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[[File:Castel Del Monte while on VHF site selection duty. November, 1943.jpg|thumb|left|Castel Del Monte made an excellent landmark that could be seen for considerable distances during VHF site selection reconnaissance.
]]
'''Big Fence''' was a secret navigational aid for US Army Air Force [[sortie]]s from North Africa and Italy during [[World War II]], ultimately located at the [[Castel del Monte, Apulia|Castel del Monte]] in [[Apulia]]. It was operated by the 6649th Navigational Aids Squadron of the 341st Signal Company, XV Fighter Command, [[USAAF 15th Air Force World War II|15th Army Air Force]].<ref>"6649th Navigational Aids Squadron", 341st Signal Company, XV Fighter Command, The Fifteenth Air Force [http://www.15thaf.org/XV%20FC/341st%20SC/6649th%20na/6649th_NA.html]</ref>

The 6649th supported missions critically reliant on fixing the position of aircraft. Answering call sign "Big Fence", the central plotting room inside the castle triangulated information from seven [[direction finding]] installations, including the Castel headquarters.<ref> [[File:15th AF Navigational Aids Facilities 1944.jpg|thumb|right|15th AF Navigational Aid Facilities Map]]</ref>

From September 1943 until cessation of hostilities, the squadron received an estimated 16,000 calls for assistance from lost, damaged, and [[air-sea rescue]] craft.
<ref>George Loving, ''Woodbine Red Leader: A P-51 Mustang Ace in the Mediterranean Theater'', {{isbn|0307417786}}, 2007, p. 135</ref>
<ref>Kevin A. Mahoney, ”Fifteenth Air Force against the Axis: Combat Missions over Europe during World War II”, {{isbn|081088495X}}, 2013, p. 265</ref>
<ref>Kevin A. Mahoney, "Bombing Europe: The Illustrated Exploits of the Fifteenth Air Force", {{isbn|1627887377}}, 2015, p.38</ref>
<ref>Tom Ivie, Paul Ludwig, “Spitfires & Yellow Tail Mustangs: The U.S. 52nd Fighter Group in WWII”, {{isbn|1461751713}}, 2013, p. 229</ref><ref>James M. Doyle, ”Flying Through Time”, {{isbn|1612342191}}, 2005, p. 206</ref>
<ref>Thomas Follis, “He Wore a Pair of Silver Wings”, {{isbn|1576383288}}, 2004, p. 187</ref>
<ref>Albert E. Conder, "Air Force Gunners", {{isbn|1563111675}}, 1994, p.122</ref>
<ref>Bill Disbrow, "On the Edge", {{isbn|1890461334}}, 2005, p.131</ref>
<ref>Brandon Sanders, "Heroes to Remember", {{isbn|0595142060}}, 2000, p.166</ref>
<ref>Sam Schneider, Byron L. Kennedy III, "This is How it was: 485th Bomb Group (Heavy) unit history", {{isbn|0941072150}}, 2000, p.124</ref>
<ref>Louis Falstien, "Face of a Hero", 1950, p.209</ref>
<ref>Ron White, "Headlong into Fury", {{isbn|146212576X}}, 2016, p.???</ref>
<ref>Charles E. Francis, "The Tuskegee Airmen: The Men who Changed a Nation", {{isbn|0828320292}}, 1997, p.166</ref>
<ref>Martin Caidin, "Fork-tailed Devil: The P-38", {{isbn|0743413180}}, 2001, p.247</ref>
<ref>William E. Knight, "Letters to the Twenty-Second Century, {{isbn|0963677845}}, 2001, p.108</ref>
<ref>John W. Walcott, "One Fighter Pilot’S War, {{isbn|1491775521}}, 2015, p.???</ref>
<ref>Gerard Paloque, "12th & 15th Air Forces", {{isbn|2352502101}}, 2011, p.???</ref>
<ref>Erik Dyreborg, "The Young Ones: American Airmen of WWII", {{isbn|2352502101}}, 2003, p.7</ref>
<ref>Sgt. August Loeb, YANK Staff Correspondent [[File:YANK, The Army Weekly, March 23 1944 - full Page 20.jpg|thumb|right| “YANK, The Army Weekly”, March 23, 1944, p. 20]], March 23, 1944, p. 20</ref>
<ref>[[File:'Saint Bernards of the Skies' Sicily Stars and Stripes April 25, 1944 page-3.jpg|thumb|right|Sicily Stars and Stripes April 25, 1944, p.3]]</ref>
<ref>[[File:Lonely Mountaineer Listeners by Sgt. George Dorsey.jpg|thumb|right|Mediterranean Naples Stars and Stripes, April 19, 1944, p.5]]</ref>

Being a [[Very high frequency|VHF system]], Big Fence was particularly valuable to fighters, which only had VHF radios. The bombardment groups could often rely on other navigational aids that were at their disposal, but only VHF remained effective in bad weather.

{{Quote
|text=Many hundreds of airmen owe their lives to “Big Fence”. The success of many missions was directly attributable to the efficient operation of your station. Please accept my personal thanks for your superior work with the 15th.
|author=[[Nathan F. Twining]], Lt. General, 15th AAF Commanding, August 16, 1945}}

{{Quote
|text=Please convey our hope that if the fortunes of war again bring us together, we may have the privilege of calling "Big Fence" in our hour of need
|author=Col. [[Robert H. Warren]], [[376th Bombardment Group]] (H) Commanding, June 1945}}

==References==
<references/>

{{USAAF_15th_Air_Force_World_War_II}}

[[Category:North African campaign]]
[[Category:Italian campaign (World War II)]]
[[Category:Air navigation]]

Big Fence - Revision history

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