Wehrmacht Radio Equipment

In the mid-1930's the German military standardized the production and use of radio equipment.  In order to fight a mobile war, units in the field needed to get orders as fast as possible.  On the tactical level, units that could communicate back and forth instantly had a great advantage over those who could not.  When Germany invaded France in May 1940, all German tanks were equipped with Tornister E.b radio receivers, and many had transmitters as well.  The French and British on the other hand, had only begun to equip their tanks with radios, and only a handful were installed before the battle. Despite the fact that German armored forces were outnumbered two-to-one, and that French tanks were often superior in quality, the panzers were able to sweep aside much opposition due to their ability to coordinate via radio.

The radio network also allowed artillery and air support to be called down on stubborn enemy positions right away.  Embedded within the army were ground controllers familiar with aircraft capabilities and who could coordinate pinpoint strikes when ground commanders needed them.  All of this combined to make the German war machine a very efficient, contributing heavily to the defeat of one of the most powerful nations in only seven weeks. 

Below are details of just some of Germany's radio equipment.

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