Jonathan Boff

What did Britain really gain from the daring 1942 Bruneval raid?

The night-time dismantling of a German radar site in Normandy was a feat of skill, courage and imagination. But there was little improvement to Bomber Command casualties as a result

The Würzburg radar that the Allies were desperate to capture and analyse. [Universal Images Group/Getty Images] 
issue 10 August 2024
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  • Operation Biting: The 1942 Parachute Assault to Capture Hitler’s Radar

    Max Hastings

    William Collins, pp. 362, £25

These days we use radar to help us park our cars, but during the early years of the second world war it was white hot technology and a closely guarded military secret. First used to detect aircraft in 1935, within a few years it had helped win the Battle of Britain and sink the Bismarck.

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