Radar Recollections - A Bournemouth University / CHiDE / HLF project

 
 
 

A.P.Rowe and his Sunday Soviets - H2S evolves... [H2X]

By late 1943, the list of specialized airborne detection and navigation systems had grown extensively; IFF, AI Mk 8 and 10, GEE, GEE-H, H2S, Rebecca/Eureka, Blind Approach Beacons and radio altimeters were all contributing to the technological battle against the Axis powers and the tide of battle was distinctly turning in favour of the Allies.
The H2S system was now in mass production and the vital Magnetrons were being shipped from America. The transmitter technology had also been refined and the Mk 3 H2S was now available and running at 3 cm wavelength.
 
A Mosquito Cockpit with H2X installed
A Mosquito Cockpit
 
 
 
 

There were still problems to be overcome. For instance, it was normal practice for bombers to switch on their H2S sets soon after take off. The Germans soon learnt (November 1943) to monitor and track these emissions and they were using this advantage to predict the likely target for an Allied raid and thus get their fighters airborne and ready to intercept. The German interception equipment was code named 'Naxos'.

Improvements to the system continued; and the scanners were soon gyro-controlled giving the operator a greater field of scan, particularly from behind the aircraft. Eventually, the bombsite computer was also linked to the H2X unit and this improved the 'blind bombing' accuracy considerably. It was the Mk 6 version of 1944 that was renamed H2X. This equipment was also adopted and adapted by the USAF 8th Airforce and was called 'Mickey.' Of the 400,000 tons of bombs this unit dropped over the last 2 years of the war, over 50% used this targeting system.

   
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