Originally Posted by
Prangster
Masterly account of the radar war 39/45 and much more. Recently re-issued Professor RV Jones RAF's head of scientific intelligenge from 1938 onwards Penquin ISBN 978-0-141-04282-4
He has little time for Robert Watson-Watt
Original pub date 1978 the updated version expands on some chapters of the previous work especially the origins of the Oslo Report, read and be amazed.
Agree, Just bought and re read. A very good read and, a surprising book of insights into some wartime high-command decisions. The info about Churchill is particularly good. There are fairly damning illustrations of how Tizard, Lindeman, Watson Watt and others were resistant to scientific intelligence that threatened their personal empires and reputations, to the extent that the German bombing of several major cities was probably worse than it needed to be, due to the negative input of some of these figures. Also sad, was a later failure to employ known high frequency jamming equipment because of failed allied detection equipment. Prof Jones makes some estimates of unnecessary UK civilian population deaths that the general recognised war histories do not expose.
Later in the book, RAF Bomber Command get a good pasting for terrible emcon. Again, the calculated figures for bomber losses due to the failure to implement simple emcon and the resistance of some like Watson Watt to the use of Window are staggering, we are talking thousands of crews unnecessarily lost on night OPS. This is material that should figure more strongly in the history books.
Overall, strong stuff.
OAP