Helping Members to better understand some of the naval terms (both German and English) used in World War II and in our KTB.

PPI Position Plot Indicator; display board on which the position of the plotting ship was located in the center of a large circle and all other targets or objects within range of the ship’s radar or other tracking equipment was indicated in terms of range and relative bearing to the plotting ship or in the case of a task force, to the task force itself.

Q-SHIP A merchant ship with vastly increased flotation and hidden armament designed as a decoy to lure U-boats to the surface and within range of the hidden weapons and was more vulnerable and could be more easily destroyed. This was a highly successful tactic for the British in WW I. The US Navy tried this in World War II with disastrous consequences. No German U-boats were sunk by USN Q-Ships, but several Q-ships were sunk by U-boats.

RADAR It means RAdio Detection And Ranging. It is an instrument for determining the presence of objects, their range, bearing and elevation with the use of radio echoes.

R-BOOT Räumboot or motor minesweeper

RAF Royal Air Force

RED Portside or left hand side. In German it is Backbord.

There will be more vocabulary in KTB #162.