Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum - LW radar organisation in the West

Hello,

I have recently found British intelligence documents stating that Ln.-Rgtr. 51, 52, 53 and 54 were respectively controlled by Jafü 1, 2, 3 and 4 (1940-43 designations).

Associated with the Luftnachrichten unit sheets on Michael Holm's web site, this suggests the following development scheme for the LW radar organisation in the Belgien-Nordfrankreich and Westfrankreich areas. I have never seen it mentioned in the litterature (but I have not read everything!) and it sometimes contradicts what has been written.

Step 1: 1940-42
The first Freya stations were set up on the French (and probably Belgian) coasts during the summer of 1940. They were manned by Kompanien from Lg.-Nachr.-Rgtr. Belgien-Nordfrankreich and Westfrankreich, and their main purpose was to assist the Flugmeldedienst (German Observer Corps) in providing a general picture of the enemy air activity to civil defence, Flak units and Jafü. From the Jafü point of view, this system probably suffered from two important drawbacks:
1. Significant delays were experienced in the reporting of enemy formations as the radar plots were filtered and amalgamated with visual observations at each level of the Flugmeldedienst organisation (Flukos/Flumzentralen and Fernflukos).
2. The Jafü did not control the quality of the air situation map whereas they often needed fast and accurate reporting in some operationally active areas, or even on some particular enemy raid, at the expense of other regions momentarily less crucial.

Step 2: 1942-43
For the reasons stated above, the Jafü started erecting their own radar stations in the spring of 1942. Their Ln.-Abt. (numbered in the 50 series) were expanded to regiment strength by the addition of a 2nd Abteilung serving the new stations. At the same time, the 3rd Coy. (Flugmelde-Auswerte- und Betriebs-Kompanie) of these enlarged units was employed for processing the radar plots (filtering and displaying) in the Jafü H.Q.s.

Step 3: 1943-
With the success of the previous organisation, most (if not all) Flugmeldedienst radar stations were integrated in the Jafü radar system whose Ln.-Rgtr. were further expanded in April 1943. From this moment, the Luftwaffe ground control was remarkably similar to that of Fighter Command with radar stations directly linked to Group (Jafü) Filter and Operations Rooms (Flugmelde-Auswerte-Kompanien). A remaining difference was the lack of sector controls on the German side (these were suppressed when the LW first line fighters switched from HF to longer range VHF R/T, probably around 1942), but at the same time Fighter Command was introducing Fighter Direction R.D.F. Stations for controlling offensive operations with the same flexibility than Jafü controls.

I would be glad to have your additions and comments on the above hypothetical development scheme that has been built only on fragmentary pieces of information.

Best regards,

Jérémie