{"id":10642,"date":"2016-04-16T08:32:52","date_gmt":"2016-04-16T08:32:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thetimechamber.co.uk\/beta\/?page_id=10642"},"modified":"2016-08-03T10:48:59","modified_gmt":"2016-08-03T09:48:59","slug":"hope-cove-rotor-r6-rghq-7-2-bunker","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.thetimechamber.co.uk\/beta\/sites\/military\/rotor-radar-stations\/hope-cove-rotor-r6-rghq-7-2-bunker","title":{"rendered":"RAF Hope Cove ‘HOP’ GCI R6 ROTOR Radar Station & RGHQ 7.2, Devon"},"content":{"rendered":"

RAF Bolt Head grass airfield and the RAF Hope Cove Ground Control Intercept (GCI) Chain Home radar station were established in different phases during World War Two, sometime between 1941 and 1942. The grass airfield provided support to RAF Exeter until it was decommissioned in 1947, though the GCI was upgraded as part of the nationwide ROTOR programme and continued to be operational until 1957. GCI stations were developed from late 1940 to assist in the tracking and interception of hostile aircraft after they crossed the coast, particularly at night. The original Chain Home (CH) radar system was strung out along the coast and the tracks of enemy aircraft were lost as they headed inland. GCI stations were designed to counter this problem by tracking hostile aircraft as they passed inland and then directing local fighter squadrons to attack the intruders.<\/p>\n

In the early 1950s the site was upgraded as part of the ambitious government ROTOR programme to modernise the United Kingdom’s radar defences. The ROTOR technical sites comprised of radar arrays, an electrical substation, an operations building and communication roads and tracks. Hope Cove was fitted with the following equipment:<\/p>\n