2.27.2008

German radar stations during WWII


The base of FuMG-65 Würzburg-Riese radar station used by Luftwaffe in Wroclaw, Poland. The station belonged to Bischwitz radio engineering unit.

Among several solutions used by Germans the most popular was the "Himmelbett" radio system - consisted of two FuMG 65 "Würzburg-Riese" radars, Freya radar, and main Seeburg station.

The Freya radar had a maximum range of about 200 kilometers and was used for observation, in concert with two gun laying radars - "Würzburg-Riese", directing fighter squadrons at the arriving bombers.

The maximum range of FuMG 65 was 70 km. The radars were manufactured by Telefunken and equipped with antennas of 7.5m diameter. In total there were about 1500 such stations in Europe. Many of them were deployed in occupied Poland, mainly in the north and south.

In our times we can only encounter characteristic concrete foundations in hexagonal form. They were the bases for the metal constructions of FuMG 65 weighting nearly 20 tons. More informations you can find: http://weeklyreview.dipolnet.com/inf_dipo_2008_06.htm

In Poland there were more than 100 Luftwaffe radio stations, in Europe there were more than 1500 radio stations. There is a picture on the page: http://weeklyreview.dipolnet.com/inf_dipo_2008_06.htm that shows Kozieglowy in Silesia, Poland. The concrete base for German radar - Luftwaffe FuMG-65 Würzburg-Riese.

The hierarchy of radar stations had three levels: Stellung 1. Ordnung, Stellung 2. Ordnung, Stellung 3. Ordnung. Stations with the priority 1. Ordnung had to collect informations from 2. and 3. Ordnung.

The first mention of radar on the Isle of Wight took place in September 1935,

In June 1937, radar was ready for use as a weapon of war. In July the Dover Chain Home station in July 1937 was open.

Between 1940 and 1942, Britain had to find out exactly how far advanced German radar was, and so at Bruneval in France a raid was planned on the German radar installation.

The real raid on Bruneval on 17 February in 1942 was a real success.

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