[ARC5] Airborne Jamming

[Robert Eleazer]

The RAF commonly equipped its bombers with a set up designed to jam German night fighter communications.  Reportedly they put a microphone out under one of the engine cowlings and switched that to their regular transmitter when they were able to find the fighter control frequency.  It did not jam over a large distance but was intended to help keep the Germans from receiving ground radar directions near the transmitting bomber.

The RAF also had dedicated B-17's and B-24's equipped with night fighter communications jamming transmitters.  It was effective enough that the Luftwaffe came up with a plan to broadcast music from their commercial service to direct the fighters., as in "If you hear Beethoven, they are bombing Hamburg."

I can imagine how this might have produced a real "Battle of the Bands" with the RAF.    

Wayne