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HF/DF
Posted by: Donald Hamilton ()
Date: July 03, 2001 02:18PM

Hello,
I don\'t know if this is the appropriate forum for this but I\'m sure someone will correct me if it\'s not.
Many years ago I found a short reference about a former Merchant Navy Radio Officer who became valuable to the Escort groups because of his ability to identify individual U-Boat radio operators by their morse sending styles and who could also determine from the characteristics of its radio signal whether the boat had just surfaced or had been on the surface for some time. (the difference between a signal on a wet antenna and a dry one....)
I did not get any further with this until I recently discovered from the book \"U-Boat Killer\" by Capt. Donald MacIntyre RN that this was Lt. Harold Walker RNVR. It appears that he was an expert on HF/DF and his skills were responsible for the convoy success rate of the B2 Escort Group during 1942 - 1943. B2 group was led by HMS Hesperus (Capt Donald MacIntyre).

During the intervening years I began to imagine that I had read the original article
or that it was allied propaganda issued to disguise the fact that they were able to read Enigma broadcasts. However, after having spoken to some friends from the Royal Fleet Auxilliary, I realised this was probably early \"radio fingerprinting\".
As a former R/O myself, I know that it is possible to determine an individual\'s sending style. I\'m not so sure about \"wet\" antennae though - when I went to sea, it was quite bad news if your antenna was wet because it probably meant that you had sunk!!!

Can anyone provide further information about Lt Walker. In particular, his citation for the Distinguished Service Cross or his two mentions in despatches please? Any other info on this topic would also be most welcome.

Thanks

Options: Reply•Quote


Subject Written By Posted
HF/DF Donald Hamilton 07/03/2001 02:18PM
RE: HF/DF Walter M. 07/03/2001 05:12PM
RE: HF/DF John R. 07/03/2001 07:39PM
RE: HF/DF Werner Frank 07/04/2001 01:45AM
RE: HF/DF Donald Hamilton 07/04/2001 12:13PM
RE: HF/DF Werner Frank 07/04/2001 05:46PM
RE: HF/DF John R. 07/05/2001 12:40PM
RE: HF/DF Werner Frank 07/06/2001 02:31AM
RE: HF/DF John R. 07/05/2001 12:42PM
Sorry for the double-post John R. 07/05/2001 12:43PM
RE: HF/DF Donald Hamilton 07/05/2001 01:46PM
RE: HF/DF Werner Frank 07/06/2001 01:55AM
RE: HF/DF Werner Frank 07/06/2001 01:56AM
RE: Submarine HF/DF Gear Werner Frank 07/06/2001 09:37PM
RE: Submarine HF/DF Gear John R. 07/09/2001 03:02PM
RE: Submarine HF/DF Gear John R. 07/09/2001 03:08PM
RE: Submarine HF/DF Gear John R. 07/09/2001 03:09PM
Whoops! John R. 07/09/2001 06:37PM


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