Re: Qualtiy of wartime voice communications?

: <hancock4@xxxxxxxxxxxx> posted July 26:

> In reading a history of Bell Labs History ("Service in War and Peace")
> there was a discussion of voice quality over telephone lines and radio
> circuits.
> . . .
> I wonder how well the radios worked in the field. However, the history
> notes that Bell Labs prepared special headsets and microphones
> specially for combat or other constrained use (ie while flying a plane
> or driving a tank during high noise).

Much more miliitary radio went by Wireless Telegraphy i.e.
Morse code than by Radio Telegraphy i.e. voice. In general,
only FM RT was clear enough for battle commands, and
this is limited in range, i.e. OK for tanks or between aircraft
in nearby formations (thus RAF Master Bombers directed
arriving aircraft via RT) but long-range bombers could
communicate with base reliably only by WT, thus had to
carry a trained WT operator. The same applied to ships:
if RT was available at all it would be limited to the same
convoy or flotilla: radio signals to and from the fleet's home
base had to go by WT.

Don Phillipson
Carlsbad Springs
(Ottawa, Canada)
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