MORE RADAR SECRETS

Evening Star, Issue 25564, 17 August 1945, Page 11

MORE RADAR SECRETS

TWO IMPORTANT DEVELOPMENTS

PILOTS WARNED OF PRESENCE OF ENEMY FIGHTERS

(Rec. 10 a.m.) LONDON, Aug. IG. The Air Ministry has revealed one of the most important developments of radar—" fighter direction " technique for combating enemy raiders day or night over England and guarding their own aircraft from enemy fighters. Special low-angle direction stations in Southern England actually " watched " Spitfires, Tempests, and Mosquitoes during the whole of their great day and night sweeps over the Continent, and warned them by radio telephone of the presence of German fighters. The stations not only gave defensive warning to fighters while they were over the Continent, but often controlled'them in offensive actions against enemy aircraft. Another important development was air-borne reception equipment carried in night fighters for detecting enemy aircraft. It was dramatically effective, as was shown in the month-to-month growth of German night losses over England in 1941. The outstanding success of these forms of radar equipment led to intimate co-operation between pilots and tho ground crews. Gradually a whole chain of lighter direction stations was established throughout tho country. Anti-aircraft sites in England were fitted with ground control interception sets. These were equipped with a cinema screen, on which the enemy fighter could be seen and accurate anti-aircraft fire brought to bear.