Radar

[cheriz]

I am quite interested in the early phases of Soviet-German conflict.
My understanding that Luftwaffe utilized
mobile Radar stations (motorized) as early as autumn of 1940 in Rumania with the specific purpose of defending the oil fields. In December of 1940 similar units were in Bulgaria. I would appreciate any information concerning the topic.

Also I would welcome any kind of information on the structure of German antiaircraft defense:
radio interception ,sound location technique , overall communications system.
Thank you .

[edwest]

Although I cannot answer the question of which units were deployed in Rumania, I recommend this book for a full account of Flak operations.

Flak: German Anti-Aircraft Defenses, 1914-1945, by Edward Westermann



Ed

[SES]

Originally Posted by cheriz

I am quite interested in the early phases of Soviet-German conflict.
My understanding that Luftwaffe utilized
mobile Radar stations (motorized) as early as autumn of 1940 in Rumania with the specific purpose of defending the oil fields. In December of 1940 similar units were in Bulgaria. I would appreciate any information concerning the topic.

Also I would welcome any kind of information on the structure of German antiaircraft defense:
radio interception ,sound location technique , overall communications system.
Thank you .

Please see:
www.gyges.dk
specifically:
http://www.gyges.dk/Flum%20SE%205.pdf and
http://www.gyges.dk/Jag%20Leit%20SE%204.pdf
for sites and
http://www.gyges.dk/Himmelbett.htm for procedures
bregds
SES

[cheriz]

Thank you ‘EDWEST’ I have already located and requested the book .
Thanks SES as always .
Cheriz

[George Hopp]

So early in the war I really don't think they had radar units of any kind in Romania. In fact, they didn't yet have radar covering most of Germany.

But, as for Flak, the German Air Force commission in Romania, began moving it in in October 1940 and at the beginning of January 1941 had, for protection of the oil production, 48 heavy batteries and 62 light/medium batteries. This was in addition to fighters, search lights, and smoke units. No radar is mentioned. (Ref: "Flak" by HA Koch). But, with the exception of about 16 batteries, most of these units were also being readied for later actions into Greece.

[cheriz]

George Hopp
Senior Member

So early in the war I really don't think they had radar units of any kind in Romania. In fact, they didn't yet have radar covering most of Germany.

Dear George welcome to discussion and thank you for your interest. One of the problems concerning this issue is that Luftwaffe archives were lost during the waning days of the war. Information is hard to get by. When it goes to the over all technological level of German radar development then we know quite a bit. The Kammhuber line had been completed in the autumn of 1941, it ran through middle of Denmark and then northern Germany ,Holland ,northern Belgium and Eastern France to the Swiss frontiers. It consisted of boxes 20 miles wide ,each box included one Freya and two Wurzburgs. It was fully integrated system with centralized command. So from the point of view of science ,technology and mass production German industry was fully capable to provide a few dozens of similar mobile units for the needs of the Eastern theater . I hope that SES though busy as he is will help us with details.
Thank You .Michael.

[George Hopp]

The Kammhuber line had been completed in the autumn of 1941

Very interesting, Michael. But, I was responding to the original question of this thread, which asked about the state of radar in Romania and Bulgaria in late 1940, NOT late 1941.

SES's maps of radar installations in the East are excellent, but don't relate to anything happening in the Balkans in late 1940.

[SES]

Hi,
At the outbreak of WW II the Luftwaffe had introduced the mobile search radar Freya (Mot). and it was in operational use in the Lg.Nachr.-Rgt deployed in about a dozen sites from the North Sea to the Swiss border. These radars were a supplement to the FLUWAs and they reported to the FLUKOs.
When it was decided to establish a night-fighter defence organisation in JUN 1940 a number of Ln-Rgt were established under 1 NJD. These were fully radar equipped, provided early warning to the NJD and performed intercept control. This developed into what the allies later called the Kammhuber Line.

Germany established a German Military Commission in Romania i OKT 1940 and there was a rapid built up of forces from the Ln-Dienst. The sources does not mention the introduction of radars in late 1940,but it is not inconceivable. Radars were definitely introduced in Romania in early 1941. Please see below quote from Hoffmann II/1:


In Rumänien, das für die deutsche Kampfführung, nicht alleine wegen seiner großen Ölvorkommen, von großer Wichtigkeit war, hatte man den Flugmeldedienst seit 1941 besonders gut ausgebaut. Am Schwarzen Meer waren während des Balkanfeldzuges drei Flugmeldekompanien (mot): 7./Lg.-Nachr.-Rgt. 4, 7./Lg.-Nachr.-Rgt. 11 und 7./Lg.-Nachr.-Rgt. 17 eingesetzt. Von diesen blieb nach Beendigung des Kampfes nur die 7./Lg.-Nachr.-Rgt. 17 mit Flugmeldezentrale am Flugplatz Mamia, 12 km nördlich Constanza am Schwarzen Meer, im Einsatz. Sie erhielt die Bezeichnung 21./Lg.-Nachr.-Rgt. 17 und bildete mit der 22., 23. und 24. Kompanie später die V./Lg.-Nachr.-Rgt. 17.

Erste Gerätestellungen gegen zu erwartende sowjetische Angriffe über das Schwarze Meer und alliierte Angriffe aus dem Suez-Gebiet (Ägypten) und von Zypern aus wurden in Burgas (Bulgarien) mit je einem Freya-und Würzburg-Gerät A, in Carmen-Sylva (Rumänien) mit einem Freya-, Constanza (Rumänien) mit einem Würzburg und bei Sulina im Donaudelta (Rumänien) mit je einem Freya- und Würzburg-Gerät aufgebaut wie Herr Lothar Lüdtke dem Verfasser mitteilte. Die Stellungen orteten nicht nur Luft-, sondern auch in Einzelfällen Seeziele. Die von den Stellungen erfaßten Ziele wurden über Funk (FuG III) an die Auswertung bei Constanza weitergegeben. Später schuf die Ln-Truppe Drahtverbindungen zwischen den Stellungen und Flugwachen einerseits und der/den Flugmeldeauswertung(en) andererseits.


bregds
SES

[George Hopp]

I am not familiar with Hoffmann, SES. Could you give me his full name and the titles of the set of books he wrote that relate to radar?

[SES]

Hi George,
My pleasure.

KARL OTTO HOFFMANN

Ln-

DIE GESCHICHTE DER LUFTNACHRICHTENTRUPPE

1968
NECKARGEMUND

K U R T V O W I N C K E L V E R L A G
I'm afraid that I don't have an ISBN number.
bregds
SES