistics

1 ATF COMCEN traffic statistics were recorded and reported monthly. Statistics for April, May, June, July, August and September 1971, are as follows:

Type/Date April 1971 May 1971 June 1971 July 1971 Aug 1971 Sept/Oct
1971
Received Messages 5,582 4,985 5,476 4,299 3,929 4,202
Rerun
(Received)		 1,299 838 720 334 231 629
SVC
Messages		 2,219 2,813 3,117 2,819 2,816 3,317
Send
Messages		 1,933 2,339 1,973 1,924 1,938 1,933
Rerun
(Send)		 758 655 584 422 443 538
SVC
Message		 5,780 2,714 2,890 2,269 2,334 2,863
TOTAL
Messages		 17,571 14,344 14,760 12,067 11,691 13,482
Flash Messages Nil 0.2% 0.1% Nil Nil Nil
Immediate Messages 8% 8.7% 9.8% 10.5% 9.1% 12.1%
Priority Messages 27% 24.1% 32.7% 33.2% 25.3% 30.4%
Routine Messages 65% 67% 57.4% 56.3% 65.6% 57.5%
SDS/ADS
In		 21,915 20,826 20,153 19,907 20,182 15,940
SDS/ADS Out 31,532 27,183 32,686 35,365 22,508 17,954
TOTAL
SDS/ADS		 53,447 48,009 52,839 54,462 42,690 33,885

Rerun = Retransmissions
SVC = Signals internal messages used to maintain/check communications
Message Precedences = FLASH, IMMEDIATE, PRIORITY and ROUTINE
SDS = Special Delivery Service
ADS = Aerial Delivery Service

COMCEN Closure

On 1st October, 1971, the 1ATF COMCEN was transferred into a vehicle mounted COMCEN provided by 110 Sig Sqn and located adjacent to the HQ 1 ATF COMCEN building. Message acceptance and distribution continued from the "outer office" of 1 ATF COMCEN until 1200 hr on October 16th, 1971, when the whole system closed.

   1 ATF COMCEN, 104 Sig Sqn, Nui Dat   Inside COMCEN - 104 Sig Sqn, Nui Dat

The Headquarters Third Regional Assistance Command (HQ TRAC), telegraph circuit was deactivated at 1200 hr on October 16th, 1971, when the 1ATF COMCEN closed.

COMCEN Switchboard Statistics

Ebony Switchboard - 1 ATF COMCEN (104 Sig Sqn) 1971Ebony Switchboard statistics were not recorded.  Looking at it with the benefit of hindsight, it sure is strange.

However, given that there were three operators on shift each day, and conservatively, if each operator only handled one connection/query every minute, that's 180 calls per hour/1440 calls per 8 hour shift. Personally, I'd say it would have been higher, because if memory serves me correctly, they went on to 12 hour shifts at one stage, due to shortage of switchboard operators.

 

 

Ken Mackenzie, 1999
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