by Erik Ludwig

The Military Service Of The Two Radar Warning Receivers

Bismarck

During the Atlantic sortie of 18‑29 May 1941, escorted by the heavy cruisr Prinz Eugen, there were several radiotelegraphic contacts between Bismarck and German naval command on the continent (Paris). In one of the messages naval Group West requests Admiral Lütjens "to indicate the British radar frequencies" which is only possible if the Bismarck has been fitted with a VHF‑UHF receiver. This seems to confirm that an R600, probably a prototype, was on board. Literature on this subject mentions either 'a R600' or 'a radar detector' was on board. No further information has been found and therefore this question remains at present unsolved.

Prinz Eugen

The situation of the Prinz Eugen is simple: during the Atlantic sortie in 1941 there was neither an R600 nor an R203 receiver on board. Schmalenbach states he received on the Prinz Eugen an R600 (and R203) for the first time in April 1942. He received both receivers together with the Sumatra type antenna system consisting of four wide‑band dipoles and their reflectors. These were mounted on four sides of the observers' hut platform on the main foretop tower.

In 1942-1943 the Prinz Eugen operated along the Norwegian coast in support of the German occupation forces. In one of the various encounters with the British Navy it was hit by a torpedo and had to be repaired in Trondheim. The R203 (60-160MHz) was probably used to warn against British 90MHz radars and the R600 against 200MHz ASV2 airborne radars and against British 600MHz surface ship radars. In 1944 the ship was fitted with the new Type 81 9cm radar, a panoramic indicator and a rotary antenna in a radome.

From 1943 till the end of the war, the Prinz Eugen operated in the Baltic Sea to cover retreating German land forces and civilian population from the eastern provinces. In 1945 both receivers were stored in German arsenals, probably in Kiel. The same year they were shown, as already mentioned, in an exhibition near Hamburg where Lt. Corriol recognised both receivers.

Motor Torpedo Boats

Trenkle mentions the deployment of the R600 in German motor‑torpedo boats (Schnellboote, S‑Boote). During operations at night in coastal waters against British convoys the R600 was probably used to warn against radars of escort vessels and ASV2 airborne radars. We did not find any literature giving details of such operations.

U-boats

A much publicised chapter in the Battle of the Atlantic concerns the deployment of the R600 in German Uboats between August 1942 and August 1943. Briefly one can say the R600 did a good job in warning surfaced U-boats against the approach of an airbome ASV2 radar. As soon as the radar pulses were heard on 200MHz the operator gave the alert and the Uboat had enough time to dive to safety.

At the end of 1942 the British were installing a new type of sea alert radar in their Coastal Command aircraft: the ASV3 operating on 9cm. From that moment on, more and more Uboats were lost. Often the R600 did not hear the radar it was listening for on 20OMHz and the U-boat was attacked. Only a few could escape the bombs and tell the story.

At first, the Germans thought the radiated signal of the R600 local oscillator served as a beacon for the approaching British aircraft. In 1943 they discovered the true reason: the radars were now on 9cm and the R600 could not receive signals at wavelengths lower than about 50cm. In August 1943 the R600s were recalled for storage at Metox.

Aerial Monitoring

In 1943 the R600 served in aerial reconnaissance aircraft operating from the Athens‑Kalamaki airfield, flying over the Eastern Mediterranean to monitor allied radar transmitters and communications stations. The aircraft were Junkers 52, 88 and 188, Heinkel 111, and Focke Wulf 200.
The receivers were Metox R600, Domeyer, Samos and Fanö. The total range covered by these receivers went from 113 to 1600MHz.

Other sorties were flown from the Bordeaux-Mérignac airfield, for reconnaissance flights over the Western Mediterranean. Their opponents used twin-engined Wellington bombers, full of Hallicrafters S27 Special Wireless stations for daily reconnaissance flights over the Mediterranean, covering 27 to 143MHz

German Air Force

In 1940 the Luftwaffe bought fifty Metox R203 VHF receivers, probably for use on airfields and fighter aircraft.

Acknowledgements

Our thanks go to
J. Hodin ex-F3JS, Dr H. L. Rath DL6KG, B. Gele FIAAG, Dr J. Corriol F9DD, B. Otzen 0Z8A, H. Schöck, A. Bauer PAOAOB, D. Steele GOVDV, G. Henslinn DL5KP, B. Cannon G8DIU, Herr Schwenck, P. Vinckel F6HPX, W. Gerlach DL6VW, E. Phillips W61ZJ, K. Debrouwere ON5BV, H. Hansen 0Z6GH, A. Tagu F2TA, J. Demaison FITUE, E. Kempshall, Dr P. Aichner, P. Scheller ExOZ4FT, U. Rudofsky, R. Meilstrup 0Z5RM, J. Otzen OZ8T1), H. Holtman OZ9DC, R. Sakslund OZILNZ, A. Hangard ex‑F8ST, J. Colclough G4CWN, G. Hoyer, DJIGE, P. Hawker G3VA, J. Rico, J. Asmussen, J. M. Gaucheron, F3YP, H. Joormann DL5X1, J. Wolthuis

PEORTX RB

by Erik Ludwig


*Updated: 03/16/07*	*© hgs 03/02*