Operations Room Projector

The defence of German airspace was controlled from operations rooms or ‘battle opera houses’. Here, projectors were used to present an overview of the situation on a large map so that an overall defensive strategy could be directed.

Various sources of information were collated and the resultant information was projected onto a large map on the wall of a Fighter Control Battle Centre producing an overall air picture. Using this information, night fighters could be directed to radio beacons close to where the bomber stream appeared to be heading and then fed into the stream as it passed. The operators of these projectors were frequently female auxiliaries.