ÿþ<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD><TITLE>Richboro Pennsylvania Nike Base PH07A</TITLE> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"> <META content="Doug Crompton" name=author> <META content="MSHTML 6.00.6000.16414" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE type=text/css> </STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY style="COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); BACKGROUND-COLOR: rgb(174,189,255)" vLink=#990099 aLink=#000099 link=#000099> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"> <H3><IMG alt="" src="ADA%20logo.gif"><IMG style="WIDTH: 213px; HEIGHT: 204px" alt="" src="Nike.GIF"></H3> <H3 align=center><BIG><BIG><BIG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">NIKE BASE - PH07A</SPAN></BIG></BIG></BIG></H3> <H4><BIG><BIG><BIG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">RICHBORO, BUCKS COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA</SPAN></BIG></BIG></BIG></H4><BR> <H4><IMG alt="" src="nike_ajax_33.jpg"></H4> <BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><BIG><BR>PH07 in <A href="Map1.gif" target=_blank>Richboro</A>, Pennsylvania was one of twelve former <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nike">Nike</A> bases that ringed the Philadelphia / Southern New Jersey area. It was placed into service in 1956 with two type B magazines,&nbsp;20 Ajax missiles, and&nbsp;8 A type launchers. The base was never upgraded to the Hercules missile and it was decommissioned in 1961 along with six other PH sites. &nbsp;The signing of the <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_Arms_Limitation_Talks">SALT</A> treaty in the early 1970's resulted in the decommissioning of all US <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nike">Nike</A> bases.</BIG></DIV><BR> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: justify"><BIG>Below are links and pictures of the PH07 launch and IFC sites taken in February 2007. If you happen to see this site and you have additional stories or information or if you were stationed here during it's 5 years of activity I would love to hear from you. Drop me an email at <A href="mailto:doug@crompton.com">doug@crompton.com</A> &nbsp; There is a wealth of information on the web regarding the&nbsp;cold war US missile programs.</BIG> <BIG>I will list a few sites but the best research would be to <A href="http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;rls=GGLG,GGLG:2006-04,GGLG:en&amp;q=nike+missile">google "Nike Missile"</A> &nbsp;I hope this site is useful in your <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nike">Nike</A> research. Please scroll down to see all of the pictures.</BIG><BR></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px; TEXT-ALIGN: justify"> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px"><BR>Seen on the net....</DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">South Korea is considering buying second-hand Patriot missiles from Germany, reports the AFP. Klaus Von Sperber, director of international armament affairs in Germany s defense ministry, recently traveled to Seoul to meet with Defense Minister Yoon Kwang-Ung and other Korean military officials. The AFP quotes a South Korean ministry official as saying,  The German official is in Seoul for talks on the sale of Patriot missiles deployed in his country. <SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">South Korea hopes to phase out its aging arsenal of Nike surface-to-air missiles beginning in 2006.</SPAN></SPAN></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><BIG><BIG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Local Nike Stories</SPAN> <SMALL><SMALL>&nbsp;(reprinted from the <A href="http://www.northamptontownshiphistoricalsociety.org/HISTORIA/PDF/Historia_mar2007.pdf">March 2007 </A>&nbsp;newsletter of the <A href="http://www.northamptontownshiphistoricalsociety.org">Northampton Township Historical Society</A>)</SMALL></SMALL><BR></BIG></BIG> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px"><BIG><BIG><SMALL style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><BR><A href="RichboroNikeGeyer.pdf">Memories of the Richboro Nike Base</A></SMALL> &nbsp;<SMALL><SMALL>by Virginia B. Geyer&nbsp; (PDF)</SMALL></SMALL></BIG></BIG><BR><BIG><BIG><SMALL><BIG><SMALL style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><A href="RichboroNikeCrompton.pdf">The Nike Missile</A></SMALL> <SMALL><SMALL>&nbsp;by <A href="http://www.crompton.com">Doug Crompton &nbsp;</A>(PDF)<BR><BR>Gordon "Flash" Myers, a retiree from the nearby <A href="http://www.navairdevcen.org">Johnsville Naval Center</A>, remembers driving by the Richboro launch site and seeing the missiles.<BR>Laurice Burtt, a Richboro resident since 1968, remembers her daughter Kyle attending Kindergarten at the old Nike IFC site on Twiningford Road<BR></SMALL></SMALL></BIG></SMALL></BIG></BIG></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px"> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: left"><BR></DIV> <TABLE style=" WIDTH: 490px; HEIGHT: 199px; TEXT-ALIGN: left" cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 > <TBODY> <TR> <TD><IMG alt="" src="Fssmall.jpg"></TD> <TD style=" VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; TEXT-ALIGN: left" > <BLOCKQUOTE> <BLOCKQUOTE><BIG><SMALL>"The fear in the post 9/11 period doesn't 'hold a candle' to the <A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cold_War">cold war</A> era of the 1950's and 60's when people were building&nbsp;<A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fallout_shelter">fallout shelters</A> and children were drilling by hiding under their desks in schools."</SMALL></BIG></BLOCKQUOTE></BLOCKQUOTE><BR></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BIG><BIG><SMALL><BIG><SMALL><SMALL><BR></SMALL></SMALL></BIG></SMALL></BIG></BIG></DIV><BIG><BIG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; TEXT-DECORATION: underline">Some Nike Missile Links</BIG></BIG><BR><BR> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px"><BIG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"> <a href="http://www.ph15.org">Nike Missle Base PH15 - Bristol, PA</a><br> <A href="http://ph32.homestead.com/index.html">Nike Missile Base PH32 - Marlton, NJ</A><BR><A href="http://alpha.fdu.edu/%7Ebender/NYmsg.html">New Jersey PH/NY Nike Bases</A><BR><A href="http://ph75.homestead.com/">Nike Missile Base PH75 - Edgemont, PA</A><BR><A href="http://jsf2.homestead.com/PH91.html">Nike Missile Base PH91 - Worcester, PA</A><BR><A href="http://www.aradcomsite99.com/">Nike Missile Base PH99 - Warrington, PA</A><BR><A href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Nike">Nike Missile - A Quick History</A><BR><A href="http://ed-thelen.org/index.html">Ed's Nike Base Web Site</A></BIG><BR><A style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold" href="http://www.nikemissile.org/"><BIG>The Nike Historical Society</BIG></A><BR><BIG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><A href="http://www.redstone.army.mil/history/nikesite/welcome.html">The Nike Site</A></BIG><BR><BIG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><A href="http://www.radomes.org/museum/documents/NIKE-RingofFire.pdf">Ring of Fire - Could Nike Bases have Prevented an Attack</A></BIG></DIV></DIV></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 80px"><BIG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><A href="nikeajax.pdf">Nike Ajax History and Development</A> (300 Pages PDF)&nbsp;</BIG></DIV> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><BIG><BIG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><BR>Site Information from a November 2002 Survey</SPAN></BIG></BIG></DIV><BR> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px">C - 2 N Richboro, E of PA 232 ((P) Council Rock School District; offices<BR>- <A href="http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?S=10&amp;T=1&amp;X=2500&amp;Y=22265&amp;Z=18&amp;W=2">IFC - TerraServer</A> <A href="http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?S=10&amp;T=1&amp;X=2500&amp;Y=22265&amp;Z=18&amp;W=2"></A>from the <A href="http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html#T">TerraServants</A> (12/04)<BR><A href="http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html#G">[</A>{<A href="http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html#G">Gale, M</A>} November 2002 - This one was the most fun. First control 301 Twining Ford Rd. GPS 40-14-69, 75-59-93 Still offices<BR>&nbsp;for Council Rock School District. Several original buildings remain in use. I found what appears to be 1 radar pad. ]</DIV> <P style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px">L - 1 E Richboro, N side PA 332 ((P) Northampton Tennis &amp; Fitness Center)<BR>- <A href="http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?S=10&amp;T=1&amp;X=2502&amp;Y=22261&amp;Z=18&amp;W=2">Launcher Area - TerraServer</A> from the <A href="http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html#T">TerraServants</A> (12/04)<BR>[<A href="http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html#L">{Larish, J}</A> <A href="http://terraserver-usa.com/image.aspx?S=10&amp;T=1&amp;X=2502&amp;Y=22261&amp;Z=18&amp;W=0">Terraserver image</A><BR>[<A href="http://ed-thelen.org/loc.html#G">{Gale, M}</A> November 2002 - Launch area is at 345 Newtown Richboro Rd. GPS 40-13-66, 74-59-65 The magazines are intact,&nbsp;<BR>not filled in both elevators intact. The township has erected baseball batting cages directly over top between the elevators! Easy public photo op. ]</P><BR> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 120px"><A href="PHarea.jpg"><BIG><STRONG>Map of Philadelphia Nike Defense Sites</STRONG></BIG></A><BR><A href="Map1.gif"><BIG style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Map of PH07 Site locations</BIG></A><BR><FONT size=4><STRONG><A href="http://ed-thelen.org/ppl-p.html#Pennsylvania">Personnel at Pennsylvania Nike Sites</A></STRONG></FONT></DIV><BR> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><BIG><BIG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Pictures of the PH07 launch site</SPAN><BR><SMALL><BR>This site is located about 800 feet north of Route 332, about .8 miles east of route 232 in <A href="Map1.gif" target=_blank>Richboro</A><BR>on land which is now a sports complex. It is surrounded by baseball fields and basketball courts.<BR>The only Nike building standing at this site was the former "Mess hall" which later became the<BR>Northampton Township Library and is now the township recreation offices.&nbsp;</SMALL></BIG></BIG></DIV><BR> <TABLE style="TEXT-ALIGN:left" height="18455" cellSpacing="5" cellPadding="5" width="1012" > <TBODY> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 ><IMG style="WIDTH: 800px; HEIGHT: 532px" alt="" src="DSC_2030.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 ><BIG><BIG>&nbsp;Elevator Doors Looking North. The missiles were stored below in the magazine and elevators moved them up from below. The doors were then closed before the above ground launch.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2031.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 ><BIG><BIG>Though Rusted Steel Doors are Still Sound</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2032.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 ><BIG><BIG>This Site is a Township Sports Complex and has a Cage mounted Over it.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2033.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 ><BIG><BIG>Another View of &nbsp;the Elevator Doors and Entry Way</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2034.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 ><BIG><BIG>Wider View looking NNW</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2035.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 ><BIG><BIG>Another Elevator Launch Bay with Sports Equipment to the Right</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2036.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 ><BIG><BIG>Eastern edge of &nbsp;pad. Capped Entry, elevator doors in background. Looking NE.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2037.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>View looking West showing recreation building and Cage Built On Top of Pad.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=598 border="0" ><IMG style="WIDTH: 790px; HEIGHT: 586px" alt="" src="underground.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=598 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Pictorial of a typical site. This below ground cavern still exists below the PH07 launch site.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2038.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Mounts for the above ground launch assembly.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2039.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BR><BIG><BIG>Padlocked Entrance Way<BR>Appropriately Marked USA. (labeled "escape hatch" in above pictorial")</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2040.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>View of Entire Pad looking West</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2041.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Another view &nbsp;of the east most launch doors looking North.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2042.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Located just 100 feet from Route 332, outside of Richboro, is the old "mess hall", now a recreation center</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=988 colSpan=2 height=501 border="0" ><IMG style="WIDTH: 984px; HEIGHT: 489px" alt="" src="nike%20mess%20hall.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2043.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Another View of the Building looking NNE. The building originally had the typical flat roof and was modified to this slope style. While locals remember this as the "mess hall", the newspaper article above disputs this stating the mess facility was at the Twiningford Road (radar) site.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=988 colSpan=2 height=282 border="0" ><BR> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px; TEXT-ALIGN: center"><BIG><BIG><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold"><BR>Pictures of the PH07 IFC Site</SPAN></BIG></BIG> <BIG><BIG><SMALL><BR>The IFC or Integrated Fire Control site was located on the north side of Twiningford Road<BR>about .7 miles east of</SMALL></BIG></BIG> <BIG><BIG><SMALL>route 232 st one of the highest points in Northampton Township.<BR>When PH07 was decommissioned in 1961 this site was turned over to the Council Rock<BR>School District. Kindergarten classes were taught here in the mid 1960's. It later became<BR>the administration and is now the maintenance offices for the district. This site is on a<BR>ridge above and about .6 miles&nbsp;NNE of the launch site. If there were no houses or<BR>vegetation in the area (there was none in the 1950's) you could see the launch site from here.<BR>The driving distance between the two sites is about 2 miles.<BR><BR></SMALL></BIG></BIG></DIV></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2044.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>One of about five buildings at the IFC site.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2045.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Another IFC site building</BIG></BIG>.</TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2046.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>The former IFC site was taken over by the Council Rock School District. As of &nbsp;February 2007 they are using it for their maintenance offices.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2047.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>This small building is located at the top of the hill and it is believed to be the radar shack. This ridge is the highest point in Northampton Township and was probably picked for that reason.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2048.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>The "radar shack" doors chained shut. It is unclear whether this building was ever used after being occupied and abandoned by the Army.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2049.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>A view looking down the hill to the main IFC complex.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2050.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Another view looking towards the main complex. Twiningford Road (then called Twining Bridge Road) is just in front of the distant buildings.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2051.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>A Radar mount just to the west of the shack.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2052.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>A wider view of the mount.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2053.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Looking East towards the shack. The mount is in the bushes to the left.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2054.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>The road from the shack to the main complex.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2055.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Another view of the main IFC comlplex.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2056.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Looking NW towards the shack.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2057.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>Another view of shack.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=801 height=544 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="DSC_2058.jpg"></TD> <TD width=170 height=544 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>View of main comlplex. Notice modular buildings erected by the school district.</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD width=988 colSpan=2 height=727 border="0" ><IMG style="WIDTH: 987px; HEIGHT: 715px" alt="" src="wpe46.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR align=center border="0" > <TD width=988 colSpan=2 height=39 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>A drawing of the warheads and detonation systems in the Ajax missile</BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR <TR border="0" > <TD width=988 colSpan=2 height=727 border="0" ><IMG style="WIDTH: 987px; HEIGHT: 715px" alt="" src="RichboroNikeRadarfromair.jpg"></TD></TR> <TD width=988 colSpan=2 height=39 ><BIG><BIG> (above) Richboro Nike Radar site on Twining Ford Road.<br> (below) Richboro Nike Launch Site on Richboro-Newtown Road. </BIG></BIG></TD></TR> <TR> <TD width=988 colSpan=2 height=727 ><IMG style="WIDTH: 987px; HEIGHT: 715px" alt="" src="RichboroNikeLaunchfromair.jpg"></TD></TR> <TD style=" TEXT-ALIGN: center" width=988 colSpan=2 height=306 border="0" ><IMG alt="" src="nike%20model.jpg"></TD></TR> <TR border="0" > <TD style=" TEXT-ALIGN: center" width=988 colSpan=2 height=39 border="0" ><BIG><BIG>A "fully operational" toy model of a Nike Ajax missile</BIG></BIG></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE><BR> <table> <tr> <td align="center"><img src="DSC01907.jpg"></td> </tr> <td align="center"><BIG><BIG>Guns and Missles annual reunion at the German club, Southampton, PA - October 1, 2009 </td> </tr> </table> <DIV style="MARGIN-LEFT: 40px;margin-top:1.5em;"><BIG>Also visit the parent site - &nbsp;<A href="http://www.historicbuckscounty.org">www.historicbuckscounty.org</A> for more information on the Bucks County, PA area</BIG></DIV><BR> <DIV style="TEXT-ALIGN: center"><SMALL>©2007 <A href="http://www.crompton.com">Doug Crompton - www.crompton.com</A></SMALL><BR></DIV><BR><BR></BODY></HTML>