[Milsurplus] D Day Comm

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Al, Breck & Group,

I also saw both programs last night plus recently saw Band of Brothers (for 
which I supplied some BC-611's).  I've never seen any indication that the 82nd 
or 101st jumped with any of the pack sets (SCR-284 or SCR-694).  Realisticly, 
that only leaves the SCR-536 and the SCR-300.  The SCR-300 would at the time 
only talk to another SCR-300.  Regardless of what we think today about the 
typical performance of the BC-611.  Until  D+1 when the Glider Troops came in, the 
airborne had no vehicles (or at least they didn't jump with any).  So I don't 
see how they could have had anything else other than BC-611's on D-Day.  They 
certainly didn't take along SCR-194's!

To answer another question asked earlier, the anti-tank weapon used at 
Pegasus Bridge was a Piat.  Aside from several books on the subject and several 
documentary films including what was on last night, ten years ago last week, I met 
some of the surviving Brits at Pegasus Bridge (not the original structure I 
might add - the French tore it down just before the 50th anniversary).  And for 
once, unlike with the radios, all sources seem to agree.

In a message dated 6/7/2004 12:58:54 PM Central Daylight Time, 
skywaves at webex.net writes: 
> I also saw the program Marty mentioned.  They interviewed an 
> airborne vet who told a story of using his radio to call in 
> naval gunfire on a "nebelwerfer" battery. (That's the 
> six-barreled rocket launcher, a.k.a. screaming mimi.) They 
> showed stock footage of a guy with a BC-611.  I think we're 
> all pretty sure this wasn't the radio on this mission.
> 
> The real question is what sets did these guys jump with on 
> D-day, and what arrangements did they have with the navy?
> 

73
Robert Downs - Houston
<http://www.wa5cab.com> (Web Store)
<wa5cab at cs.com> (Primary email)
<wa5cab at houston.rr.com> (Backup email)