Texas Tower 2: Cape Cod’s Forgotten Cold War Sentinel
Cape Cod has a deep and fascinating history, from its days as a whaling hub to its role in military defense. One of its more unusual Cold War relics, now largely forgotten, was Texas Tower 2—an offshore radar station that once stood 110 miles east of Cape Cod in the vast Atlantic. While its time was short-lived, its impact on Cold War defense and its eerie fate make for one of Cape Cod’s most intriguing stories.
What Were the Texas Towers?
In the 1950s, the U.S. military was racing to strengthen its air defense systems against the growing Soviet threat. At the time, long-range bombers were considered the biggest danger, and the U.S. needed radar stations capable of detecting incoming attacks before they reached the mainland. To solve this problem, the Air Force turned to an unlikely source of inspiration—the oil platforms of the Gulf of Mexico. Modeled after these offshore rigs, the Texas Towers were designed as floating radar stations that could extend the country’s early warning system an extra 300 to 500 miles out to sea.
It should be noted that the Lincoln Laboratory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) was created after the Air Defense Systems Engineering Committee's 1950 report concluded the United States was not prepared for the threat of an air attack. One of the first ideas out of the laboratory was the Texas Towers.
Five towers were originally planned, but only three were completed: Texas Tower 2 (TT-2) off Cape Cod, Texas Tower 3 (TT-3) off the coast of Rhode Island, and Texas Tower 4 (TT-4) off New York. Each was an imposing structure, standing 210 feet above the ocean with massive steel legs anchored to the seabed. They housed radar equipment, crew quarters, and even a helicopter pad. Despite their strategic importance, life aboard these towers was grueling, and their design flaws would ultimately lead to tragedy.
The Story of Texas Tower 2
The first of the three towers to be completed, TT-2, was built in 1955 at the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts with help from Bethlehem Steel. Constructing this Texas Tower was a challenging endeavor. Once the platform was transported out to sea, temporary supports were lowered to the ocean floor and carefully positioned to provide stability. With the platform secured, the Raymond and De Long Companies installed the tower’s three permanent legs. Each tubular caisson, measuring 160 feet in length, was embedded 50 feet into the shoal. The middle 50 feet of each leg remained submerged, while the top 60 feet extended high above the water's surface. Inside each steel leg was a 140-foot-long, 6-foot-diameter tube, encased in over 2 feet of concrete. These Texas Tower legs could store either water or fuel, with one leg typically designated for seawater, which was converted into drinking water for the crew.
Manned by personnel from the 762d Aircraft Control and Warning Squadron at North Truro Air Force Station, the tower played a vital role in monitoring the skies during the height of the Cold War. To monitor the sky, the crew used one AN/FPS-3 search radar and two AN/FPS-6 height finder radars.
But life aboard TT-2 was far from ideal. The platform constantly shook from the vibration of its radar antennas and diesel generators. Sounds from the ocean reverberated through its steel legs, creating an eerie and nerve-wracking environment for the airmen stationed there. Isolation, rough seas, and the unpredictable weather of the North Atlantic made duty on TT-2 both physically and mentally exhausting.
Mass at Texas Tower 2
A more unusual event took place aboard Texas Tower 2 in 1957 when it became the site of a Catholic Mass. Two Air National Guard chaplains, Chaplain (Capt.) Bernard D. Killeen and Chaplain (1st Lt.) John F. Lyons, took off from Otis Air Force Base by helicopter to reach the remote tower. Upon arrival, Father Lyons conducted the historic Mass, while Father Killeen heard confessions from the Catholic personnel stationed there. For the men living and working on TT-2, this visit provided a rare moment of spiritual solace amid the harsh conditions of their post. It was a reminder that even in the most isolated and challenging environments, faith and community could be maintained.
The Catholic Time. (Columbus, Ohio) August 02, 1957
Russians Near The Tower
One of the more dramatic moments in TT-2’s history came in the fall of 1961, when a Russian trawler sailed within half a mile of the tower. At the time, heavy seas had forced the evacuation of the 70 Air Force personnel normally stationed there, leaving the structure temporarily abandoned. A U.S. Coast Guard cutter had been assigned to monitor the tower and quickly positioned itself between the trawler and TT-2. Seeing the intervention, the Soviet vessel veered away and disappeared into the open ocean. Major George F. Mott, commander of the 4604th Texas Tower Support Squadron at Otis AFB, later remarked that he did not believe the Russians intended to board the tower, but rather were testing to see how the U.S. would react.
This was not the first sighting of Soviet activity in the area—earlier in 1961, fifteen Russian trawlers had been spotted just 16 miles from TT-2. Situated in international waters, the tower was technically vulnerable to claim by any party that managed to board it under maritime law, making its defense a delicate but necessary task.
The Evening Star.(Washington, D.C.) April 20, 1962
A Cold War Relic Beneath the Waves
As Cold War technology evolved, the need for the Texas Towers declined. By the early 1960s, intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) had largely replaced bombers as the primary threat, making offshore radar stations less critical. In 1963, TT-2 was decommissioned and scheduled for demolition. However, during the process, the remains of the tower sank to the ocean floor, where they still rest today as an eerie underwater relic.
Today, the wreckage of Texas Tower 2 lies at the bottom of the Atlantic, a forgotten sentinel of a bygone era. Scuba divers occasionally visit the site, exploring the remains of what was once a high-tech military outpost. While the tower itself is long gone, its story remains a fascinating piece of Cape Cod’s Cold War history.
The Evening Star. (Washington, D.C.) October 02, 1963
Remembering Texas Tower 2 at Highland Center
If you want to connect with Cape Cod’s Cold War past, a visit to the Highland Center in Truro is a great place to start. This site, part of the Cape Cod National Seashore, was once home to the North Truro Air Force Station, the land-based support for TT-2. As you stand at the cliffs overlooking the Atlantic, imagine Texas Tower 2 standing out there, a lonely steel fortress in the vast ocean. The world has changed dramatically since then, but the stories of places like TT-2 remind us of a time when Cape Cod played a crucial role in America’s defense.
While Texas Tower 2 may have disappeared beneath the waves, its legacy lives on in the history of Cape Cod—one of many hidden stories waiting to be discovered.