Tests of the German Radar System in the Brest Harbour Area, in View of the Operation Cerberus (February 18, 1942)

Radar's role in German war strategy during WWII remains a questionable and rather paradoxical subject: despite their recognized technological advance, and an early and extensive deployment, German radars never played a significant role in the conduct of the war. This is generally explained by an operational doctrine largely improvised in the early years of the war. As an illustration, this paper analyses the situation during a crucial episode of the air and sea battle, known as Operation Cerberus. The study is based on recently discovered German archives, concerning a test campaign conducted by the Luftwaffe in preparation for this operation. It updates our knowledge of the status of the German air defense system at the end of 1941, both in terms of equipment performance and operational effectiveness.