WW2 Original Radio & Communication Equipment for Sale
World War II was not only fought with rifles, tanks, and aircraft, but also through the invisible battlefield of communication. Radios, field telephones, signal lamps, and encryption devices became indispensable tools for coordinating movements, directing artillery fire, and maintaining command structures across the vast theaters of war. Effective communication often meant the difference between victory and disaster. Lets take a look at some of the most highly use military communication equipment.
Field Radios
Portable field radios allowed front-line soldiers to maintain contact with headquarters and supporting units.
SCR-300 (U.S. Army “Walkie-Talkie”)
Introduced in 1943, the SCR-300 was one of the first backpack portable FM radios. It provided clear voice communication over a 3–5 mile range, revolutionizing infantry coordination.
SCR-536 (U.S. “Handie-Talkie”)
A smaller AM transceiver used by paratroopers, infantry, and engineers, it had a shorter range (about one mile) but was compact and easy to carry.
German Torn.Fu.d2 & Torn.E.b Radios
The Wehrmacht relied on “Tornister Funkgeräte” (backpack radios) for infantry and armored units. The d2 model was commonly used by Panzergrenadiers, while the E.b served artillery and headquarters units.
British Wireless Set No. 18, 22, and 38
Used for infantry and tank-to-tank communication. The No. 38 was small enough for soldiers to carry in the field, while larger sets provided command-level communication.
Vehicle & Aircraft Radios
Radios mounted in tanks, trucks, ships, and aircraft ensured coordination in mobile warfare.
- U.S. SCR-508 & SCR-528
Standard in Sherman tanks, these FM radios allowed clear communication between tank crews and command units. - Luftwaffe FuG Series
German aircraft carried Funkgeräte (FuG) sets, such as the FuG 7a for fighters and FuG 10 for bombers, enabling air-to-ground coordination. - RAF TR.9 & TR.1196
Used in Spitfires, Hurricanes, and other British aircraft, these sets allowed fighter controllers to direct intercepts during the Battle of Britain.
Field Telephones & Wire Communication
Despite the advances in wireless radios, field telephones remained vital.
- U.S. EE-8 Field Telephone
A rugged, battery-powered device connected by wire, often strung on poles or laid across the ground. It provided secure communication for artillery and infantry units. - German Feldfernsprecher 33
Introduced in 1933, this was the standard German field telephone, highly reliable and widely used throughout the war.
Wired communication was less vulnerable to interception but more difficult to maintain under combat conditions.
Signal & Visual Communication
When radios failed or security was paramount, soldiers used traditional signaling methods:
- Signal Flags & Semaphore – Used by naval forces and ground troops.
- Aldis Lamps – Handheld or mounted lamps that transmitted Morse code via flashes of light.
- Signal Flares – Color-coded flares communicated urgent messages such as attack, retreat, or distress.
Cryptography & Secure Communication
The war also saw unprecedented advances in encrypted communication.
- German Enigma Machine
A complex rotor-based encryption device used by the Wehrmacht and Kriegsmarine. Broken by Allied codebreakers at Bletchley Park, its compromise was a turning point in the war. - British Typex Machine
The Allied counterpart to Enigma, used by the British military for secure communications. - SIGABA (U.S. ECM Mark II)
An American cipher machine considered unbreakable during the war, used for top-level Allied communication.
Conclusion
Communication was the unseen weapon of World War II, connecting the front lines to command posts, artillery batteries to infantry, and bombers to navigators. Radios, telephones, signal lamps, and cipher machines formed the nervous system of the war effort. Without these devices, the mechanized warfare of the 1940s would have been impossible to coordinate on such a global scale.
