[Milsurplus] Research Help Requested

[James Whartenby]

JoeI once worked with a mechanical engineer who spent most of WW2 on reconnaissance patrols in the ETO.  He mentioned to me, on many occasions, that he spent more time behind German lines then in front of them.  These patrols lasted for several weeks at a time.  Their purpose was to gauge troop movements and concentrations.  Bill said that at times he was so close to the enemy that he could reach out and touch them as they passed by on the road.  Food and ammunition was the majority of what was taken with them.  They wore the same clothes for the duration of the patrol.  When they got back to their unit, they burnt their old clothes, showered and then were issued new uniforms.  
I asked him which radios were also taken on these patrols.  He laughed and said that the reliability of the radios was so poor, that when you needed to use it, it wouldn't work.  Things seemed to be so bad that before most radio equipment could be issued to the troops, it had to be repaired as soon as it was taken out of the crate!  This is backed up by several post WW2 studies on electronic equipment reliability.  One that mentions this can be found here: https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/handle/2027.42/76283/AIAA-1966-2598-214.pdf;sequence=1  This paper seems to have been written in the early 1960's and concentrates on commercial equipment but much was written on this subject just after WW2 and during the Korean Conflict.
I have a copy of a book, the title escapes me now but it echoes what is contained above.  When I get the chance, I'll look for it and send along the title.  I believe it can also be found as a pdf on line.
Jim



      From: Joe Connor via Milsurplus <milsurplus at mailman.qth.net>
 To: Milsurplus <milsurplus at qth.net> 
 Sent: Sunday, August 27, 2017 9:34 AM
 Subject: [Milsurplus] Research Help Requested
   
Guys, I need some help on a research project I'm doing on the Goettge patrol, a 25-man Marine patrol that was slaughtered on Guadalcanal on August 12-13, 1942.
One curious and unexplained issue is why the patrol did not bring a radio with them. Because of that, when they needed help, they had to send a guy to swim back to the Marine perimeter, about four miles away.
Can you think of any reason why they wouldn't bring a transmitter/receiver? Size? Weight? Bulk? Lack of availability in the shoestring days of the Guadalcanal campaign? This was before the advent of the BC-611 walkie-talkies, right? In August 1942, what type of small transmitters/receivers (if any) would have been available to a 25-man Marine patrol on Guadalcanal?
As always, thank you for your help.
                        Joe Connor______________________________________________________________
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