19 set ( Signal Corps Radio)
 

Surplus ( brand new) No. 19 sets were for sale as early as 1946 in the USA.

Did the U.S. Signal Corps. ever have any 19 sets on issue ?

19 sets were in production in the USA as early as 1942 for issue to the British Commonwealth forces and probably the Soviets ( the advert mentions this). RCA was one U.S. manufacturer and I believe Philco and Zenith also made the set. I did have a RCA built example dated 1942.

500 sets were supplied to the US Marine Corps for trial & use in the Pacific Theatre.

Not surprised
 

I have read similar reports about the problems with radio equipment in the South Pacific theatre during WW2.

A RAAF signals unit based in PNG built a dedicated box to house their AR7 receiver , they lined the box with incandescent light bulbs that were on 24/7. The Dew point in the tropics is at the high end of the scale , so much water vapor is in the air plus the many species of fungi just looking for some tasty prey such as cotton or leather.

One set that defied the odds and kept going was the G.E. built BC-191 , the Signal Corps guys on Guadalcanal reported that the set was impervious to anything the jungle environment could throw at it.