[ARC5] US Vs German Tank Comm

[Robert Eleazer]

The Oxford Companion to WWII says that the Germans used the Fu5SE10 set in armored vehicles, operating on a frequency of 27.2 to 33.3 MHZ. Transmitter output power was 10 watts.

Contrast this with the SCR-608 and 628, which used 27 to 38.9 MHZ with a transmitter output power of 20 watts.

So it is very possible that the American radios jammed German tank communications, using FM radios that operated at twice the German output power - and no doubt employing a lot more of them as well.

The Germans also used an aircraft radio that operated in the same range as their tank radios. I think it was the Fug16ZY. If so, their fighter aircraft could talk directly to their tanks, a feature the US did not adopt until decades later. 

The Oxford book also says that the Germans had a VHF manpack set covering 120 to 156 MHZ with a power output of 0.15 watts. Since none of their big sets seemed to cover that range, I wonder who they were talking to other than other close infantry units? Must have been their version of a BC-611 - only talk to others with the same set.   I guess the Germans could have talked to our airplanes.

Interesting story - in North Africa the British tank units after a battle was over would call up their commander and ask permission to "Brew up" - make a pot of tea and relax a bit. Then in the midst of one battle, with all units heavily engaged, a call came over the radio telling such and such a unit to "brew up" The British just laughed; clearly the Germans had been listening to British communications and had decided that "Brew up" meant retire from battle and shut down. And nobody was going to sit down and have a pot of tea in the middle of a tank battle.

Wayne

WB5WSV