Radar Recollections - A Bournemouth University / CHiDE / HLF project

   
 

Radar Jamming - Radar on D-Day

All of the systems mentioned in this story had a part to play on D-Day: CH, CHL, GEE, IFF, GCI and H2X all played significant roles.

During the preparations for D-Day, all the activity in all the ports along the south coast of England meant that German E-boats, very fast motor torpedo boats had to be kept at bay. Some 200 10cm Coastal Defence [CD] radars had been deployed for this purpose. There were also at least 40 U-Boats that were known to be operating in the North Sea and these had to be penned in.

Operation 'Point Blank'

The next task was to weaken the German industrial replenishment capability. 13 heavy raids carried out in late February 1944 by Allied bombers achieved this goal. These planes were invariably fitted with H2S (UK) or H2X (American). Mosquitoes fitted with GEE and GEE-H carried out raids on German communications posts with pinpoint accuracy.

Operation 'Transportation'


This operation was designed to bring the German controlled rail network to a standstill in order that troop and munitions movements could not take place. In March and April 1944, Mosquitoes vectored onto their targets by OBOE were completely successful.

One of the first successes of the day was the taking of the Pegasus Bridge and the Horsa gliders (towed by Halifax bombers) were acurately 'guided in' using GEE.

Naval versions of H2S (Admiralty Set No 970) were fitted extensively in the assault landing craft to ensure that they landed at exactly the right location.

The routes of the various invasion forces on D-Day
The routes of the various invasion forces on D-Day
 
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Professor
G. E. Bacon