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Because of lucky circumstances, I got some unpublished information about some MPHS of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