The Forgotten Tech War

Discover how British intelligence uncovered and jammed Germany’s secret radio beams during the Blitz. This untold WWII story reveals brilliant detective work that helped turn the tide of war.
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[@TodayIFoundOut]

This video brought to you in part by our Patrons over on Patreon. If you’d like to support our efforts here directly, and our continued efforts to improve our videos, as well as do more ultra in-depth long form videos that built in ads and even sponsors don’t always cover fully, check out our Patreon page and perks here: www.patreon.com/TodayIFoundOut And as ever, thanks for watching!

[@SnatchUWU]

I'm early yay

[@dannydetonator]

I suspect mr. Whistler has been talking for so long up till now, that the narration has naturally sped up to at least 1.25×. Coupled with southern British accent and expressive-monotonous intonation, it doesn't quite register the information contained in the text between my ears. I'm not elderly or naturally slow, but had to partly watch it on 0.75×, which sounds hilariously posh and inebriated at the same time. There might be a problem between those two big ears, however it's not the case for most other chanells i watch, including BrainBlaze, while not being native anglophone might have something to do with it. A pity, because matters of WW2 are increasingly relevant today and this is utterly a banger episode.

[@tonypate9174]

Is everything ok in Head of Pudding land ? Who got Simon to dress up like that ? .... Simon was once the pinup boy for the Saab 95 V4 SW Club odd (very) man of Pudd club ...fan Pudds Bless them

[@wmffmw1854]

When I was flying 50 years ago I liked Instrument flying. It's easy. Day or night is irrelevant. You need an accurate Compass, Clock and Charts. VOR and ADF was all we had. LORAN B was a luxury. Most of all Preflight Planning and attention to detail. Done right, In Flight Navigation is a matter of paying attention and rigidly following the plan. I won a Delta Airlines inflight contest. You had to predict the arrival time over Daytona Beach. The winner was the passenger who predicted the closest time. When the Co-Pilot presented me with the prize he wanted to know how I got the ETA because my figures were more accurate than the Pilot. I was off by 3 seconds. I had one of the original flight computers with me. A B-1 Mechanical Circular Slide Rule designed to aid navigation. No batteries required.

[@TodayIFoundOut]

Night flying in modern times is my favorite, particularly in winter. Listen to your instruments, not your brain, and otherwise enjoy the wonders of technology in modern flight and navigation and terrain software and tools. Often glassy smooth air compared to day, and extremely peaceful. Flashing lights in air, nothing but the hum of the engine, and all the lights below on the ground and beautiful cities when over them- just the entire ambiance. Then at the end clicking on runway lights as you approach and lights guiding you to the ground etc. Night flying is my favorite. Though single engine... admittedly at some point for night flying I'd love an experimental with full plane parachute just in case. :-) Especially as living in the Pacific Northwest often nothing but mountains underneath. :-) Even in the day less than ideal, but at night an engine out ... Gonna have a bad time. 😋 But night flying is the best. -Daven

[@RationalGaze216]

Some of the technology that was used back then was really pretty incredible

[@John-g6x1h]

"We may yet pull the crooked leg." Pull the other one. It's got bells on it. I remember reading about the Knickebein and thinking, that's fairly brilliant.

[@orikarru7877]

The beam beamed at the beam to interrupt the beam via vigorous beaming.

[@scottn487]

cliff notes quote of the day right here. might tldr this one

[@itarry4]

The Polish Airforce deserve a lot of credit for Britain winning the Battle of Britain. Without their help we'd probably have lost it and the war would have taken a very different direction.

[@jamesharmer9293]

This was very technically interesting, so hats off to whoever wrote the script. But the background photos were wildly inaccurate, showing aircraft from much later in the war, that had nothing to do with the blitz. Whoever chose the background photos should be sent immediately to the Eastern Front !!

[@dannydetonator]

Ok, we welcome the editor to the Eastern front. The adversary is not the same this time, but we have an accute sense of correct chronological order here, as deliberately reversing it is among staple tactics of our lifelong adversaries.

[@deaniej2766]

Why? They're already chained in the basement. Or rather the sub-basement as Simon's studio is in the half-basement above it.

[@SeanBZA]

That shortage of aircraft is why my father did his pilot training in a Gypsy moth, as it was considered too old, too slow, and not at all capable of being a fighter aircraft. He probably also still owes then some money, seeing as he crashed it, after an engine failure during take off. They never asked him about that Lancaster he signed for though, that sort of fell apart around him by Lake Constance.

[@michaelrwhelan2669]

This was splendid, fascinating stuff. I like to think of myself as being well informed about details of WW2 but this was all news to me. Thank you!

[@atomicskull6405]

16:39 This seems highly suspicious TBH as if he knew they were on the right track and was trying to convince them otherwise.

[@macher001]

Damn, so the Germans basically invented the ILS that every commercial plane uses for landing nowadays? Did not know that one!

[@DarkFire515]

For anyone interested in the 'battle of the beams' R.V. Jones later wrote a book called Most Secret War. It's a fascinating read about scientific intelligence during WW2.

[@kkat8808]

I love the music used to close this video. While I wasn't trying to sleep to this episode, I often fall asleep to Simon's voice and this music is very good for that purpose.

[@lewiswestfall2687]

But the allied didn't learn that unescorted bombers were very vulnerable.

[@gh8447]

Jeez, what a moronic take. Of course they knew. 🤦 The problem was that fighter planes early in the war didn't have the endurance to provide long-range escort - the fighters could only escort part of the way before having to turn back and leave the bombers to it.

[@BigAlboski]

while i accidentally clicked when trying to add to que Simmion's voice had the Ken Burns effect and, i was instantly interested. Keep up the great work on all 708 channels!!! I may be replacing memories of childhood with variety of trivial facts but, how good could it have been anyway.

[@samarthur1847]

Wow the BBC acting in the countries best interest, I was with you till that point 😂

[@derschubsi]

Pretty ingenious device, you have to admit

[@TheKencoffee]

So based on the way information was presented on the first location of the beam, I'm of the understanding that the Germans would have the beam turned on when not being used by a bombing mission. That seems like it would be terrible operation security if accurate.

[@davidrucker2034]

So much more serious on this channel than on Brain Blaze. Scary

[@autumno248]

You should check out warographics

[@bj7815]

He has a lot of documentary style stuff.

[@EbyTheDragon]

Brain Blaze is more of the exception than the rule

[@davidrucker2034]

@EbyTheDragon that's definitely what it seems like, guess he just needs an outlet for his crazy

[@christopherqueen3194]

This was a good one. Most interesting and informative.

[@lordleonusa]

This was one of your very best videos, fascinating and well researched! Thank You

[@noi000]

Such clever and intelligent devices and strategies to kill each other.

[@iainsanders4775]

Oh I thought this would be about those pagers..

[@daveR0berts]

Some things still seems advanced to this day

[@phishphood423]

Meh, the NDB and then VOR system was sort of a continuation/evolution of this, and is now being phased out. For its time it was certainly a very innovative system for its time though, as was the British use of coastal radar installations to form a sort of integrated air defense network.

[@taddawesome]

Good old times

[@robertlockwood3277]

Simon has the guns out😂

[@johnfrench1239]

Great content much appreciated - only criticism is that some of the plane pictures are pretty random - a Finnish 109 and an He177 …

[@tiagomiotto1067]

I’m going through these short videos today just about to spend 4 hours on the latest Casual criminalist episode😂😂😂😂😂

[@BusterTheBotanist]

I truly love Simon videos

[@sbcee2220]

I found one this very interesting! Thanks, guys!

[@lewiswestfall2687]

I love the way your pictures of USA aircraft when the pictures UK or German planes should be used.

[@seanmalloy7249]

Ummm. The Blitz proper -- the bombing of England's urban centers, particularly London, was an example of Hitler's knee-jerk reaction to British retaliation. A _lone_ He111 bomber had suffered a navigation failure, and instead of its intended target dropped its bombs on London. The RAF, in reprisal, carried out a nighttime bombing raid against Berlin, after which Hitler, in a fit of pique, ordered that the Luftwaffe switch the primary target of its bombing campaign from reducing RAF airfields and fighter capability to bombing the population centers of England, particularly London.

[@simonallen6427]

Have a look at the BBC TV Series 'The Secret War'.

[@iggyzorro2406]

hint- change playback speed to .75% to slow this guy's delivery to ease hearing

[@TheWhitefisher]

Lol imagine being stuck in a slow dialect and needing extra time to hear anything

[@MarabuToo]

Huh? I listen to him at 125% - Simon is not one of the slow speakers, but he speaks quite clearly... except of course for non-English names; there he seems to be in competition with himself, always trying to butcher each new name a bit more completely than the one before. Of course, as a German, I find the way he massacres German names particularly entertaining. P.S. For the record: the very first mention at 2:55 of Knickebein is pronounced perfectly.

[@hutch1319]

Liverpool and Sheffield are not southern cities.

[@philosophysique5419]

Nice sweater, Simon

[@Paulsr7]

are you being sarcastic?

[@philosophysique5419]

​@@Paulsr7😂

[@TheKencoffee]

I was unfamiliar with this system. Thank you for the great deep dive !

[@billd2635]

Thanx for finally giving me some useful info.

[@mikes2622]

Careful how you pronounce the name of that beam

[@angeloftheabyss5265]

Just don’t use a hard “r”.

[@Boco_Corwin]

Oh, c'mon, Edna! Our children need to be taught "Tek War" sometime!

[@jsl151850b]

*Wizard War?* Alexander Palace's TV transmitter!

[@deanbuss1678]

I'm kinda into this sort of thing. Very good episode 👍!

[@BlahAnger]

Liberators, thoise that gave them the machines and factories in the first place.....

[@douglascharnley8249]

It was a forgotten war, it was not discussed.

[@michaeloconnor7833]

I can't wait for Simon's next episode - MEGA PROJECTS: failed Simon Whistler Channels.

[@gunkyzip]

kinda more of a Side Projects topic, but I hear ya

[@Hex-Mas]

Now its the battle of the beans. Jamming bluetooth speakers from Spanish music.

[@SoulTouchMusic93]

back then tech bro's were tech men!

[@footshotstube]

WTF , i thouught cov was known but kept secret so as not to let the germans know we crackedit [that day,]....not simple frqency mistakes, Brilliant thanks

[@RichardPolhill]

How much Vaseline have you smeared over the lens today, Simon?

[@EyesOfByes]

Halo Glowing Simon

[@sgtmarty9682]

Really didn't like the tall, skinny font choice. Too hard to read along with.

[@Paulsr7]

oh my god is that shirt ever gay!

[@solomon7722]

Huh?

[@jc6800]

Early again ok not that early but I is here 🎉

[@geoff1201]

Nickerbean ??

[@ReadersOfTheApocalypse]

knickebayn not knickebean 😁

[@jamesbodnarchuk3322]

Wow saw a different video earlier you lie Simon

[@dannydetonator]

¿¿¿???

[@Hdtbcyjvyin]

fart

[@jimmer411]

Simon needs to pick a channel and stick with it. I swear every couple weeks hes got a new channel that he abandons after a while.

[@rich478]

Just quick question, what channels do you feel he has abandoned?

[@darlenefraser3022]

Yes, I would be interested in hearing about these “abandoned channels” as well.

[@LongNickOfDaLaw]

Well if something doesn’t make you the money you want why fight with it. But I also don’t know of any abandoned channels that Simon hasn’t posted on in over a month

[@slaydon3]

​@rich478 i haven't seen geographics or biographics in quite a few months but I haven't actively checked the channels themselves

[@TodayIFoundOut]

Simon and I have been doing this channel for 2300+ videos over now 11 years... :-) He does occasionally try new channels that don't work out, but sticks with the ones that do. :-) The only exception to this I know of were a few channels from the earliest days where the co-owner, a great guy named Shell, sadly died. But otherwise. :-) -Daven

[@Pepsi_Addicted]

first

[@jamesbodnarchuk3322]

Wow saw a different video earlier you lie Simon give your kids the required jabs sir.

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Weezer wars ...

[@simoncollins6529]

Oh that T-shirt is soooo.... Gay

[@brandonlancon9511]

Tis a bit sus but neither one of us can deny that bro is stacking his loot

[@baronsilasgreenback80]

Talks too fast not good