How did the germans issue radios?

[Denwad]

at what level? Batallion or higher?

[JonS]

only with appropriate authorisation, signed, counter-signed, and in triplicate.

[Denwad]

what?

[JasonC]

At the start of the war the lowest level that had dedicated signals was the battalion. It might be radio or it might be field phone. Communications links were to higher HQs and to other battalions. An infantry battalion had a small section attached to the battalion HQ for this.

Lower echelons had runners assigned to HQs. In the course of the war, companies picked up a few signal personnel, while platoons still relied on runners. The signals people at company would typically by the receiving end of field phone links from their own battalion.

Observors for the arty were a separate matter, having higher OP groups typically attached to a regimental HQ or Arko. These then sent out parties into the field to man OPs, do ranging work and surveying, etc. The OPs might have field radios.

The portable German sets weighed around 20 kg and had only 1 watt of power, range a few miles. Better sets with much more power and range were larger and typically used in vehicles or inside HQ buildings.

Within a company, essentially all communications were by runner.

That is for the ordinary infantry. In the mobile formations communications were considerably better, as vehicles were available to move the gear. Tanks had their own radios, though of limited range, meant just to talk to each other within their company basically.

Command tanks with more powerful sets operated at battalion level to coordinate larger scale actions. Dedicated arty observor tanks were also used, along the same lines as the command tanks.

Other portions of a mobile division would have their HQ radios in their vehicles, thus far more mobile than infantry force ones and not needing the same time to take down and set up again when the unit moved. They would also be more likely to have radios in the first place, rather than wire. (Tanks and newly laid, unburied wire do not mix).

I hope this helps.

[ May 06, 2004, 11:55 PM: Message edited by: JasonC ]

[Michael Dorosh]

Originally posted by Denwad:

what?

He meant to say authorization...sorry for the confusion....

[Dandelion]

I take it the question concerns only wireless connections.

The lowest infantry echelon equipped with wireless sets was initially the battalion, with the signals troop containing 4 "Tornisterfunktrupps" ('portable-radio squads') each with a wireless set and 3 men. Normally, 2 wireless connections were established within the battalion net, and these would normnally double an established wirebound connection, thus acting backup.

The battalion was responsible for the battalion net, i.e. connections with the companies and neighbour battalions, as well as any attached units. Communications to regiment was thus the responsibility of the regimental signal platoon. Which, incidentally, also contained 4 Tornisterfunktrupps. At divisional level there was the signal battalion, with a wireless company equipped with wireless sets of quite another capacity than the "d" found at lower echelons.

Battalion nets - like the nets of all other echelons - were established via communication posts. There was one main wireconnection ("Stamm" or trunk) and ideally a backup line. The battalion had 6 fieldphones, and these were placed along the line in communication posts. In photographs, you very often see the typical improvised small sign with either a white lightning (wireless) or "F" (wire), marking such a post. The runners at company level thus ran or rode to such posts, delivering their messages which were then relayed. If the company did not have a communication post with a field phone of its own of course.

But returning to smaller units - after 1940, wireless sets were issued to the heavy companies of the battalions, and the regimental infantry gun companies as well, replacing old blink devices, flags etc. These sets were used for firecontrol purpouses within the company, and were also normally used as backup only. The infantry gun companies could also utilise the divisional artillery organisation for communication and fire control.

Most battallions in the infantry arm of service followed the exact same pattern of organisation and equipment. Or had minor variations - e.g. Recon battallions with the same organisation but with one funktrupp equipped with a more powerful radio.

In the artillery, the batteries (equiv. to companies) had 1 portable wireless set (equipping the VB, or Forward Observer, of that battery - he had a field phone as well of course) plus two non-portable wireless sets for fire control purpouses. At battalion level and up, the signal organisation was basically doubled. For the battalion and regiment net, organisation and equipment was the same as the infantry. But in addition, battalions had a special signal platoon (AVT), and regiments a similar such (AVKo), both tasked with firecontrol and communication with the units being supported. Both types had 4 wireless sets each, half of which were portable and the other half being heavier devices. And on top of this, the AVO (Artillery liaison officer, responsible for communication with Division, which normally meant contact with the ARKO, divisional artillery commander, as Jason mentions) had his own wireless set.

As Jason also mentions the short wave radios ("d" or Dora) found at echelons below division weighed more than 20 kg, being separated into a transmitter and a receiver each of 11 kg, carried as backpacks. They had a theoretical maximum range of some 15 km (morse - only 5 km speach connection at best), and were "Wechselsprech", whatever you call that in English (could only have one line open, and only send or receive, not both). In practice, German infantry rarely used transmits of speach at all. Ranges were too short to be useful and connections too bad. Morse was the norm. The two men carrying the radio were hooked to eachother by the powersupply cable, one meter or so in length. The section commander carried a third, also very heavy backpack, containing the antennas, batteries, accessories and spare parts.

Wireless connections were unrealiable at best and thus communications in the German army remained wirebound throughout the war. The wireless was appreciated for its capacity of filling gaps. It took only 5 - 8 minutes to ready a wireless (it took several hours to establish a battalion wirenet) and it could be used during movement. It follows that radios were used only by combat units. All other units relied entirely on wire and runners.

[JasonC]

Thanks for the much more comprehensive answer. Quite useful.

[Dandelion]

Anytime Jason. Say, are you/were you a CMMCer?

Cheerio

Dandelion