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HF/DF WRENS
Posted by: Nathan M. Greenfield ()
Date: May 07, 2002 09:56AM

Some of the Canadian WRENS I've interviewed worked at the HF/DF station in Gloucester (Ottawa), Ontario and at one in Coverdale, Nova Scotia. They told me that the frequency they were listening to was always filled with "noise" from all over. They could tell that a U-boat was about to broadcast because "a low gurgling tone was followed by a set series, one called an E-bar, the other an RPT -- sort of a signature that said to Germany "Hey, guys, listen-up." Then they would broadcast, using Morse Code, their signals. When I say Morse Code, what I mean is that they sent the message in Morse...but it was in their enigma code. The WREN told me that after the message was completed, they send the page of Morse via teletype to Halifax, whence it made its way to the code breakers.

As soon as they were sure that they had a U-boat, they punched a button "so that the girls in the HF/DF shack would home in on it."

Sounds pretty amazing.

Cheers,
NMG

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Subject Written By Posted
U boat hf and lf frequencies p allen 04/22/2002 10:00PM
Re: U boat hf and lf frequencies Roy Prince 04/24/2002 10:06PM
HF/DF WRENS Nathan M. Greenfield 05/07/2002 09:56AM


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