[Milsurplus] Operation Market Garden

[W7QHO at aol.com]

I read Ryan's book, "A bridge Too Far" some time ago but I do remember 
reference to communications failures attributable to xtal problems.   However, he 
didn't include much useful 
detail.   General Bradley in his autobiography "A General's Story" calls the 
decision to let Monty   launch the operation Ike's "gravest tactical error of 
the war" but says nothing about communications failures.   Also, I can't find 
any reference to the operation in the Green Books at all.

I saw the History Channel program to which several others have referred.   
Agree it raises more questions than it answers.   Lots of stock footage strung 
together which may or may not have accurately represented the equipment and 
techniques used.   Nice to see a pair of WS-68's up and in operation, though.   
Someone mentioned they appeared to be the lower frequency versions so I guess 
the test took place on Top Band (160M).   Interesting that drop zone to city 
coms could not be sustained even with a modern transceiver on one end of the 
link.    

If I remember correctly, the program sited the drop zone to bridge distance 
as 8 miles.   Anyone have an   idea just what the practical range between a 
pair of WS-68's (or WS-68 to WS-22) might be?   Our SCR-300 and earlier SCR-609 
FM portables were both rated at only 3 - 5 miles.   Seems to me a pair of 
SCR-284s or WS-19s would have been required for a reliable circuit. 

Any chance some field wire got run?

Dennis D. W7QHO, ex. G5BSW, DA1IN
Glendale, CA