'Report on the operations carried out in the southern desert in connection with the Iraq-Najd borders, November 1927-May 1928.' [‎24v] (48/66)

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Aircraft.
10. All aircraft were fitted with type T.21 transmitters and type T.f.
receivers. Forced landing equipment was carried by all W/T aircraft.
Armoured Cars.
11. Each armoured car section included a R.R. W/f tender, carrying a
station of the T.21 and T.f. type. Mast gear consisted in some case^ of
two Bentwood masts, and in others of six sections of a light type steel
mast and one Bentwood mast.
W/T during Action.
12. During the afternoon of January 29th, a reconnaissance from Buscol
discovered and reported a raiding party 15 miles north of A1 Hafar. I he
raiders were attacked, but it was not possible to reinforce the formation
before hours of darkness. During the night orders were issued for a
concentration of Nucol and Buscol aircraft at Rukhaimiyah, the forward
base being protected by a car section from Buscol, who also provided W/T
communication. The following day the raiders were not located owing to
adverse weather conditions until 1430 hours L.T., when they were engaged
by a formation from Nucol S.W. of Hafar. A formation from Buscol, in
the air at the time, about 50 miles further west, was informed by W/T by
the leader of the. Nucol formation and proceeded to reinforce him, arriving
after the departure of the latter and completing the disintegration of
the raiding force. This was the first instance of a formation in the air
being informed bv W/T of the location of raiders by another formation
engaged in the attack.
13. The forward base at Rukhaimiyah was kept open until the area south
of Hafar had been cleared of raiders, no W/T failures being experienced.
Short delays occurred at night owing to the necessity for the use of buscol
as a link with H.Q., Akforce, during periods when atmospherics were
abnormal. Up to this period of the operations weather conditions had
been unsettled and abnormal atmospherics had occurred with the approach
of rain storms. These periods had been of comparatively short duration,
none being sufficiently severe to close down a station for more than two or
three hours at a time.
14. With the approach of wanner weather, however, the Strength of
atmospherics increased appreciably, particularly between sunset and dawn.
Atmospherics appeared to be strongest upon the occasions of rapid changes
of temperature, high winds and dust storms.
15. Throughout the months of March and April, dust storms occurred
practically every day at Ur, the dust commencing to rise between 0900 and
1100 hours L.T., and subsiding with the approach of darkness at
1800 hours. Atmospherics were strongest for the first three or four hours of
the dust storm and were severe enough to prevent all working with columns
stations during that period. On days when the wind speed and the
volumes of dust remained constant, after the preliminary rising, it was
generally possible to re-open and watch early in the afternoon, conditions
then gradually improving throughout the night. On days when it became
impossible to work from the commencement of the storm and throughout
the dav, it was generally possible to clear all traffic between the hours of
0300 and 0600 hours L.T. The strength of atmospherics in bad dust
storms may be estimated from the fact that, when the aerial lead was held
near the earth terminal, sparks one quarter of an inch in length occurred
continuously, the spark itself resembling that from the continuous discharge
of a condenser.