Evolution of near vertical incidence skywave communications and the Battle of Arnhem

Abstract

The use of near vertical incidence skywaves (NVIS) in battlefield communications is now commonplace. Though not referred to as such until recently, the propagation of HF radio waves over short distances without the intervention of the skip zone is a natural consequence of the use of appropriate frequencies plus transmitting and receiving antennas that favour high angles of radiation. It has occasionally been suggested that the first dedicated use of NVIS techniques took place during conflicts in the 1960s, whereas evidence exists of its use during the D-Day landings of June 1944. However, wartime documents have recently come to light which show that the British Army Operational Research Group carried out dedicated research into this method of short-range HF communication at least a year earlier and released its reports containing operational recommendations in 1943, prior to the Battle of Arnhem.