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The Wizard War: WW2 & The Origins Of Radar

v2.0.0 / TOC / 01 feb 03 / greg goebel / public domain

* World War II led to an explosion of new technologies that would have profound effects in the postwar period. Although advanced Nazi aircraft, guided weapons, and long-range rockets are well known, in reality the Allies led the Germans in many fields, and not only had more resources to draw from but were much better organized to exploit their new inventions.

The atomic bomb is the most spectacular example of Allied technical superiority, but just as significantly, the Allies developed radar and other new "electronic warfare" technologies at a rate that left the Axis in the dust. Winston Churchill called the race for electronic superiority the "Wizard War". This document provides a short history of the Wizard War.

Those who are not familiar with basic concepts of radio technology and a are confused by terms such as "electromagnetic radiation", "wavelength", "polarization", "MHz", and so on, are referred to companion document AN INTRODUCTION TO RADAR TECHNOLOGY, which provides an introduction to these matters.


[1.0] The British Invention Of Radar

[2.0] Longwave Radar At War / Early American Radar Efforts

[3.0] Microwave Radar & The MIT Rad Lab

[4.0] Microwave Radar At War (1)

[5.0] Microwave Radar At War (2)

[6.0] Microwave Radar At War (3)

[7.0] The Battle Of The Beams

[8.0] Electronic Warfare Against The Axis (1)

[9.0] Electronics Warfare Against The Axis (2)

[10.0] Radio Navigation Systems

[11.0] Communications Systems / A Summing Up

[X.0] Appendix: Equipment Quick Reference & Index


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