[Boatanchors] Training Axis Radio Operators and Technicians

[William L Howard]

I am working on an article on training axis radio operators during WW
II. Here is the start of it. Can anyone add to or correct anything?
Thanks,

Bill Howard

Training Axis Radio Operators and Technicians

Producing a trained Radio Technician/operator is a costly and time
consuming process. There
are four distinct phases: Selection, training in Radio Theory, Morse
code and practical
application.

Selection:

 Little is known about the selection process but it must be assumed that
some sort of
intelligence quotient (IQ) test was used to select the more intelligent
personnel for operation of radios.

Training in Radio Theory:

 This would cover such topics as basic electricity, how a transmitter
works, how a receiver works, wave propagation, antenna design, and power
supplies. This would be done in a classroom environment, like any other
school.

Learning the Morse Code:

 This would be done is a laboratory type setting. The Germans had a neon
bulb oscillator for use as a code practice oscillator. Operating from
the AC mains, power was rectified and fed to a neon bulb circuit. I have
one in my collection but lacking the proper neon bulb, I am unable to
test it. I built a reproduction of the set and thanks to Bob Downs in
Houston, Texas, got it working.

 The Japanese had two code practice Oscillators, one for the Navy and
one for the Army.
The naval version was a two tube set, one tube to rectify the current
and one tube to serve as an oscillator. My set was lacking the
oscillator tube but I understand a fellow collector has one of these
sets which is operational.

 The Japanese Army set, is housed in a wooden case and has a separate
wooden battery box. The oscillator made use of a tube, rather than neon
bulbs.  I have both the battery box and the code oscillator but as is
usual, I do not have the needed tube for the oscillator.

Practical Application:

 Both the Germans and the Japanese developed Training Transmitters. The
German set
is designated the KF 42, which means Kampfubungs Funker 42. It would
seem that this set was
developed for use in the field to train replacement operators.
Supposedly, as they were suffering
great losses on the eastern front, regular infantry soldiers were
pressed into service as radio
operators. The KF 42 made use of either a key, a microphone or a
standard field telephone
handset, pulled from the phone and plugged into the front panel.

 The Japanese set was designated as the M 206 Training Transmitter. It
was packed in a wooden transport chest which housed the transmitter and
accessories. The accessories included the external power cable, a key
and a throat microphone, a metal rod antenna, a counterpoise antenna and
several removable plug in coils. The transmitter was house in a metal
case, made use of an internal battery power source housed in a pull out
drawer. There was also a provision for an external power supply.

 Both of these sets are rare items.


Operator versus Technician

 To make it easier to discuss this topic, I consider an operator as
someone who uses the
radio in the field and the technician as  someone who is in the rear
area and works on repairing
radio sets. The Technician must know all the above topics plus how to
used the various items of
test equipment. Common test and repair items were tube testers, multi
meters and in some areas, an oscilloscope.