Sagittario64
Airman 1st Class
How good were Italian radar systems? Like the Vespa, Lepre, and Argo?
Italian radar systems
- Thread starter Sagittario64
- Start date
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Hi, at moment I didn't mind any english text source but you can look for some info here:
CENT
Here a book just published on the "italian radar way" story, italian lang only for now:
Area 09
Gufo, il primo radar italiano - Società
Some books and analisys are (italian-lang) available and published, like ones by the Italian Navy History board.
Il radar Italiano
Il radar Italiano
ControStoria: Come perdemmo la guerra - Storia del radar italiano
42l – Il radar italiano « Ricordare…
...and many more
If I found more info I'll post'em.
CENT
Here a book just published on the "italian radar way" story, italian lang only for now:
Area 09
Gufo, il primo radar italiano - Società
Some books and analisys are (italian-lang) available and published, like ones by the Italian Navy History board.
Il radar Italiano
Il radar Italiano
ControStoria: Come perdemmo la guerra - Storia del radar italiano
42l – Il radar italiano « Ricordare…
...and many more
If I found more info I'll post'em.
Last edited:
parsifal
Colonel
another old thread....
Gufo (EC-3ter) radar was an Italian naval search radar with a nominal range of 25-80 kms (depending on the conditions), so it was actually pretty good
It was developed by by the Regio Istituto Elettrotecnico e delle Comunicazioni della Marina (RIEC). Its name is the Italian word for owl.
The first prototypes were designed by navy technicians Ugo Tiberio nello Carrara and Alfeo Brandimarte in the period 1936-1937. The project was stalled due to budget cuts until 1941, when interest was soon revived after the Italian navy suffered a series of heavy setbacks in night actions. The Italians assumed that the British victories were due to their ships being radar equipped. Radar did assis the British, but in March 1941, less than half the british ships were equipped with radar. ,
The first tests for the Italian radar were conducted on board the ageing TB Giacinto Carini in April 1941. The radar sets were produced by the Italian company SAFAR. Only 12 devices had been installed on board Italian warships by 8 September 1943. Since the spring of 1943, the Italian high command recommended to switch the radar on only in proximity of enemy forces, after a German advice that the British had radar warning receivers similar to the metox. This was a complete fabrication incidentally The Allies, didn't develop such technology until 1944. In spite of this, it's claimed that the crews made a wide use of Gufo as a search radar, though this is difficult to verify since there is no mention of its use in any of the relevant ships' logbooks. It is claimed this was a deliberate security measure, but I have my doubts about this. Like the allies, I think it took time for the Italian navy to get used to and develop trust in the new technology. ,
The only action that I know of directly in which Gufo played a part was in combat by the RM CL Scipio Africano on the night of 17 July 1943, while on passage from La Spezia to Taranto. As the cruiser passed the straits of Messina, she detected a flotilla of four British MTBs five miles ahead. For such small targets that's not a bad result. One of the motor boats, MTB 316, was destroyed by the cruiser's guns, and another one was seriously damaged. Twelve British seamen lost their lives.
Gufo (EC-3ter) radar was an Italian naval search radar with a nominal range of 25-80 kms (depending on the conditions), so it was actually pretty good
It was developed by by the Regio Istituto Elettrotecnico e delle Comunicazioni della Marina (RIEC). Its name is the Italian word for owl.
The first prototypes were designed by navy technicians Ugo Tiberio nello Carrara and Alfeo Brandimarte in the period 1936-1937. The project was stalled due to budget cuts until 1941, when interest was soon revived after the Italian navy suffered a series of heavy setbacks in night actions. The Italians assumed that the British victories were due to their ships being radar equipped. Radar did assis the British, but in March 1941, less than half the british ships were equipped with radar. ,
The first tests for the Italian radar were conducted on board the ageing TB Giacinto Carini in April 1941. The radar sets were produced by the Italian company SAFAR. Only 12 devices had been installed on board Italian warships by 8 September 1943. Since the spring of 1943, the Italian high command recommended to switch the radar on only in proximity of enemy forces, after a German advice that the British had radar warning receivers similar to the metox. This was a complete fabrication incidentally The Allies, didn't develop such technology until 1944. In spite of this, it's claimed that the crews made a wide use of Gufo as a search radar, though this is difficult to verify since there is no mention of its use in any of the relevant ships' logbooks. It is claimed this was a deliberate security measure, but I have my doubts about this. Like the allies, I think it took time for the Italian navy to get used to and develop trust in the new technology. ,
The only action that I know of directly in which Gufo played a part was in combat by the RM CL Scipio Africano on the night of 17 July 1943, while on passage from La Spezia to Taranto. As the cruiser passed the straits of Messina, she detected a flotilla of four British MTBs five miles ahead. For such small targets that's not a bad result. One of the motor boats, MTB 316, was destroyed by the cruiser's guns, and another one was seriously damaged. Twelve British seamen lost their lives.
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