World War II IFF

[Double Zero]

One comes across occasional but persistent mentions of such things as Allied fighters carrying IFF in wartime - is this right ?

I can imagine bombers having such a facility in a way, via the radio operator, but as Electronic Warfare was already well established, and from what I've seen proper secure IFF was not really available until the 1980's ( UK anyway ) it obviously wasn't a good idea to fly around transmitting - is there any truth behind this, or are people maybe getting confused with the underside signal light ?

[Evileyes]

ASDIC, Radar and IFF Systems Aboard HMCS HAIDA - Part 7 of 10 (http://jproc.ca/sari/sariff.html)

Fairly detailed description of systems and history of IFF development by the Allies.

[Double Zero]

Thanks for that, EvilEyes, very interesting and the complete answer to my query in one hit !

DZ

[Dan Winterland]

As with all kit in WW2, IFF was given a codename. It was known as "Parrot". When your Parrot was interrogated, it relied by "squawking''.

A term still in use today!

[henry crun]

In the late 1940's or early 50's a US military transport aircraft was inbound to UK from the northwest.

An RAF radar station wanting to identify it, asked the pilot if he had a Parrot on board, there was a brief pause then the reply came back " no, but we have a Bird Colonel down the back if he will do". :)

[phil gollin]

Just to remind people of all the re-prints available from Military Library Research Services - see links here :-

MLRS Books Limited: Reprints of military history source materials, especially from World War II (http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/)

and with particular reference to the subject of IFF ;

MLRS Books Limited: Reprints of military history source materials, especially from World War II - Signals Volumes I and II: Organisation, development and telecommunications (http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/index.php/prod873.html?CatID=123)

MLRS Books Limited: Reprints of military history source materials, especially from World War II - Signals Vol III: Aircraft Radio (http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/index.php/prod855.html?CatID=123)

MLRS Books Limited: Reprints of military history source materials, especially from World War II - Signals Volume IV: Radar in raid reporting (http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/index.php/prod870.html?CatID=123)

MLRS Books Limited: Reprints of military history source materials, especially from World War II - Signals Volume V: Fighter control and interception (http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/index.php/prod862.html?CatID=123)

MLRS Books Limited: Reprints of military history source materials, especially from World War II - Signals Volume VI: Radio in Maritime Warfare (http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/index.php/prod872.html?CatID=123)

MLRS Books Limited: Reprints of military history source materials, especially from World War II - Signals Volume VII: Radio Countermeasures (http://www.mlrsbooks.co.uk/bookstore/index.php/prod871.html?CatID=123)

.

[Double Zero]

Thanks all for the info', very interesting and useful. I particularly like the explanation of ' Sqwalk '.

Slightly off at a tangent, at Tangmere museum there's a simple but apparently accurate representation, using a control yoke, heading indicator & headphones, of a German pilot's experience trying to follow their guiding beam, with the increasing countermeasures 'bending' the beam by the British as one approaches.

It's surprisingly effective, and very difficult to hit the target, though one can get near-ish !

[StbdD]

Instructor to novice radar operator: "The correct phraseology to instruct an aircraft to switch off IFF is "Strangle Parrot" not "choke your chicken". ;)

[oxenos]

A couple of other snippets on the subject:-

During the Allied bombing campaign, the R.A.F. developed "Serrate", a piece of kit which enabled long range night fighters accompanying the bomber stream to home in on the German night fighters IFF.

There was an IFF of limited capability fitted to some R.N. helicopters (Wasp?), which was referred to as a Budgie.