Bowman - Confounding the Reich: The RAF’s Secret War of Electronic Countermeasures in WWII

A newly delivered NFXXX of No 85 Squadron taxies out at Swannington at the start of a Night Intruder over Germany. The unit started swapping its NFX VIIs and XIXs for definitive NFXXXs in September 1944. (IWM)

First published in
Great Britain in 2004
By Pen and Sword Aviation
an imprint of Pen and Sword Books Ltd
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South Yorkshire, S70 2AS, England

Copyright Martin W. Bowman, 2004

ISBN 1 84415 124 7
PRINT ISBN: 9781844151240
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Contents

Acknowledgements

I am enormously grateful to the following people for making it possible to include detailed information in this book. Don F. Aris very kindly allowed me to quote from his superb unpublished three-volume history of 141 Squadron, which has taken him a lifetime to compile. His fellow armourer, Johnny Claxton, kindly made these available for a long period of time. Dr Theo Boiten provided enormous expertise on victories and details of German crews. As always, I am most grateful to Mike Bailey for his guidance, proofing and kind loan of much-needed books for research purposes. Bob Collis unstintingly provided his customary expertise and furnished much valuable information on aircraft and crews, often in very detailed and painstaking correspondence. Last but not least I would like to pay tribute to Tom Cushing for his most marvellous assistance, and for so very graciously giving me free rein to use his vast historical collection of memorabilia, documents and photographs at Little Snoring. Time spent at his house on Snoring airfield, served with plentiful cups of tea from his lovely wife Wendy, have been some of the most enjoyable interludes during the preparation of this book.

Jerry Scutts and Philip J. Birtles provided many superb photographs. Steve Jefferson worked wonders making prints from glass negatives. I am no less grateful to the following for their help and support throughout: The late Michael Allen DFC**; Jim Avis; Captain Buddy Badley; Len Bartram; Tim Bates; Derek Taffy Bellis DFC*; Frank Bocock; Eileen Boorman; Les Bostock; Bill Bridgeman; Lewis Brandon DSO, DFC*; Jean Bunting; Peter Celis; Squadron Leader Joe Cooper AFC; Andrew Crotch; the late Squadron Leader John Crotch DFC; Henry Hank Cooper; Hans-Peter Dabrowski; Squadron Leader Mike Daniels; Bob Davies AFC; Ernie Frohloff; Legion Magazine; Richard T. Goucher; Peter B. Gunn, author of RAF Great Massingham; Terry Groves; Alan Hague, Curator, Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum; Lewis Heath; Gerhard Heilig; Raymond Hicks; Leslie Dutch Holland; George Honeyman; Stephen Hutton; Harry Jeffries; Wing Commander Howard C. Kelsey DSO DFC*; Geoff Liles; Ron Mackay; Sister Laurence May; Neville Miller; W. H. Miller DFC; Mosquito Aircrew Association; Simon Parry, Murray Peden DFC QC; Eric Phillips; Don Prutton; Barbara and John Rayson G.Av.A; Harry Reed DFC; Alf Rogers; Group Captain J. K. Sport Rogers OBE FBIM RAF (Retd); Squadron Leader Derek Rothery RAF (Retd); Walter Rowley; Wing Commander Philip Russell DFC; Group Captain J. A. V. Short MBIM; Group Captain E. M. Smith DFC* DFM; Martin Staunton; Robert Bob Symon; Harry Welham DFC; Graham Chalky White; Squadron Leader R. G. TimWoodman DSO DFC; Johnny Wynne DFC and finally the City of Norwich Aviation Museum.

Introduction

O n 8 November 1943, 100 (Special Duties) Group of RAF Bomber Command was formed. The object was to consolidate the various squadrons and units that had been fighting a secret war of electronics and radar countermeasures, attempting to reduce the losses of the heavy bombers and their hard-pressed crews in Bomber Command. This secret war involved the use of air and ground radars, homing and jamming equipment, special radio and navigational aids, and intruding night-fighters to seek out and destroy their opposite numbers, the Ju 88s and Bf 110s of the Nachtjgdgeschwader now defending the vivid night skies of the Third Reich with everincreasing success.

While there were various radar counter-measures that could be activated from the ground, the airborne operations took two distinct forms. One was a force of heavy bomber aircraft flying over Germany and occupied Europe, carrying a variety of radar and radio jamming equipment, sometimes on spoofing operations; the other was provided from the home defence night-fighter squadrons. Since June 1943 these had been carrying out high-level, freelance Intruder sorties specifically against the German night-fighters.

These activities, conducted by specialist bomber and night-fighter crews, and the equipment they used, were cloaked under some weird and strange-sounding code-names such as Serrate, Mandrel, Jostle, Monica and Airborne Cigar. The night-fighter crews who completed a first tour on one of seven fighter squadrons in 100 Group could expect to go for their rest of six months either to the Bomber Support Training Unit (BSTU), or the Bomber Support Development Unit (BSDU). In the latter, they were still expected to continue flying on operations because the new equipment could only be tested adequately on the job. In those halcyon days that meant over the other side.