From: military-radio-guy Full-Name: Dennis R Starks To: military radio collectors#3 Fcc: Sent Date: Tue, 9 Nov 1999 05:40:17 -0600 Subject: MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Nov.9/99 Message-ID: <19991109.054132.12982.11.military-radio-guy@juno.com> X-Status: Sent X-Mailer: Juno 1.49 MILITARY COLLECTOR GROUP POST, Nov.9/99 Index: ANNOUNCEMENTS; Group Post Web Site? Library Manual, POLISH CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS; Part II, by Jan Bury MEMBERS WRITE; English Translations of German Manuals, Mike Kirby on "Dateline"? WHATSIT; Navy TCU? NEW MEMBER; John Nelson / AA7W HUMOR; *********************************************** ANNOUNCEMENTS; Group Post Web Site? Does anybody have a web site their not doing anything with that can be dedicated to the Group. A place to put all our Backmail, and Back Issues? Library Manual, The following manual will shortly be on it's way to Perry Balinger. In keeping with policy he will be making copies available to all other Group Members in need, at cost plus postage. If you need a copy contact Perry at SPF, Model AF, Forestry Service Radiophone, Installation and Operating Instructions, Spokane Radio Co. Inc. 1943 As used by the US Signal Corps, and Australians(as the Astor ATR-4) duriing WW-II. *********************************************** POLISH CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS; Part II, by Jan Bury Polish WW II Underground communications equipment Apparently, there were other types of radios that were used by the Western-backed Polish Underground during the WW II. These sets can be divided into two groups: 1. radios to control air drops from allied aircraft, 2. HF radios to maintain communications with the Polish Government in the West. * Radios to control air drops There were two types that undoubtedly have been used by the Underground. The first was the S-Phone UHF transceiver, also called as "S-Fon" or "SF" or "Fonio". It was a British made radio that was intended for communications in the 300 MHz UHF band between an operator in the ground and a special duty allied aircraft. This band was hard to surveillance by the then Nazi German SIGINT. The radio consisted of a small transceiver, dipole antenna, microphone, headphones and batteries. The idea was to exchange voice communications with the aircraft, starting some 100 kms from the airdrop site. Theoretically, the radio's range could be as long as 50-100 kms. The operator in the aircraft was to say the code word every one minute, until he heard the reply from the ground coming from an S-Fon operator, who was to guide the pilot. When the authenticating procedures were done, the pilot knew he was on the track. According to the available documentation, the Polish Underground used only about 30 such sets during WW II. Unfortunately, there were problems with the batteries and the radios had limited range. One Polish special duty pilot, Maj Michal Goszczynski, reported after the war, that when the aircraft was over the airdrop site, he rather wanted to release the packages, than to talk. His missions were really dangerous. The first S-Fon's use was about October 1943 at the "Lichtarz" and "Klamka" airdrop sites. The second type was the Eureka beacon radio. This set was also dropped in small quantities. The radio sent the signals picked up by the aircraft's Rebecca receiver, which guided the pilot on the airdrop site. The system's range was about 60 kms, with ca. 200 meters deviation. The most interesting fact is that the Polish Underground set up clandestine navigation beacons consisting of double Eureka's in three places in the occupied country: 1. in the mountains, S of Tarnow, Southern Poland (confirmed), 2. SW of Sandomierz, Eastern Poland (unconfirmed), 3. Przemysl area, SE of Poland (confirmed); the position was exactly in Prochnik, 20 kms S of Jaroslaw, and 30 kms W of Przemysl. These navaids worked between February and July 1944 to guide the airplanes from the Polish 1586 Special Duty Flight, as well as from the RAF and South African AF, that also conducted clandestine airdrop missions in occupied Poland, flying the Halifax or Liberator bombers. The beacons were turned on when an airdrop was expected. Usually, the BBC broadcasted a "hidden message" on the air, which contained a secret information on the place, date and time of an airdrop. * HF Radios While I described some of the radios in the previous article, I would like to focus on some more exotic sets. The radios that probably originated from Britain were Mk. I (a.k.a. "small unit"), Mk. II (a.k.a. "medium unit") and Mk. III, also referred in some documents as type "1173". There was also a AP4 HF set, usually delivered with a power generator. The second type was the "46". I do not have anything on this set, and it is hard to say, whether it was a British Mk. 46 radio. Below is the list of what kind of items was delivered starting from 1943 to Poland that consisted strictly of radio communications equipment. Between 1941 and 1943, there were no specified radio types to be delivered by the airdrops. Package code Contents LS two AP4 sets, two generators, two aux. tubes sets, 2 antennae, two HF receivers, two watches, ten Sten SMG with 3000 spare rounds, four pistols with 200 rounds L46 three radios type 46, six batteries, three watches /or: five 46's, ten batteries, five watches / or: two 46's, four batteries, two watches EU two Eureka sets SF two S-Fon sets L five AP4 sets, five generators, 5 aux. tubes sets, five antennas, five HF receivers, five watches It seems that the AP4 was a long-range HF set, while the "46" was a portable spyradio, perhaps to be concealed in a suitcase. Radios delivered to Occupied Poland from the West by air during WW II Period/radio types Sent from UK Received in Poland 02/41 - 04/42 trx, different types 20 ? 09/42 - 04/43 Eureka (air) 10 7 S-Fon (air) 10 9 receivers, different types 13 13 Mk. 1 (small) 8 6 Mk. 2 (medium) 13 13 09/43 - 07/44 trx, different types 714 651 receivers, different types 318 285 Eureka 18 18 S-Fon 22 16 08/44 - 12/44 trx, different types 61 ? receivers, different types 40 ? * Conclusions To sum up, the Polish authorities in the West supported the Underground with all items that were needed to conduct the warfare against the Nazi Germany. There were many radio types sent, today even it is difficult to assess their parameters. The first airdrop was done in 1941 thanks to a RAF twin-engine bombers. Later, the efforts were to be conducted only periodically, because of the Moon light, that could point German air defense on a lone allied bomber. As you can see, the 1943-1944 period was overloaded as the Underground was preparing a general upraising, that broke out on 1 August 1944 in many cities in Poland, especially in Warsaw. Later, the Red Army "so-liberated" Poland and few surviving units started conducting intelligence gathering mission in the communist Poland, as it was obvious the communists were hostile towards the Western-backed Polish Underground. Note that there were also the special duty operators dropped from the Soviet side that were also equipped with the radios. One of them, comrade Boleslaw Bierut (pseudonym "Tomasz"), who become later a president of Communist Poland, was trained at a KGB spies school in Russia and was a qualified clandestine radio operator (dropped ca. 1943). However, this is beyond of this article to describe the Soviet-backed underground's signal efforts in Poland during the WW II. There is one mystery, the "Telma" high speed and hard-to-detect CW transmission method that was under development by the Polish Intelligence, starting somewhere in 1943. There is very little known on this subject, even if "Telma" was a pre-burst era emission method. The Underground suffered a lot because the transmitters were pinpointed by the Nazi German ELINT, so new ways of transmitting heavy overloaded messages were to be developed. Source: Jedrzej Tucholski: Cichociemni, PAX, Warsaw 1987. Jan Bury SP5XZG Warsaw, Poland e-mail: yahya@orient.uw.edu.pl ed) Beginning in 1941 at Letchworth England(30 miles north of London) a group of refugee Polish engineers & technitions set up a small electronics instruments factory(in great secrecy, it had the appearance of a simple crafts shops). They would produce some of the finist radio equipment of it's time. To quote from the below listed referance: "The advanced technology of their devices pushed all other existing devices down to the status of museum peices", "The Polish series was certainly one of the most brilliantly designed in the domain of clandestine transmissions. The high quality of finishing afforded the small details reveals both the German schools, of which the Poles had been students, and the natural desire of the weak to to assert themselves in the face of the British secret services and to prove that Poles were capable of supplying the very best, most technologically advanced sets." From 1941-1944 they built about ten models of clandestine radio sets. Of these, four stand out as the most famous, the B.P. 3, A.P. 4, and their A1, and A2 variants. They would be snatched up in great quantities by the British intelligence services and distributed to underground/resistance networks all over occupied Europe. They would have no equal until the advent of the now famous Type 3 sets MK II("B2") & MK III in late 1943 & 1944(respective). B.P. 3 2-8mc in 2 bands 30 watts output average. 2 tube transmitter. Superheterodyne receiver using 4 American metal tubes. Built in CW key. Steel box with black wrinkle finish. Size 11 x 8.5 x 4 inches, 15.5 lbs. A.P. 4 2-8mc in 2 bands. Superheterodyne receiver using 3 American metal tubes. Built in AC power supply(110/220vac). Steel box with black wrinkle finish. Size 11 x 8.5 x 4 inches, 9 lbs. Another area of credit needs to be given where it is long over do. The breaking of the Enigma codes so often claimed by British intelligence is owed directly to the Poles who provided them with a brand new working example for study. Polish customs agents intercepted an Enigma machine in route to the German embassy. Almost overnight, this machine was scurried off to England where it was completely dissected, documented, re-assembled, and returned to Polish customs agents who then repackaged the set, and sent it on to the German embassy without them ever knowing what had taken place. Subsequently, enigma machines were later manufactured in occupied Poland. Those Poles forced with this task kept the intelligence services advised of all the changes, variations etc associated with the machines they were building. Persons interested in more information on the subject of war time clandestine equipment, and operations, are strongly advised to seek out and read "Clandestine Operations", The Arms and Techniques of the Resistance, 1941-1944. by Pierre Lorain, Macmillan Publishing Co. New York. This is the English translation of the French book, Armement Clandestine which was privately published in France, 1972. This is the book by which all others are judged. Dennis Starks; Collector/Historian Midwest Military Communications Museum email: military-radio-guy@juno.com *********************************************** MEMBERS WRITE; English Translations of German Manuals, Hello Dennis, as you know from Alan a translation of the TM for the SEM-52A is in progress. It will consist of about 60 pages, including all illustrations and tables. I added some remarks where necessary for a clear understanding. The translation will become printed in professional quality and brought in form of a book. I will send them to interested members of the MCG only all over the world. The price including airmail will be $20. If there is enough response I will also translate the Manuals of the FSE 38/58 ( Field Maintenance ), including schematics and different Manuals of the SEM 35, also including trouble shooting and schematics. Interested fellows may contact me directly. Harald Hermanns, e-mail : h.hermanns@ginko.de ----------------------------------------------------------------- Mike Kirby on "Dateline"? Dennis, Last night, Wednesday, about 11;40 PM, I got a phone call from a friend on the west coast saying the TV show, "Dateline" was doing a show on fraud and were interviewing Mike Kirby. Needless to say, I was on earlier here on east coast so I did not see it. Maybe someone in the group saw it. Bill Howard THE WILLIAM L. HOWARD ORDNANCE TECHNICAL INTELLIGENCE MUSEUM e-mail wlhoward@gte.net ed) I'd be interested in knowing more about this too. *********************************************** WHATSIT; Navy TCU? In my shop is the power supply for Navy TCU transmitter serial # 1. All I know about the TCU is from the nomenclature tag on the rear of the rectifier unit, indicating: Radio Transmitting Equipment Model TCU Output Emission Fq. Range 125W CW(A1) 300-2000KC 30W MCW(A2) 300-2000KC Consisting of units CG-52205 lF Transmitter CG-20122 Rectifier CG-23241 Control Unit Contract 48078 date 28 April 1938. General Electric. On the front of the rectifier unit a tag says CG-20122, a unit of TCM-TCN-TCU serial 71 250 lbs. Another tag says "Accepted by the Government 7 8 42" Another tag says "Restored by Puget Sound Naval Shipyard" So does anyone know anything about the TCU transmitter? Does anyone have a TCU in need of a matching supply? It needs cleaning, one meter replaced, and a great deal of respect. I refuse to let it be scrapped out and it really needs a new home. Don Reaves WA5BBS R-390 military radio list manager ed) Three variants of ther Navy TCU(& -1, -2) are listed in TM11-487 1958(MIL-HDBK-161). Described as "compact medium-power sets designed for shore or shipboard use." With the power supply at 229lbs, and the transmitter at 175, "compact"!? Ships 275, 1944 also list the set concurrently with the TCM(2-18.1mc), and TCN. Here, for use in "Limited space" is added to the description. The TCN is a combination of both the TCM & TCU. They are also capable of 30watts AM phone operation. *********************************************** NEW MEMBER; John Nelson / AA7W Dennis, Thank you for the invitation and I would certainly like to take you up on the offer. I agree with conditions #1 through #7 without reservation. Actually, I'm glad to see that there will be an attempt to keep the pure profiteering types out of the group, although I suspect a few may sneak in anyway. Yes, the OBO or "buyers will" statements send me into orbit at times. In regard to myself, my main interest these days is tinkering with military gear, operation of the same and QRP. With the GRC-9, I guess they kind of run together! Anyway, been licensed since 70 and currently hold an extra class. I've been an electronic technician of some sort most of my professional career, and recently took up an engineering position with the local Telco. In regard to "profile", guess I'd fit the W.W.II Navy gear category best, followed by an interest in all types of military field radios ( have worked on GRC-9/BC-654/611/GRC-19/PRC-6 & 10s and PRC-47). I have several RBB/RBC/RBS receivers, all of the which need restoration, and a TCX transmitter to make a complete station. I have much the share on these radios, as well as a need to talk with others that have already done restorations. I'm not restricting my interest in these radio types only, its just that I have had opportunity on the west coast to get them over time. I couldn't afford the asking price of some of them today!!! Which brings to a second point. I am willing to share the parts, documentation and other support material with the group, but not for hoarding. I believe everyone is entitled to collect some necessary spares (read tubes), but having a zillion of something when others need them is ridiculous. I won't live long enough to use what I have, so why not share (the wife would just toss them anyway!). So, there is my plea for membership. I don't know the first thing about the group, and I am not even a member of the infamous "boat anchor" group yet. Using computers when I get home from using one all day has been unattractive. However, for this endeavor, it would be OK. I look forward to your reply. Thanks again for the invitation. John Nelson / AA7W Bothell, WA USA Home Email: Pigeon3@gte.net *********************************************** HUMOR; This is the reason family members should not marry, it just produces idiots like these: 1999 Darwin Award winners And the winners are... Momma always says, stupid is as stupid does.... Yes, it is the 1999 Darwin Awards. For those sheltered few of you who are not fully aware of the Darwin Awards; these awards are given annually (and posthumously) to those individuals who did the most for the human gene pool by removing themselves from it. GRAVITY KILLS A 22-year-old Reston man was found dead yesterday after he tried to use 'occy' straps (the stretchy little ropes with hooks on each end) to bungee jump off a 70-foot railroad trestle, police said. Fairfax County police said Eric A. Barcia, a fast-food worker, taped a bunch of these straps together, wrapped an end around one foot, anchored the other end to the trestle at Lake Accotink Park, jumped... and hit the pavement. Warren Carmichael, a police spokesman, said investigators think Barcia was alone because his car was found nearby. "The length of the cord that he had assembled was greater than the distance between the trestle and the ground," Carmichael said. Police say the apparent cause of death was "major trauma." An autopsy is scheduled for later in the week. LAUNCHED ON THE FOURTH OF JULY Three young men in Oklahoma were enjoying the upcoming Fourth of July holiday and wanted to apparently test fire some fireworks. Their only real problem was that their launch pad and seating arrangements were atop a several hundred thousand gallon fuel distillation storage tank. Oddly enough, some fumes were ignited, producing a fireball seen for miles. They were launched several hundred feet into the air and were found dead 250 yards from their respective seats. DON'T ASK GOD TO PROVE HIMSELF, HE JUST MIGHT A lawyer and two buddies were fishing on Caddo Lake in Texas when a lightning storm hit the lake. Most of the other boats immediately headed for the shore, but not our friend the lawyer. On the rear of his aluminum bass boat with his buddies, this individual stood up, spread his arms wide (crucifixion style) and shouted: "HERE I AM LORD, LET ME HAVE IT!" Needless to say, God delivered. The other two passengers on the boat survived the lightning strike with minor burns. CATCH! A man in Alabama died from rattlesnake bites. Big deal you may say, but there's a twist here that makes him a candidate. It seems he and a friend were playing catch with a rattlesnake. You can guess what happened from here. The friend (a future Darwin Awards candidate) was hospitalized. THEY SAY THOSE THINGS WILL KILL YOU Not much was given to me on this unlucky fellow, but he qualifies nonetheless. You see, there was a gentleman from Korea who was killed by his cell phone...more or less. He was doing the usual "walking and talking" when he walked into a tree and managed to somehow break his neck. Keep that in mind the next time you decide to drive and dial at the same time. GIMME A LIGHT! In a west Texas town, employees in a medium-sized warehouse noticed the smell of gas. Sensibly, management evacuated the building, extinguishing all potential sources of ignition-lights, power, etc. After the building had been evacuated, two technicians from the gas company were dispatched. Upon entering the building, they found they had difficulty navigating in the dark. To their frustration, none of the lights worked. Witnesses later described the vision of one of the technicians reaching into his pocket and retrieving an object that resembled a lighter. Upon operation of the lighter-like object, the gas in the warehouse exploded, sending pieces of it up to three miles away. Nothing was found of the technicians, but the lighter was virtually untouched by the explosion. The technician that was suspected of causing the explosion had never been thought of as "bright" by his peers. RUNNER UP.. A Vermont native, Ronald Demuth, found himself in a difficult position yesterday. While touring the Eagle's Rock African Safari(Zoo) with a group of thespians from St. Petersburg, Russia, Mr. Demuth went overboard to show them one of America's many marvels. He demonstrated the effectiveness of "Crazy Glue"... the hard way. Apparently, Mr. Demuth wanted to demonstrate just how good the adhesive was, so he put about 3 ounces of the adhesive in the palms of his hands, and jokingly placed them on the buttocks of a passing rhino. The rhino, a resident of the zoo for the past 13 years, was not initially startled as it has been part of the petting exhibit since its arrival as a baby. However, once it became aware of its being involuntarily stuck to Mr. Demuth, it began to panic and ran around the petting area wildly making Mr. Demuth an unintended passenger. "Sally [the rhino] hasn't been feeling well lately. She had been very constipated. We had just given her a laxative and some depressants to relax her bowels, when Mr. Demuth played his juvenile prank," said James Douglass, caretaker. During Sally's tirade two fences were destroyed, a shed wall was gored, and a number of small animals escaped. Also, during the stampede, three pygmy goats and one duck were stomped to death. As for Demuth, it took a team of medics and zoo caretakers' to remove his hands from her buttocks. First, the animal had to be captured and calmed down However, during this process the laxatives began to take hold and Mr. Demuth was repeatedly showered with over 30 gallons of rhino diarrhea. "It was tricky. We had to calm her down, while at the same time shield our faces from being pelted with rhino dung. I guess you could say that Mr. Demuth was into it up to his neck. Once she was under control, we had three people with shovels working to keep an air passage open for Mr. Demuth. We were able to tranquilize her and apply a solvent to remove his hands from her rear," said Douglass. "I don't think he'll be playing with Crazy Glue for a while." Meanwhile, the Russians, while obviously amused, also were impressed with the power of the adhesive. "I'm going to buy some for my children, but of course they can't take it to the zoo," commented Vladimir Zolnikov, leader of the troupe. CLEANER POLISHES OFF PATIENTS "For several months, our nurses have been baffled to find a patient dead in the same bed every Friday morning." a spokeswoman for the Pelonomi Hospital (Free State, South Africa) told reporters. "There was no apparent cause for any of the deaths, and extensive checks on the air conditioning system, and a search for possible bacterial infection, failed to reveal any clues." "However, further inquiries have now revealed the cause of these deaths... "It seems that every Friday morning a cleaning lady would enter the ward, remove the plug that powered the patient's life support system, plug her floor polisher into the vacant socket, then go about her business. When she had finished her chores, she would plug the life support machine back in and leave, unaware that the patient was now dead. She could not, after all, hear the death rattle and eventual the solid beep over the whirring of her polisher". "We are sorry, and have sent a strong letter to the cleaner in question. Further, the Free State Health and Welfare Department is arranging for an electrician to fit an extra socket, so there should be no repetition of this incident. The inquiry is now closed." *********************************************** The preceding was a product of the"Military Collector Group Post", an international email magazine dedicated to the preservation of history and the equipment that made it. Unlimited circulation of this material is authorized so long as the proper credits to the original authors, and publisher or this group are included. For more information concerning this group or membership contact Dennis Starks at, . A list of selected articles of interest to members can be seen at: http://www.softcom.net/users/buzz/backmail.html ***********************************************