Military Communications & Electronics

The modern military is heavily dependent on electronics and computers. Although the telegraph and telephone had already revolutionized military communications, World War II started an explosion of applications of electronics to military needs. From crude crank telephones and heavyweight radios in the 1940s to today's Internet-enabled battlefield, the use of electronic devices has become embedded in warfare.

SCR 188 operator at Station NYU Dobodura, New Guinea 1943
SCR 188 operator at Station NYU Dobodura, New Guinea 1943. Click photo for larger image.

Today in WW II: 18 Apr 1941 As German troops approach Athens, the Greek Prime Minister Alexandros Koryzis commits suicide.  More ↓
18 Apr 1942 Doolittle Raid takes American bombers to Tokyo.
18 Apr 1943 Japanese Combined Fleet Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto killed when intercepted and shot down over Bougainville by 18 P-38 aircraft, the longest such mission of the war.
18 Apr 1945 Esteemed American war correspondent Ernie Pyle killed by Japanese machine gun fire, island of Ie Shima off Okinawa.
Visit the Olive-Drab.com World War II Timeline for day-by-day events 1939-1945! See also WW2 Books.

Military Communications and Electronics

Specific military electronic and communications equipment are featured on these Olive-Drab.com pages:

Internet Resources for Military Radio, Communications and Electronics

The electronic equipment built for the U.S. military are very popular with reenactors and collectors due to their rugged characteristics and tie to military history. There are many websites and forums devoted to military electronics in general or specific models of radios, phones, test equipment, etc., some of the best collected on the linked page.

Find More Information on the Internet

There are many fine websites that have additional information on this topic, too many to list here and too many to keep up with as they come and go. Use this Google web search form to get an up to date report of what's out there.

For good results, try entering this: military electronics OR radio. Then click the Search button.