Synopses & Reviews
Many things helped the Allies win World War II, but none was more important than radar. Radars decisive role in 1940 is widely known—the tall towers of the Chain Home stations stand beside the hurricanes and Spitfires, beside Churchill, Dowding, and the men and women of Fighter Command as enduring symbols of Britains "finest hour." Yet the Battle of Britain was just one episode of the story. Already by 1940 the system had a long history: five years in the building, the Chain Home layout was shaped by strategic thinking extending back to World War I. Victory in 1940 secured radars future in every domestic campaign over the next five years. By 1941, radar stations were controlling night fighters in the Blitz. A year later they were scanning the sea approaches, sentinels against Hitlers navy and invasion fleets. By 1943, radar was preparing to meet the V-weapons—a threat barely conceived when research began, just eight years before. Diversity fostered growth. With numerous maps and structural studies, the book presents the history of British ground radar through its fabric and evolving geography, showing how the system was shaped by the march of war and as it grew, provided a new focus for the talents of engineers, designers, and builders.
Synopsis
This is the first detailed study of the patterning and design of Britain's early-warning radar stations of the Second World War, without which the Battle of Britain could not have been won. The book draws upon extensive new research in wartime papers.
Colin Dobinsonis a renowned British historian and archeologist.
About the Author
Dr Colin Dobinson was born in 1960 in East Sussex. After studying archaeology at York and Cambridge he joined the Council for British Archaeology. The series Monuments of War arises from his work for English Heritage in their Monuments Protection Programme. He lives near Leyburn, North Yorkshire.