GEE - WWII Hyperbolic Navigation System

GEE is actually a short range (250 mile) hyperbolic curve navigation system, same principal as LORAN. Measures difference in time of arrival of radio pulses transmitted exactly at the same time from two towers about 70 miles apart. Measurements in micro seconds (millionths of a second). Oscilloscope shows relative timing of the two radio signals and is displayed on a Cathode Ray Tube. Places aircraft or ship on a hyperbolic curve. Two separate towers transmit a second signal providing a position fix where colored hyperbolic curves cross. Time required 15 seconds. Accuracy 25 feet at sea level. Two traces shown on the CRT permit landing an aircraft in a pea soup English fog. The GEE box is user friendly, easy to operate, and was used very effectively by both the RAF, USAAF and Navy. The night of D-Day would have been a disaster of collisions in the channel and the air without GEE.

[@peckelhaze6934]

I have spent hours trying to find clear details how Gee Navigation worked. I now know thanks to you and this film. There were a lot of geniuses in WWII and so many were never acknowledged for helping to save lives and shorten the war. An utter disgrace. I am a Brit and thank you for this.

[@lambdacalculus8316]

I was searching for DCS Mosquito navigation methods and found this film. Initially, I thought this was another amateur documentary. Alas, how wrong I was! Thank you, sir, for preserving the knowledge of GEE and the story of great men who fought against tyranny.

[@budspaulding7121]

My Father operated the GEE system. He was a navigator, 381st BG Ridgewell UK. Robert Dippy should have received Knighthood, IMHO, for what he was able to do for Britain, and the entire world. God bless you Sir.

[@RD2564]

This man Howland really nailed it with these videos on OBOE and GEE and D-Day, had a good life, RIP my good man.

[@whitewittock]

You'd be hard pressed to find a BBC documentary as good and well explained as this! Thanks

[@jenshoxmark4713]

Excellent information on a system, an operation, an excellent man mr Robert J. Dippy by another excellent man mr Jake Howland. We really have these and other people to thank for our freedom and opportunity to live our Life.

[@jamesleem.d.7442]

One word: WONDERFUL

[@colvinator1611]

This account was so easy to listen to and I could understand the explanations and examples. My field was telecommunications in the army ( UK 1970's ) and I've always been fascinated by the early days of radar. You're doing a great job preserving the history of this vital technology. I salute you and all the heroes that served the cause of freedom.

[@williammoxham9556]

Thank you for this and your service,

[@jonnybottle]

Great video from an American whose own contribution was considerable and who is big enough and generous enough to give others their due credit.

[@P61guy61]

This is a great video. It needs many more views!

[@nomdeplume798]

A fascinating presentation, thank you.

[@alexanderrswaim5142]

Thank you for this fascinating film. The ingenuity of the men and women who created the many electronic devices built during the Second World War is incredible, as is the dedication and skill of those who used them in combat.

[@yamakawa511]

Wonderfully told history, both of the events and the people involved. It is so interesting to hear such a detailed personal account. Y

[@TheWallywombat]

Fascinating. Used the system during my 30+years in the British military, mainly on major landing craft around the globe. Sail Army was our logo. Thanks for highlighting our failure to recognize Bob.

[@em3876]

Nice my Grandfather worked on this through 1944-1945 for the British Admiralty

[@richardvernon317]

Dippy's real genius was shown when he went over to the USA to work on LORAN. The system was being developed for the US Navy and there was a Team in the USA who were working on something like GEE. He told the guys in the US that GEE was on the verge of entering service and they would get something in service much faster if they just adopted the UK system as designed. As regards LORAN, he suggested that the LORAN equipment be exactly the same in size, shape, connections and power supplies as the GEE installation as possible, so that any platform using GEE could be switched to the LORAN system by just swapping of a Box and an Aerial.

[@harrynash4931]

Thanks for this Jake. My experience as a navigator was with Loran, Consol, Grid navigation and the stars. Your timing calculations were especially interesting. 50+ aircraft! My max was 6!

[@neiloflongbeck5705]

A person has the right to turn down an award if they choose to.

[@ghassempoory]

First class work. Thanks ever so much.

[@P61guy61]

This is great!!

[@mhollman8650]

Fascinating stuff...

[@uploadJ]

Interesting ... In '78 I was working in a LAB at TI (Texas Instruments) at the Stemmons site doing GPS development work and at the time TI was making a small computerized unit that computed Long and Lat from LORAN-C signals. A friend of mine was involved with verifying field accuracy of the LORAN-C receiver in those days, working in the TI Marine Com/Nav division. Gene Robinson was head of that division at the time.

[@qwaszxpolkmncvb]

Thanks

[@nickdanger3802]

"Clearly we had expected too much of G. What had seemed a device accurate enough for blind-bombing--or at least for blind-releasing of flares--was turning out to be simply an excellent aid to navigation. It could take our bombers within four or five miles of their objective and it could bring them home--both quite invaluable developments--but it had not obviated the need to identify the target with the human eye." page 125 Hyperwar Royal Air Force 1939-1945

[@bill2893]

Thanks for putting this video together! Do you have some connection to any of the people involved in the development of the system?

[@briancooper2112]

Wasnt this used on B24 and B29?

[@nathanjenkyn3127]

If you wanted to go to Berlin you needed H2S and a Pathfinder Observer like my Grandfather in 139 Sdn.

[@nickdanger3802]

"... an invisible grid of GEE position lines which extended approximately 250 miles across Europe. This included the Low Countries and the vital Ruhr area of Germany." "The first large scale attempt to use the GEE navigational system took place on the night of March 8-9th March 1942 when over 200 aircraft, consisting of Wellingtons, Hampden’s, Stirling’s and Manchester’s attacked, Essen was one of the main centres of armament design and production. Industrial haze over the target led to the raid not being a success although the use of GEE enabled 33% of the bombers to reach the general area." www.lancaster-archive.com/bc_gee.htm

[@gloupot2140]

super interessant Domage qu'on ai pas une simulation de navigation , pour se situer , s'orienter, et choisir une direction , en fonction des signaux reçus . Je comprends le principe général , mais c'est pas tres clair en pratique .

[@jcharlesbayliss]

There are women in England still talking about when the American aircrews came to stay!​