Development and testing Oboe (navigation)

the left side of image shows oboe navigation console. 2 crts, of largest built during era, used gross , fine distance measurement. control room built nissen hut (or similar) may suggest 1 of mobile sites moved continental europe after d-day.

there obvious problems approach, however. 1 of obvious given ground station track single aircraft @ time, compared gee bomber pick signals uk , carry out necessary calculations. did not eliminate useful system; y-gerät had same limitation, used target marking. more worrying concern bomber aircraft have fly straight , level along gently curving path while ground operators determined range , radioed corrections. during time aircraft open attack, considered suicidal. , finally, pointed out british had jammed y-gerät, before used, there no reason expect germans wouldn t same detected signals.

despite widespread opposition use of oboe, a.p. rowe ordered development begin. development began both on 1.5 m wavelength shared uk radar systems, @ new fashionable 10 cm microwave wavelength provided cavity magnetron. latter not provide higher accuracy, largely immune jamming unless germans developed own high-power microwave devices, occurred in last days of war.

two stations set far east possible, 1 in dover (walmer) , second in cromer (raf trimingham)). on given mission, 1 of stations cat , other mouse. in testing in september 1941, aircraft flying along arc 130 kilometres (81 mi) dover demonstrated accuracy of 50 metres (160 ft), better bombing method in use. accuracy bombs not quite good, bombs not identical. in demonstration senior officials on 2 july 1942, system demonstrated real-world accuracy of 65 metres (213 ft).

oboe first used in experimental operations short stirling heavy bombers in december 1941, attacking brest. these aircraft had relatively limited service ceiling, , limited attacks @ short-range maintained line-of-sight uk.

at time there great debate taking place in bomber command on use of pathfinders , specialized aircraft , crews find targets , use flares mark them attack. same technique had first been used during blitz germans, notably specialist kampfgeschwader 100, effectiveness had been severely curtailed british jamming efforts. nevertheless, concept had enough backing small force of mosquitoes had been organized operate pathfinder force, using normal optical sighting. proved disappointing in practice, offering slight improvement in accuracy.

but mosquitoes aircraft had performance fly @ altitudes @ oboe signals received on germany. @ meeting in summer of 1942, agreed pathfinder mosquitoes equipped oboe. having faced opposition before, addition of oboe upset argument against specialist role, , become pathfinder force began forming on ongoing objections.