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Rad
Radio Direction Finding

Defending the Nation

Radar Timeline

Radar Facts

Radar Diagrams
and Activities

Radar

Interesting Facts

Radar in the Pacific detected Japanese planes that were

about to attack the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbour.
The signals were ignored!
Aluminium strips were
dropped by British aircraft
while bombing Hamburg.
These strips caused severe
interference on German radar
screens.

The British began experiments using RDF

(radio direction-finding) equipment.
17 new radar stations were added
to the Chain Home stations along
the English coast.

1935

1937

1939

The Biggin Hill Experiment.

Practical tests of radar made
with the R.A.F.
The German Navy
created a workable
radar set in 1934.

1941

1943

1945

Radar Jamming sets were used

extensively during the build up to
D-Day, making it difficult for the
Germans to detect when and where
the invasion would take place.

August, 1940. The Lufftwaffe

target radar stations in an
attempt to blind Britain.

The "Radar Stations" were Britains first line of defence. They

helped to detect enemy aircraft before they reached the British
Isles.
Signals would be beamed across the English Channel from radio
transmitters. These signals would be bounced back to radar
receiving stations. Enemy aircraft were shown as blips on a radar
screen.
These blips could give a fairly accurate picture of the size, position,
height and distance from the British coastline of any enemy raid.

How Radar Works

A transmitter gives out a radio signal into the air in short
bursts. If the signal meets an object (an aeroplane) the radio
signal will be reflected back to a receiver. This will show up on
a radar screen as a jump, or peak, on a long flat line.

20

40

60

Target Echo Pulse Over the 60 mark means

the aircraft are 60 miles away.

From this the approximate direction, distance and height of

aircraft could be calculated. This information was passed on to
the Operations Room. Fighter Planes were scrambled and a
Fighter Controller would then direct those planes to the
target.

Click on the screen to follow the flow of information

Information received from radar receiving stations

Filter Room at Fighter Command HQ begins to plot the
enemy raids
Information is passed to Group Headquarters
The Observer Corps pass on additional information to
Controllers as enemy aircraft are sighted
Squadrons are scrambled as necessary and guided to enemy
aircraft by Controllers

Radar masts had receiver aerials that

could be up to 350ft-high.
The masts, although appearing
fragile, presented a difficult target
for the Luftwaffe to hit.
Dover Chain Home Station

Radar stations aimed to pick up

signals over the English Channel.

* Radar was originally called RDF Radio

Radar Stations, not surprisingly, became a key target for the

Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain.
12th August 14 Luftwaffe Bf109s attacked radar stations that
included Pevensey, Rye, Dover and Ventnor.
These were difficult targets to hit because of their small size. Three
out of the four stations were fully operational again by the end of
the day.
15th August Once again, Pevensey and Rye Radar Stations were affected when
Luftwaffe bombs severed main power lines. Foreness Radar Station
suffered the same fate and all three stations were out of action for
most of the day.
16th August Goering decreed that no further effort should be wasted on attacking
British radar stations. This seems a fateful decision, but Goering was
determined to put all of his efforts into targeting Britains main
airfields instead in view of the fact that not one of those (radar stations)
attacked has so far been put out of action.

Can you mark on the direction of flow of information?

Airfield

Observer
Corps
Group HQ
Sector Operations
Room

Fighter Command
HQ

Radar Stations

Can you mark on the direction of flow of information?

Airfield

Observer
Corps
Group HQ
Sector Operations
Room

Fighter Command
HQ

Radar Stations

Place the correct information into the empty boxes.

These were Britains first line of defence.

RDF
The Luftwaffe found it extremely difficult
to target and hit these.
Operators
Radar was originally known as Radio Direction Finding
Radar Stations
These could often estimate size, position, height and
distance of enemy formations
Radar Masts

What can you remember about Radar and how it was

used during World War Two?

Write a short paragraph.

Describe the defensive system that existed to protect Britain from
air attack?

Radar
Groups
Observers
Plotters
Squadrons