Grandpas WWII Beach Battalion Coded Radio Message - Op Dragoon

[stealthytyler]

My grandfather's last of three beach landings with the 4th BB took place near Sainte-Maxime in southern France on August 15, 1944 during Operation Dragoon. His job was to set up ship-to-shore radio communications on the beach. On one side of this paper, there is a list of every ship at his disposal off shore and the number of guns and caliber on the ships. As a beach battalion radioman, one of his jobs was to call in naval gunfire on enemy positions. On the other side of the paper, there appears to be a message he wrote out in code. I would love to know what this coded message says. I suppose I need to find a cypher guide used during Operation Dragoon? Does anyone know if it is possible to decipher this code? He kept this paper for a reason... might be something special! Either way, I hope you guys enjoy this document!

 

 

[stealthytyler]

[stealthytyler]

Photo of my grandfather standing at the radio in Sainte Maxime during Operation Dragoon.

 

[stealthytyler]

Here is another of him with his shirt off holding a radio message probably similar to this one.

 

 

[stealthytyler]

Does anyone know if this code can be cracked today? Thanks!

[David D]

Neat piece of history

[Mitch]

Wow, that is totally cool !! Thanks for sharing . I really hope you get it cracked !! To me it is a great historic item and especially great as it is your Grandpa's.

Regards, Mitch

[USMC-RECON0321]

Very cool piece of history. But would a Beach Battalion Radio man been responsible for naval gun fire? If so, what would that official title have been?

 

Troy

[stealthytyler]

Very cool piece of history. But would a Beach Battalion Radio man been responsible for naval gun fire? If so, what would that official title have been?

 

Troy

 

Yes. My grandfather was a Radioman 3rd Class in the 4th BB, C company, Platoon C-9. They lived and trained with the Army. They were more of soldiers than they were sailors. His job was to maintain radio communications with the ships off shore of his beach sector. If the beach needed to evacuate wounded, he would call it in. If the beach was being overrun, he would call in Naval gunfire. Ships had radar and would notify him by radio when German planes were incoming. They would then notify the beach via loudspeaker to return to foxholes. For example, only 4 waves made it onto blue beach during the invasion of Salerno. He got his TBX radio up and running. The Germans were pounding the beach so hard that he had to call the other incoming LCVPs to turn around or risk being sunk. This saved many soldiers lives and he was recommended for the Navy Cross (which he never did get). I have the recommendation letter though. Another similar incident happened during the invasion of Sicily. The Herman Goering division was coming down from the hills to drive the beach back into the sea. He directed Naval gunfire on these German position which helped drive them back. So, pretty much anything needed to be communicated back and forth between ship and shore, he did. The beach battalions were very very important. Other BB jobs included medical, signalmen, hydrographic, obstacle clearance, landing zone marking, boat repairs, offloading gear from LCVPs and LCIs, etc... Hope this helps.

[sundance]

You are justifiably proud of your grandfather. I'm guessing he has passed away. Did you have the chance to talk to him about the war?

[AustinO]

I know for Overloard they were using Slidex codes, and that the codes were changed as the days went on. (I've been looking for a Slidex key online for Normandy, as I too have a coded SFCP message on the back of a map that I'd love to decode.)

 

I cant quite tell if your message is in Slidex or not. Its possible that it is, but I'm not expert and without the key for the specific day's code you're kind of at a loss. The slidex key used for Overloard was prefixed with the three letters SEX, i'd think on yours the long bottom message was keyed using prefix QVK, with a previous day's message keyed using prefix QPM?

 

Hope that helps. The summary of operations report produced after Dragoon (was there one?) would probably touch on the subject.

[Bob Hudson]

Very cool piece of history. But would a Beach Battalion Radio man been responsible for naval gun fire? If so, what would that official title have been?

 

Troy

 

It sounds like their mission was something similar to the Marines ANGLICO units and provided the link between the Navy and the ground forces ashore:

 

"Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Companies (ANGLICO) are fire support and liaison units of the United States Marine Corps. The mission of ANGLICO is "To provide Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) Commanders a liaison capability, with foreign area expertise, to plan, coordinate, and conduct terminal control of fires in support of joint, allied, and coalition forces." Per this mission statement, ANGLICOs are not designed to support U.S. Marine Corps maneuver elements. Instead, the doctrinal purpose of ANGLICO is to provide fire support and coordination in support of units adjacent to the MAGTF."

[stealthytyler]

You are justifiably proud of your grandfather. I'm guessing he has passed away. Did you have the chance to talk to him about the war?

Yes, he passed about 10 years ago. He never liked to talk about the war. I got very little information out of him. Once he passed, I really started researching. I was able to find and talk to 3 of his platoon buddies over the phone. I met with one in person. They really were open with me and I got so much information from them. They have all since passed. I have so much stuff to research that it will probably take a lifetime!

[stealthytyler]

I know for Overloard they were using Slidex codes, and that the codes were changed as the days went on. (I've been looking for a Slidex key online for Normandy, as I too have a coded SFCP message on the back of a map that I'd love to decode.)

 

I cant quite tell if your message is in Slidex or not. Its possible that it is, but I'm not expert and without the key for the specific day's code you're kind of at a loss. The slidex key used for Overloard was prefixed with the three letters SEX, i'd think on yours the long bottom message was keyed using prefix QVK, with a previous day's message keyed using prefix QPM?

 

Hope that helps. The summary of operations report produced after Dragoon (was there one?) would probably touch on the subject.

 

 

Interesting. Thanks for his info. I will try to locate an action report for dragoon. I am not sure what you mean by qvk, sex, and qpm? I have a number of photographs of my grandfathers radio section during a few invasions and it really only looks like they have a TBX radio and bc620. I have never found a photograph that shows a cipher machine. Could be possible that this code could've been deciphered without using a special machine? Maybe it isn't as complicated as we think? Things happen so quickly during an invasion that I can't imagine that they would spend a ton of time trying to interpret what each other are saying. But maybe I'm wrong?

[strawberry 9]

That is a really great piece of family history as well as WWII history. I especially like that there was a ship named Terrible. I would get it framed in a double sided frame if I were you. Then you could look at and display it without causing any damage. Thanks for sharing and please post if you get it decoded.

[stealthytyler]

That is a really great piece of family history as well as WWII history. I especially like that there was a ship named Terrible. I would get it framed in a double sided frame if I were you. Then you could look at and display it without causing any damage. Thanks for sharing and please post if you get it decoded.

 

Good idea. I think I will do that!

[stealthytyler]

Regardless of what the code means, he sure did use this paper a lot. It has been unfolded and folded so many times. Probably used as a guide for what ships were at his disposal. He then probably used it to take down this message. Not sure that this would be a code guide though.

[robinb]

The 5 letter groups sure look like the way the messages were used with an M209 Converter. But you'd have to know what settings on the machine to decode it.

[stealthytyler]

The 5 letter groups sure look like the way the messages were used with an M209 Converter. But you'd have to know what settings on the machine to decode it.

 

Interesting! Thank you for this lead, Robin! I have a few photos of the radio crew during Operation Dragoon and I cannot see this machine in any of the photos. Would beach battalions have landed with these? I see they come in a carrying case.

[robinb]

They were a common item in any message center.

[stealthytyler]

They were a common item in any message center.

 

Do you know much about how they were used? Is there any indication in my message that a code setting was noted or provided? If so, maybe someone with a m209 could decipher it?

[robinb]

I own two M209's. There is no way that anyone would include the machine settings in a message for fear of security problems. The settings would be prearranged and changed periodically. And there are a LOT of settings available.

[stealthytyler]

I own two M209's. There is no way that anyone would include the machine settings in a message for fear of security problems. The settings would be prearranged and changed periodically. And there are a LOT of settings available.

 

how would a ship off shore and a radioman on the beach know what the setting would be once changed? they certainly would have to communicate it somehow...?

[Salvage Sailor]

code2.jpg

Aloha Everyone,

 

This is a list of American, British and French warships available for NGFS (Naval Gunfire Support) off shore by type, quantity and caliber, starting with Battleships at the top, then Cruisers, Destroyers, etc.

 

Example: USS TEXAS, (10) 14" .45 caliber guns and (6) 5" .51 caliber guns

[GIKyle]

If I am not mistaken, I have seen them referred to as NGLOs (Naval Gunfire Liaison Officers). I will try to chase down a reference for my memory. Great items though!

 

Kyle