WW2 bomber radio procedures

[Cpt. John]

Hi guys ,
I'm making some research on ww2 radio procedures and I can't find anything about B17 bombers.
US fighters used to have callsigns like Red, Blue etc.. but I couldn't find anything about bombers.
What procedures did they use?
I know that B17s had names and in many movies we see that the lead pilot uses the name of his bomber when trying to reach other ships on the radio...
Any information would be much appreciated

Regards

 

[MIflyer]

WWII USAAF bombers had two types of radio equipment:

1. Command radio equipment, for talking to control towers and issuing and receiving instructions from other aircraft in the squadron. Usually fighters had only Command radio equipment.
2. Liaison radio equipment, for communication over long distance such as reporting to HQ, receiving orders, providing confirmation of an attack,. reporting recon results, etc

Two websites for you to visit:

B-29 Combat Crew Manual : Maj Gen Curtis E Le May : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

aafradio.org

 

[Cpt. John]

Hi Flyer
Will take a look and let you know.
Thank you

 

[Pursuivant]

Don't forget intercom systems which allowed the crew to speak with each other. Most of the "chatter" you hear in movies/newsreels about bombers is actually intercom transmissions. Different from radio, but it had its own communication protocols, and is important to distinguish.

Liaison equipment could also be used to communicate with Air/Sea Rescue should the bomber have to ditch or if its crew saw another aircraft in distress.

By the end of the war, some USAAF and RAF heavy bombers carried Electronic Intelligence and/or Electronic Countermeasures equipment. This equipment would be used to monitor German radio and radar signals and/or to jam them.

In addition to voice communications, much liaison radio comm was via Morse code, usually with messages encoded to prevent the enemy from (easily) deciphering them.

Terms like "red" "blue" or "white" were used to identify squadron elements, with a number typically used to identify the aircraft's position in the flight. IIRC, it was red, white, and blue for three sections, and green if there was a fourth. Occasionally, the squadron commander would be identified just by call sign and a number (e.g., "Black Sheep - 1"). Squadron and/or Group call signs might change, either for security purposes or for other reasons. I've been looking for a good list of unit radio call signs for years, but haven't gotten anything useful. I'm guessing that the information is hidden away in After Action reports in the bowels of the National Archives, and hasn't been published yet.

USAAF radio protocols didn't vary that much from modern military protocols, although the phonetic alphabet was different (Able, Baker, Charlie, Dog . . . vs. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta . . .) and modern conventions for pronouncing numbers had yet been adopted ("Nine" vs. "Niner," "Five" vs. "Fife").