[ARC5] Radios and the Canal

[Robert Eleazer]

I am reading a book on the WWII campaign in the Solomons Islands.  It emphasizes the important role played by radio interception, both for breaking enemy codes and for D/Fing or enemy force locations.

The book says that a radio interception team was sent to Guadalcanal soon after our invasion, equipped with Hallicrafters receivers.  I guess I am surprised they would use a Hallicrafters for such work, since there must have been better receivers available, but perhaps they needed wider frequency coverage than the 1.5-18 MHZ that was so common with WWII military receivers.  It seems that one of the receivers turned up missing during the arrival and its case was found some time later; the Marines had been using it for an oven.

The USN took off soon after dumping the Marines on the island, before unloading all of the supplies and so for some time the only long range radio the US forces on the island had available was with captured Japanese equipment.

The book mentions often the vital work of the coastwatchers, who provided observations on Japanese movements. I wonder what kind of equipment they had?

Wayne