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Air Ministry Experimental Station facts for kids

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"AMES" redirects here. For other uses, see Ames.

AMES was a special team in Britain that developed radar technology. The name AMES stands for Air Ministry Experimental Station. This team worked at a place called Bawdsey Manor just before World War II started.

The AMES team had to move three times, and each time they moved, their name changed. So, the name AMES only refers to the time between 1936 and 1939. Even though the team used the name for a short time, the letters AMES became important. They were used to name many Royal Air Force radar systems during the war. After the war, the same numbering system continued, but often the "AMES" part was dropped. For example, the Type 80 radar was officially called AMES Type 80, but people often just said "Type 80."

Sometimes, the AMES numbers were a bit mixed up. Some numbers were given to groups of different radar sets working together. For instance, the Type 21 was actually just two other radar types (Type 13 and Type 14) traveling in one group of vehicles. Other times, different numbers were given to almost the same radar, just set up in different ways. The Type 31 through 34 are good examples of this. Also, the numbers were not always in order. The Type 8, for example, was an early test version for the Type 7.

Early Radar Equipment

The AMES team developed many different types of radar. Each type had a special job to help protect Britain.

Watching for Enemies

  • AMES Type 1, also known as Chain Home (CH): This was a very important radar system. It was used for early warning, meaning it could spot enemy planes from far away.
  • AMES Type 2, called Chain Home Low (CHL): This radar also gave early warnings, but it was better at finding planes flying at low altitudes.
  • AMES Type 3: This was not a new radar. It meant that a Type 1 and a Type 2 radar were working very close to each other.
  • AMES Type 9: This was a Chain Home radar that could be moved around.
  • AMES Type 10: This was a mobile radar system that could be transported by air.

Guiding Fighter Planes

  • AMES Type 7: This was a main radar station used for Ground-controlled interception (GCI). GCI radars helped guide friendly fighter planes to intercept enemy aircraft.
  • AMES Type 8: These were different versions of GCI radars. Some could be moved, and others were set up in one place.
  • AMES Type 15: This was a mobile GCI radar, similar to the Type 7 but designed to move.
  • AMES Type 21: This was a group of five vehicles that worked together as a GCI system for tactical control.

Finding How High Planes Are

  • AMES Type 13: This was a "Nodding" Height Finder radar. It could tell how high an aircraft was flying.
  • AMES Type 20: This was another type of height finder radar.
  • AMES Type 24: This was a long-range height finder radar.

Other Important Radars

  • AMES Type 11: This was a Type 8 radar that was changed to work on a different radio frequency. This was a backup in case the main frequency was jammed by the enemy.
  • AMES Type 14: This was a radar used for watching a large area.
  • AMES Type 31 through 34: These were different versions of a radar used for Coast Defence (CD) and finding very low-flying aircraft (CHEL). They were set up in different kinds of buildings or towers.

Mobile Radar Units

Mobile radar units were very important, especially overseas. These units usually had radars like the COL or GCI, which were put into vehicles. This meant they could be moved wherever they were needed. Each mobile unit was given a number, like AMES 1505. This specific unit helped guide fighter planes in the Naples area during the Allied invasion of Italy.

Fighter Direction Tenders

During the D-Day invasion, some special ships were used. These were Landing Ship, Tank (LST) ships that were changed into "Fighter Direction Tenders" (FDT). Instead of carrying landing craft, they had smaller boats and were equipped with AMES Type 11 and Type 15 radars. Their job was to provide GCI coverage, helping to protect the landing areas from enemy planes.

For example, FDT 216 was near Omaha and Utah beaches. FDT 217 covered Sword, Juno, and Gold beaches. FDT 13 watched over the main shipping routes. Between June 6 and June 26, these FDTs helped Allied fighters shoot down many enemy aircraft, both day and night.

Post-War Radar Systems

After World War II, new radar equipment continued to be developed. These new systems still sometimes used the AMES Type XX numbering. They were also given special secret code names, called Rainbow Codes, during their development. For example, AMES Type 86 was given the code name Blue Anchor. The companies that made the radars also had their own names for them, like Firelight for the Type 86.

Here are some important post-war AMES radar types:

  • AMES Type 80: This was a powerful early warning radar. It was also known as Green Garlic. It was so good that it made some older systems less useful.
  • AMES Type 82: This was a 3D radar used to control the Bristol Bloodhound missile system. Its code name was Orange Yeoman.
  • AMES Type 84: This was a long-range radar for watching large areas. It was also known as Blue Label.
  • AMES Type 85: This was a very powerful radar, also known as Blue Yeoman or Linesman.
  • AMES Type 86: This was a mobile radar used to guide the Bristol Bloodhound 2 missile. Its code name was Blue Anchor or Firelight.
  • AMES Type 90: This was a powerful early warning and fighter control radar.
  • AMES Type 92: This was the RAF's name for a radar system made in America.
  • AMES Type 101: This was the RAF's name for a long-range radar called the BAE Commander.

See also

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