Battle of the Beams

FuG28a " Knickebein " was a beginning of the Second World War used for combat aircraft of the Luftwaffe German radio beacon system. It was further developed by Telefunken from the X method.

Operation

Knickebein was designed to be easier than the X - procedure use. Furthermore, should for reasons of cost already present in aircraft radio landing facilities ( FuG-16/17 ) 30-33 MHz can be used in the frequency domain.

In contrast to the X - method, the frequency range and the on-board radio equipment developed by the C. Lorenz AG civilian landing system now used. Also required was the evaluation unit 28 ( AW28 ), which transmitted the received radio signals to the autopilot of the aircraft. It was produced by the company Heliowatt factory Schweidnitz in Silesia.

→ details used can be found under the X - method

Knickebein systems were used in the initial phase of the German offensive in Nachtangiffen. Individual target areas could by this method with a sufficient area targets accuracy of / - will be flown 1500 m target circle at a combat range of 250 km.

Transmitting sites

Initially were used for the nightly air raids on England three Knickebein transmitting sites in Kleve, aligned on the Stollberg and when the mouth is a castle on to bombarding the city, and later included more. Transmitting stations were set up at the following locations:

Countermeasures

The Knickebein procedure could be mainly decrypted by Reginald Victor Jones in England. On June 21, 1940 recorded a specially equipped RAF aircraft of type Anson radio waves from Germany towards the Rolls- Royce works in Derby. The Knickebein method could successfully be disturbed in 1940 that English radio stations also sent out the equipment used by the Knickebein point - Morse signal; This irritated the German pilots and brought many off course.

To protect against the English disruptive of Tarnbetrieb was included in the sequence. For example, the channels were activated without an attack took place or the transmitters were turned on shortly before the attack began, and the destination could not be identified in time. Alternatively, many stations were put into operation, so that again the exact target could not be determined.

However, most combat aircraft of the Luftwaffe were after the lost Battle of Britain and the end of the company anyway Sea Lion on the Eastern Front.