Jonathan Boff

What did Britain really gain from the daring 1942 Bruneval raid?

The night-time dismantling of a German radar site in Normandy was a feat of skill, courage and imagination. But there was little improvement to Bomber Command casualties as a result

The Würzburg radar that the Allies were desperate to capture and analyse. [Universal Images Group/Getty Images] 
issue 10 August 2024

These days we use radar to help us park our cars, but during the early years of the second world war it was white hot technology and a closely guarded military secret. First used to detect aircraft in 1935, within a few years it had helped win the Battle of Britain and sink the Bismarck.

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