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WWII Communications

Page history last edited by Sylvester 13 years, 10 months ago

Communication is what some people say won the Allies the war. WWII to be exact, and they are, to some extent, right. Communication was not only important on both sides of the war, it was VITAL. Good communication was what transmitted messages about when and where to attack and were what got the U.S. such a head up in this raging battle.  There were hundreds of communication methods at this time, ranging from simple spoken words to the most complex of machinery. Three examples of these more complex, but also more widely used devices are the telegraph, radio, and telephone. These devices allowed for communication across 100 or more miles, from one army location to another, without much, if any, trouble. Furthermore, these apparatuses, with the exception of the telegraph, allowed for transmission and comprehension of messages in one to two seconds. But the telegraph was not useless. In fact, in its own way, the telegraph was better than the phone or radio. The telegraph required the use of Morse code because of its incapability to pass on spoken words. This code, created by Samuel F. B. Morse could only be decoded by those trained to do so, which gave armies an advantage over their opponents. So, to sum it all up, WWII communications was influenced the most by the telegraph, the radio, the telephone, and the changes and improvements the army's connections and communications.

 


     

      The telegraph was a crucial communication method during WWII. Telegraphs were used by both U.S. and German armies. These telegraphs could be transmitted more than 100 miles to communicate with allies from a distance (Blake). This was especially helpful when planning an attack on a certain city from various places. Telegraphs, however, were not like telephones. With a telegraph, one cannot simply say their message and have it be transported to the other receiver. So a code had to be used to converse. To solve this problem, the Morse Code was brought about (Stansell). Created by Samuel F. B. Morse, the Morse code was a series of short and long beeps used to transmit messages quickly and effectively (WWII Communications). This code, though developed in 1830, was in high use during the 1940s World War (WWII Communications). Experts explain, “The telegraph was the first and for many years the most important systems of telecommunications ”(Telegraph 484).

     

     

     

     

     

     

     Soldiers being taught to translate Morse Code by Samuel Morse (center)

      

    Soldiers communicating with other members via radio

     

    “The early German blitzkrieg… placed a new order of importance on reliable radio communication,” clarify researchers (Communications Types- WWII 3). This quote explains the high level of importance of the radio. The radio  was the most-used communication method among soldiers on the battlefield  (Communica tion Types- WWII). The radio was very important to both sides of the war; the Allied and the Axis powers. So important, in fact, that every single tank during WWII had at least one radio, some even had two, three, or four (Communications Types- WWII). These common radios allowed for communication that could be heard and understood in 1-2 seconds (WWII Comunications). Because of the radio, there were many other types of communication developments that came about during WWII. Examples of these would be the radioteletypwriter, radio-relay set, and teleprinter (Communications Types- WWII).  In many ways, the radio was crucial to the outcome of the War, and was a vital way to communicate.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Another popular and widely used device was the telephone. The telephone, or as it was more commonly known, the "phone", was a device that allowed messages to be transmitted across distances of over 100 miles. (Stansell). This was used in many ways, but was mostly for communication among troops in the field of battle, or to transmit important messages among members that were stationed in various places across a nation (Communications Types). This was also convenient in the way that; without the phone, messages would have to be passed on by word of mouth or by less sophisticated devices such as the telegraph or radio. In addition, the phone allowed voice messages to be transferred instead of using spoken code messages (WWII Communications). This was especially vital to the U.S. soldiers when they were attempting to invade Germany. The attacks were mostly done by night, and the United States soldiers could only tell who was on which side by use of codes. However, the U.S. was not the first WWII country to use the telephone. A World War II specialist clarifies, "The Germans were the first to use this type of long-range military cable." (WWII Communications 3). This extreme technological advancement allowed for communication in under a second, by simply speaking the message that was to be passed on (WWII Communications). 

     

     

    A U.S. soldier making a phone call after the attack on Pearl Harbor 

     

      

    WWII was a time of constant technological change and development across the world. Many devices used to communicate were adapted and specialized to fit the needs of those using them during this time period. These mechanisms, though frequently changed and improved, were often similar between the nations doing battle. For example, an apparatus such as the telephone or telegraph would be used by both the Allied and Axis countries that were fighting. (Communications Types). A WWII specialist explains how technology changed during the 1940s, “The need for all kinds of communication equipment and for improved quality and quantity of communications pyramided beyond the immediate capabilities of industry.” (WWII Communications 3). This quote is in relation to what was occurring at this time, and explains how the expansion of communications improved drastically in WWII. Finally, during the 1940s, countless new appliances for communication emerged as a result of the ones that were already in effect. Examples of these would be GCA (ground-controlled approach system) and GCI (ground-controlled intercept). (Communications Types).  Such gadgets allowed for communication in under a second, similar to radio and telephone communication. (Stansell).  In addition, overseas connections were often crucial to the U.S, especially during attacks such as the Normandy invasion, and the telephone, telegraph, and radio solved these needs quickly and effectively (WWII Communications).

     

      

     

    Blake, Sarah. “’The Postmistress’ delivers a potent message.” Middle Search Plus. Ebscohost, 2010. Web. 3 May 2010.http://web.ebscohost.com/‌ehost/‌detail?vid=5&hid=9&sid=80955571-fad8-4d54-8adf-14415d501cbc%40sessionmgr11&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=mih&AN=J0E419337168510. 1

     

    “Communication Types WWII.” WWII. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 May 2010. <http://www.nasaa-home.org/‌history/‌his5comms.htm>. 2

    Encyclopedia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 1988. Print.

     

    Graham, Ian. Communications. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaugn, 2001. Print. 3

     

    London Blitz WWII. 2 Feb. 2010. AP Images. N.p., 3 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://apimages.ap.org/‌Search.aspx?sh=14&st=k&remem=x&kw=WWII+telegraph&intv=None>.

    The New Encyclopedia Britannica. Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Inc., 1988. Print. 4

     

    Stansell, John. Discoverying Communications. N.p.: Stonehenge, 1982. Print. 5

     

    WWII  Albania. 27 Sept. 1944. AP Images. N.p., 27 Apr. 2010. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://apimages.ap.org/‌Search.aspx?sh=14&st=k&remem=x&kw=WWII+radio&intv=None>.

     

    WWII  Asia Admirality Islands U.S. Troops. 29 Feb. 1944. AP Images. N.p., 6 May 2010. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://apimages.ap.org/‌Search.aspx?st=k&kw=WWII%20telephone&id=&ids=&showact=results&sort=relevance&page=1&prds=&intv=None&xslt=&cfas=&parag=&sh=14&dtebf=&dteaf=&kwstyle=and&dbm=&adte=1273499414&adsf=&rids=&ish=&dah=-1&moid=&pagez=20&dteon=&cfasstyle=AND>.

     

    “WWII Communications.” Southwest Museum of Engineering, Communications and Computation. N.p., 2007. Web. 7 May 2010. <http://www.smecc.org/‌ww2_communications.htm>. 6

     

    WWII  U.S. ARMY TUSKEGEE TRAINING. 23 Jan. 1942. AP Images. N.p., 19 Aug. 1997. Web. 10 May 2010. <http://apimages.ap.org/‌Search.aspx?sh=14&st=k&remem=x&kw=WWII+morse+code&intv=None>.

     

      

      

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    Comments (9)

    Mickey said

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    at 9:22 am on May 12, 2010

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    Who is tigger?

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    Ms. Brown said

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    Mickey said

    at 8:13 pm on May 19, 2010

    Realllly good !!!! shrink your title a little it cuts off.. but it looks greattt :]

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