Ferret!: USAAF Airborne Signals Intelligence Development and Operations 1942-1945

The second world war lead to the use of radar and the need to be able to locate where the means by which attacking aircraft were being located. This was the early days of such methods in identifying and where possible either jamming or destroying them. An interesting read detailing every part from the training of operatives to the methods used and the co-operation of various countries forces.

The rapid advances in radar technology in the lead-up to WW2 introduced a whole new element to aerial warfare, and it was soon abundantly clear that denying the enemy the use of radar facilities would bring great advantage. This book sets out to describe the rapid advances made from 1942 when the first B-17s and B-24s were modified with the installation of rudimentary radar detection equipment to 1945 by which time dedicated electronics aircraft were made available, playing their part in the fierce Eastern Asia/Pacific and SE European theatres of war. These detector aircraft were known as Ferrets.The book probably represents the most comprehensive study yet published of this little-known aspect of the aerial campaigns of WW2 and whilst the page count at 192 may be rather less than we would normally see in a Crecy book at this price point, it is presented in the usual clear and attractive manner expected from this name. Extensive photographs, captions, maps, charts, tables and operational details are included.The contents page, of which I would normally include a photo, lists the 13 chapters but only by number as they do not have individual titles. The last chapter gives a suggestion of how important Sigint aircraft would become in the lead up to the Cold War, with increasingly sophisticated electronic reconnaissance systems being fitted to types such as the B-29, B-50, B-47 and ultimately the C-135.The book finishes with an extensive bibliography and appendices listing production and field-modified Ferret aircraft, an equipment summary, selected Ferret missions by unit and a full index.If this specialised aspect of wartime military aviation is of interest, it will surely prove a rewarding read. Whilst it may be possible to find some of the information in separate articles elsewhere, this must be the first time it has all been brought together as a chronological story showing what a contribution these innovations increasingly made in the theatres of war in which the USAAF operated.