User:Hp.Baumeler/Radiostations in German South West Africa

The Radiostations in German South West Africa (today Namibia) enabeled the Germans to communicate between their colony German South West Africa and their motherland the German Empire. They also used the radios to communicate within the German South West Africa territory and the German boats on sea. The radios used at that time were Spark-gap transmitters.

The introduction of radio telegraphy was a significant step for the communication between German South West Africa and the German motherland in Europe. The news about the start of World War I reached German South West Africa on 2 August 1914 via radio telegraphy. The information was transmitted from the radiostation Nauen via a relay station in Kamina and Lomé in Togo to the radiostation in Windhoek.

Fixed radiostations
The Germans installed three fixed radiostations in German South West Africa. One in the capital Windhoek, one in Swakopmund and one in Lüderitzbucht, this being the earlier name of the nowadays city of Lüderitz. During World War I the radiostation in Swakopmund was moved to Tsumeb and the radiostation in Lüderitzbucht was moved to Aus. The radiostations were operated on a wave length ranging from 300 to 4500 meters corresponding to medium wave and long wave frequencies. At that time short waves i.e. higher frequencies above 3 MHz could not yet be created. Therefore the T-formed antennas of the radiostations were rather high, for instance, the towers in Windhoek had  reached a  height of 120 meters.

The british government was well aware of the installation of the new German radio system. On 24 December 1913 the british consul in Lüderitzbucht reported to the English ministry of foreign affairs the following:

'' Sir, I have the honour to inform you that a wireless telegraphy station is in course of erection in Windhuk. The station is designed to establish direct communication with Nauen in Germany and it is expected that the new service will be in full working order by the 15th May 1914'' (British Consul in Lüderitzbucht)

The radiostation in Swakopmund was inaugurated on 4 February 1912 but then was dismantelled on 13 August 1914 and moved to Tsumeb where the station with its 86 meters high towers was operational on 24 November 1914.

The radiostation in Lüderitzbucht went operational on 3 June 1912 and was dismabtelled on 8 August 1914, then was moved to the small city of Aus where it became operational on 15 September 1914. Shortly afterwards, already on 19 September 1914, the South African troops had occupied the city of Lüderitzbucht.

Mobile radiostations
In 1903/1904 the Germans already had three operational mobile radio stations in German South West Africa for their communication in the territory. They used radios from Siemens & Halske and from Telefunken. The radios were installed on Ox-wagons and were operated on two frequencies on a wave length of 350 m and 875 m respectively. The antennas were lifted by hydrogen balloons of which the hydrogen was produced in Bitterfeld/Germany.