[peterwoods@supanet.com]

Freddie, the basic concept you suggest would be great. However, I think that if it's not already included, and I for one have not seen any suggestion that it is, we are for sure not going to get it this time round.

All of that said, I think your understanding of the reporting organisational set up is a little confused terminology wise.

Firstly, "Chain Home" was the chain of radar stations along the East and South coasts of the UK. These stations could detect aircraft out to a maximum of 120 miles dependent upon the height of the aircraft. but were blind below about 5000 feet. By virtue of their locations on or close to the coast they were useless once the aircraft were very close or behind them. To cover the lower levels a second system called "Chain Home Low" using higher frequencies and a rotaing antenna were installed which could detect aircraft down as low as 2000 feet but the range was much shorter, about 35 miles.

Secondly, the "ground spotters" as you call them were unpaid civilian volunteers of the "Observer Corps" located at a multitude of locations inland from the coast. They were invariably connected to Fighter Command Headquarters and/or Sector Operations Rooms by landline telephones. To the best of my knowledge none were connected by radio (truck of fixed). The input from these reporting stations was vital to the accurate guidance of defending fighter aircraft to intercept the Luftwaffe formations once they had crossed the coast since those formations invariably changed course once inland.

By the way the Observer posts were very small sandbagged enclosures, sometimes on rooftops but also in open fields and were very difficult to target, although I believe some were hit during raids it was more often not from a deliberate attack. Their equipment was minimal and simple: a bearing table with angled theodolite, for bearing, height and course; binoculars, for identification; and a telephone instrument and line, for reporting.

I hope you find the above helpful. It should in no way detract from your excellent suggestion. Here's hoping that Oleg can include such an immersive element into a future update.

Pete