Radar Jamming - Radar
on D-Day Continued...
On the evening of the 5th of June 1944, it is estimated that
over 4000 craft had set sail for France each with a specific
destination and a rigid timetable to follow. The GEE system
worked superbly to orchestrate the movements of all those
vessels. A special frequency change had been ordered just
before sailing in order that the precious system could not
be readily 'jammed' by the Germans.
Allied bombers had to be unswervingly accurate with their coastal
bombing that day in order not to hit the allied troops on the
beach….Gee and then H2X ensured that this did not happen.
Air supremacy was essential and in order to keep the Luftwaffe
on the ground, the RAF and USAF provided extensive fighter cover.
Fighter control used Type 16 PPI and IFF units. There were also
3 fighter direction ships cruising off the Normandy coast for
three days specifically to control flights over the landing
beaches. They were equipped with marine modifications to Type
11 and Type 15 radars.
A number of mobile GCI units were taken over to France and were
to follow the Allies into Germany. These units were direct descendants
of the units designed at TRE Worth Matravers a few years earlier.
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