MPHS in Norway

[nordfriese]

Hello

My name is Rolf, I live in northern Germany and my hobby is military history.

First of all, I have to say sorry that I write in English, because I can't speak any Norwegian.

Because of lucky circumstances, I got some unpublished information about some MPHS of
the german Kriegsmarine in WWII. I registered in your forum to share some information
with you and (maybe) get some more information about MPHS/MPNS in Norway (hopefully
the exact positions). I hope there is something new to you...

MPHS (Marine-Peil-Haupt-Stelle) was a fixed communication-intelligence-(COMINT)-unit of
the Kriegsmarine. The name "MPHS" was used from 1942. Before 1942 a navy COMINT-unit
was called B-Haupt-Stelle (Beobachtungshauptstelle). Smaller units with small monitoring
jobs and a direction-finder (DF) were called B-Stellen (later MPNS = Marinepeilnebenstelle).
Mobile units were called B-Groups.
The job of MPHS was monitoring of naval communication on shortwave, thresholdwave and
longwave.

As far as I know were in Norway MPHS Stavanger with MPNS Aalesund (Giske) and MPHS
Kirkenes (founded 11.5.1942 in Björnevatn) with DF at Svanvik.
MPNS Kirkenes moved in October 1944 to Finfjord-Bodden (?) as MPHS Finnsnes. Kirkenes
and Svanvik were still used as MPNS. Finnsnes used also MPNS Hammerfest and -only as
DF- MPNS Aalesund.


In 1940, during the invasion of Norway and Danmark, a B-Group for Norway was assembled
at B-Stelle Neumünster. Leutnant Thiel, a Funkobermeister (Sersjant/Kvartermester) and
9 soldiers were chosen for this "job". This group used first a former norwegian transmitting
station near Bergen at "Flöyn" mountain (?) as a B-Stelle. Their job was to monitor the
morse-transmissions of the British navy in their home waters, a job former done by B-Stelle
Neumünster. In June 1940 three more soldiers arrived at Flöyn.

In October/November 1940 the soldiers have to put the whole equipment together and were
moved by ship to Stavanger.

Round about 12 km from Stavanger, near Randaberg, at Viste in a small seaside-hotel, they
have to build up a new B-Stelle. New soldiers were added and the monitoring-area became
larger, not only morse-code but also voice-radio.
The B-Stelle got a Kurzwellenpeiler (shortwave-DF) and a Langwellenpeiler (longwave-DF).
The longwave-DF was build up 2 km from the B-Stelle near Randaberg.
The B-Stelle was now called MPHS (1942 ?) and the Feldpostnummer was FPN 38849 P.
Leutnant Thiel became Oberleutnant and the commanding officer at Viste and left Stavanger
as Kapitänleutnant (my information is, that he was in December 1943 at MPHS Langenargen/
Bodensee).
Sometimes MPHS Stavanger had to form B-Groups, who had to embark on german navy vessels
as mobile monitoring-groups. The longest "trip" of one of these groups was from new year
1940/41 to march 1941 with battleship Gneisenau.

Enclosed two pictures of MPHS Kirkenes, which was at Björnevatn in baracks next to the
ski-jump. Also enclosed are two pictures of B-Stelle Bergen, one group-picture of Viste
and one of the longwave-DF near Randaberg. Sorry about the "copyright-signs".


Best wishes from Germany
Rolf

[Erik H]

Hello Rolf and welcome to the Kystfort forum.

Thanks for the pictures and it is a interesting hobby you have

I hope you get some answers here, or more informations as I have no good informations about the subject, but I know there are others here in the forum that must have some knowledge.

(Its could take hours before an answer,.. days or weeks before someone pics up the request)

Anyhow; How many sites could it be in Norway? Would they form a link from South to North norway??

Erik

[T.Knutsen]

To me this is interesting reading, tanks for posting. In the tekst you diskribe a location 2km. From the main Mphs at Viste. This i know is right , but sorry to say that the picture is not from Randaberg. I have been hunting for pictures from this location but with no luck. I have talked with the owner of the ground, and seen one of the antennas, same type as most of the antennas at Viste hotell. I hope you have more information you are willing to shere . I will try to come back with more info. The problem is that my english is way past rusty

[dolmen]

I hope you can forgive me nordfriese for stealing your picture but I couldn`t resist the temptation to show you how this place looks today.The ski-jump is long time gone and so are the barracks but you can see traces from the fundations on my picture.

[labyrint]

Went there today. A lot of scrap metal on/in the ground. The fundations from the buildings still visible. On the heights in the back I found 3 stellungen. Just stone walls without concrete. Traces of wooden roof though. Fun fact: my grandmother actually jumped there wearing a skirt

[dolmen]

The other picture.

[nordfriese]

Hello to all of you!

Thanks to all for the warm welcome!

@Erik H
I already noticed that a good research will take some time...
I got a few informations about MPHS/MPNS all over Europe. Unfortunally just a liitle
bit about Norway. The MPHS had a "teletype-radiolink" to Berlin once or twice a day.
I don't know about the links to the DFs/MPNS.

@T.Knutsen

The problem is that my english is way past rusty

Thanks for the interesting information! If you prefer, feel free to write in norwegian!
I will use a translator as in other threads in this forum.

The information of the picture I posted is "Langwellen-Adcock-Peiler". In a letter about
MPHS Stavanger, written by a former soldier, he described that the longwave-DF was build
near Randaberg, so I thought this must be Randaberg. My mistake...
The "Gonio-Kreuzrahmenpeiler" must have been in the upper left corner of the map.
But where was the other Adcock-DF shown at the picture?

@dolmen and labyrint
Thank you for the pictures and information! As on a lot of places, nature is getting back
what it owns...
Unfortunally I don't have a clue where it is. Could one of you so kind and show it to
me on a map or a Google-Earth-snapshot...

@dolmen
WOW! Nice shots!!! Thanks!

Here is a "map" of MPHS Stavanger as a former soldier reminded of...
The L-type-building in the lower right is named "NORSKE TVEDT". Does anybody know what that means?
... and some antenna-types use at other MPHS (maybe you find one which was used in Norway)...

Best wishes!
Rolf

[nordfriese]

Hi again!

I have never heard about a 5,62cm russian gun.
I think he must be wrong and it means a 7,62cm gun...

Rolf

[nordfriese]

Hi!

I have read in another thread here in the forum about a small "bunker" in the area of a DF (I hope my translation-program
translated it proper to me ).
One of my upper pictures shows a 6-mast-Adcock-DF at Hjörring/DK (unsure). In the middle of the antenna-circle is a small
hut for the operator. For your information, there were also Adcock-DFs at other MPHS/MPNS, which used not a hut, but a
small "bunker" under the surface as the operator-"room". The size was round about 3 x 3m.

Example:
At MPHS Neusiedl (Austria) is still a strange concrete "thing" at/near the former position of a 4-mast-Adcock-DF.

Best wishes!
Rolf

[labyrint]

MPHS Kirkenes appoximatly at position 69.67698º N, 30.01218º E (69° 40′ 37.1″N, 30° 00′ 43.9″E)

[nordfriese]

Thank you, sir!

Is anybody having a idea about the norwegian radio-station near Bergen, which was first used as a "MPHS"?

Best wishes
Rolf

[Tarjei]

The Norwegian radio station, formerly known as Bergen Radio, was commisioned in 1912. It had a 5kW Telefunken transmitter. It was located on top of the mountain Rundemanen. Follow this link for the position.
http://goo.gl/maps/g2dsK

The buildings in your pictures are the houses for the operators and their families. They were demolished in 1982. The building remaining is the building housing the equipment. Enclosed is a picture of the equipment used. Date and source unknown. Also enclosed is a picture from 1979, showing some modern equipment built after the war.

There is also some information and pictures on this site

http://www.laguide.no/Telemuseum8/en.html

[nordfriese]

Hi Tarjei!

Wow, now I know where the famous Bergen-Radio was...
Thanks for the information!

Best wishes
Rolf

[JGR]

MPHS Kirkenes

http://webhotel2.gisline.no/GISLINEWebI ... e=ortofoto

http://hvor.no/l/moopyzoosion

BTW. the correct spelling of Finnfjord-Bodden is Finnfjordbotn

[StigG]

Marinebasen i Finnfjordbotn ca 1960