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| Luftnachrichtentruppen in action. |
The Luftnachrichtentruppen or signal troops completed the Luftflotte organization. These troops had two critical missions: the first was to establish solid communication networks between headquarters and troops to permit the flow of information and to disseminate orders using wireless or telephone sets. The second consisted of the vigilance of the controlled or contested airspace over which operations were conducted. This task was carried out by the Flugmeldedienst organization which was part of the signal troops.
The vigilance of the disputed airspace was a complex process that strived for early detection of enemy incoming aircraft employing observation posts (supported by acoustic locators), radar networks and radio interception.
Radar networks used short- and long-range radar sets, radar intelligence (to understand the use of radar by the enemy) and radar jamming.
Radio interception consisted of monitoring enemy radio networks to identify enemy attacking airfields, number of enemies and attack direction. In general, the objective of the Flugmeldedienst consisted of identifying the number, type, nationality, bearing, and altitude of aircraft flying over German-controlled or contested airspace and alerting airfields, flak, ground troops, and passive defenses. Without the Flugmeldedienst it was not possible to concentrate powerful fighter forces at the threatened sectors.
By June 1941 the Germans had gained very valuable experience in these tasks and had a significant advantage over the Soviets.
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| Luftwaffe ground radio station, 12 May 1940. |
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| Maintaining good communications was an essential aspect of the Luftwaffe’s operations, especially in more remote locations. Here members of a mobile unit of the Luftnachrichtentruppen, the air signal corps, establish a communications station in Norway. |
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| The Luftnachrichtentruppen at work on a communications mast. |
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| The mobile communications station set up in Norway. |