German Intelligence Collection Facilities

Facilities & Installations

The Wehrmacht expanded its communications intelligence capability prior to World War 2. By 1939, the Army (OKH) communications intercept service (Horchdienst), had 11 fixed facilities and an increasing number of subordinate mobile units capable of collecting information on all potential fronts. During a reorganization, the fixed stations at Husum and Euskirchen were resubordinated to the Wehrmacht (OKW) and three new ones --at Treuenbrietzen, Lauf-an-der Pregnitz and Tulln, Austria-- were added. As the war progressed, mobile collection units were prioritized and by 1942, only two fixed facilities remained at their original locations: the one at Husum covered England and the Nordic countries and the other at Euskirchen focused on the United States and England.

map showing Location of German Radio Intercept Facilities

aerial photo of The antenna field at the Euskirchen Wehrmacht Intelligence Collection Station

aerial photo of Wehrmacht Intelligence Collection Station at Lauf-an-der-Pegnitz, Germany

aerial photo of Probable Kriegsmarine Intelligence Collection Station at Sengwarden, Germany

Imagery coverage of the Euskirchen and Lauf sites was available. The coverage of Euskirchen was revealing, indicating the that it was equipped not only with typical Adcock high-frequency direction finding (HF/DF) antennas, but also had long-wire HF antennas for very long-range collection (Graphics). Partial coverage of Euskirchen from 10 April 1945 shows a small facility with a T-shaped building and two Adcock antennas. Partial coverage from 12 February shows the facility had an antenna field with at least one rhombic and one horizontal dipole antenna. The rhombic was oriented approximately 280 degrees.

Coverage from September 1945 shows the Lauf facility was virtually identical and had at least one Adcock antenna (Graphic); it did not appear there were any other antennas. Interestingly, the site was likely in use by the by the American occupation forces in July 1953, when a circular clearing had been made around one of the arrays (Graphic).

Elsewhere, a probable Kriegsmarine intercept station was identified with the headquarters and command post of the North Sea Fleet at Sengwarden (Graphic). The site had only one HF/DF antenna; 10 other antenna masts around the main facility were most likely for communications.

Reference:
https:// www.nsa.gov German Radio Intelligence; Albert Praun, March 1950