Do 17 P KB+TA

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

Germans did announce their flights to Finland, over Finland, from Finland, over the Gulf of Finland and Northern Estonia. Generally where Finns could observe them and knowledge of friend or foe was needed.

I think the data was sent mostly verbally by telephone. There was "landlines" on the bottom of the gulf between Finland and Estonia even then. Data may have also been telexed? The recordings (transcriptions) were handwritten in any case.

I have feeling that at times the sender was Estonian or perhaps Germans too pronounce certain letters "hard". Typically when Estonian says "B" Finns hear "P" (same for D & T G & K). So more likely error would have been B transcripted as P. I remember that there were many clear cases of that. Otherwise same code having once in a while a P (hard letter) insted of a B (soft letter). In my opinion if the "Ilmavalvontakomppania" material has code letter B, it quite likely was that.

If sent by telephone P and R do not really mix.

Another - and harder problem, IMO - was the handwriting of the transcriptions. But that does not concern so much the B and P comparison. But even then would I have made the KB+TA note erroneously six times in a row?

Unfortunately I have no access to my digital photos to check the KB+TA issue.


Cheers,
Kari