Simiutak
 Simiutaq
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| Geography | |
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| Location | Labrador Sea |
| Coordinates | 60°41′N 46°35′W / 60.683°N 46.583°WCoordinates: 60°41′N 46°35′W / 60.683°N 46.583°W |
| Administration | |
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Greenland
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| Municipality | Kujalleq |
Simiutaq Island, old spelling Simiutak, is an uninhabited island in the Kujalleq municipality in southwestern Greenland.
Simiutaq is located south of the mouth of the Ikersuaq fjord in the Julianehab Bay, Labrador Sea, North Atlantic Ocean, near Qaqortoq.
Its name is a generic Inuit name for an island at the head of a fjord. It should not be confused with Simiutak (aka Cruncher Island) that had a similar function as a support station at the mouth of Sondrestromfjord, serving the air base at Sondrestrom. 'Cruncher Island' was allocated the code name Bluie West 9.
The station at Simiutak Island, commonly referred to as Bluie West 3 (BW-3) during the time of American operation, was a major wartime radio communications and meteorological facility on the southwest coast of Greenland, marking the entrance to the fjords that led to Narsarsuaq and Julianehaab. The U.S. Army facility was operational long into the post-war era. Four miles east from Simiutak was the U.S. Navy station Gamatron, which was abandoned after the war.
The U.S. Coast Guard searched for a suitable site for a radio direction finding (RDF) site in the Julianehaab area in July 1941, to serve as an auxiliary for sea traffic and anticipated air traffic associated with the BW-1 base which began construction that month. Coast Guard documents show the ship Algonquin arriving from Boston with a radio beacon for Site A (Gamatron) in November. The cutter North Star searched for a construction site and transported men and equipment there. Construction of Gamatron and Simiutak was carried out simultaneously in November and December 1941 and expanded as needed thereafter. On 13 December, USCGC North Star left having erected supplies and temporary housing. USCGC Raritan supported the construction of nearby BW-3.
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Wikipedia