page_title: Luftnachrichten Abteilung 350
section_title: Organisation
hierarchical_section_title: Luftnachrichten Abteilung 350 / History of operations in the south / Operations in the south / Development in the South August 1943 to October 1944 / Organisation
context_page_description: The Luftnachrichten Abteilung 350, abbreviated as OKL/Ln Abt 350 and formerly called the, was the Signal Intelligence Agency of the German Air Force, the Luftwaffe, before and during World War II. Before November 1944, the unit was named as the Chi-Stelle Ob.d.L., which was often abbreviated to Chi-Stelle/ObdL or more commonly Chi-Stelle. The founding of the former agencies of OKL/Ln Abt 350 dates back to the year 1936, when Colonel Wolfgang Martini instigated the creation of the agency, that was later established on the orders of Hermann Göring, the German politician, military leader, and leading member of the Nazi Party. Right from the beginning, the Luftwaffe High Command resolved itself to make itself entirely independent from the German Army in the field of cryptology.
context_section_description: The combined Allied landings in Sicily and Italy on 9–10 July 1943, the increasingly untenable position of German forces in the Balkans, and the defection of Romania and breakthrough of Russian forces into this territory in September 1944, were all factors that determined the organisation and disposition of Luftwaffe signals in the south. Each of the battalions assumed a distinct and special development moulded by events in their respective sectors.
  W-Leit 2 (See Figures No. 7 and 8)
  After the loss of Africa and the systematic conquest of the islands surrounding Sicily, a landing in Sicily seemed only a matter of weeks away. As early as June 1943, all the women auxiliaries of W-Leit 2 were returned to Germany. Three days before the landing on 9 July 1943, the evaluation company was transferred mostly by air, from Taormina to Frascati, while 10th Co. LNR 2 moved into the installations in Taormina that were already vacated. The remaining signals units and outstations received their movement orders in ample time to move from Messina to Reggio Calabria under cover of a gigantic flak barrage. First they assembled in the Luftwaffe Signal Corps assembly area at Cosenza and then moved in stages to Frascati except for one large VHF platoon that took up position in Terelle.
  Hence the battalion was taken unawares by the Italian armistice on 3 September 1943. The land-line communication with Germany was so badly mauled by the Allied bombing attacks on the Alpine passes, that the German command had to rely on Allied air support messages intercepted in Southern France to keep informed of the ground situation in Italy. On 8 December 1943, Frascati was bombed by about 170 B-24 bombers, causing 6000 fatalities including 36 members of the former Luftwaffe signals company, Africa. The battalion had already configured 66 HF receivers in Frascati. Now it moved north to Padua, where it created a large HF intercept station, with all key positions filled by a new group of officers.
  For two months the signals battalion had virtually ceased operations. Only the VHF platoon and a few radar intercept stations remained in operation and furnished the combat units the indispensable flash reports.
  After the move to the Padua area, a radical reorganisation took place. First, the evaluation company was overhauled completely, so that it could cope with all tactical requirements. Then a large HF intercept installation was established in the Padua area, that was the most modern of its kind. The number of its receivers increased to about 100 sets. A very large DF section was added. The 10th Co. LNR 2 devoted itself exclusively to DF, while the now reinforced signals company, Africa took over all HF interception. The 9th Co. LNR 32 with its VHF and radar intercept out-stations remained with Air Command, Italy, in Soriano, so that this headquarters possessed a complete signals unit exclusively for its own purposes, in its own area. This solution was arrived at in view of the constant difficulties with signal communication since the Italian armistice and proved extremely satisfactory. The 9th Co. LNR 32 specialised in monitoring the tactical air forces and the air support networks. Its work benefited not only the Luftwaffe but was at the same time vitally important to the German divisions on the Italian front.
  Another task of the battalion was the interception of the traffic of the medium bombers, which constantly harassed the roads and railways of central and northern Italy, operating from bases in southern Sardinia. W-Leit 2 exceeded its commitment for the Italian theatre by contributing to the flight path tracking of the heavy bombers from airfields in the Foggia area. For this purpose, two girdles of RT outstations were set up in Italy. Since the bomber formation of the Nineteenth Air Force generally divulged their takeoff on HF RT transmissions, especially during the first months of their activity, and the nearest team intercepting this traffic of low signal strength was only 30 kilometres behind the front lines, this constituted the first reliable source 
caption: The diagram represents an organisational withdrawal of Luftwaffe signals units in the Western Mediterranean, July 1943 to May 1945. After the fall of Africa, Luftwaffe signals units retreated as the Allies gained ground. The retreat started after Tunisia was captured by the Allies in May 1943, followed by Sicily in August 1943. The Luftwaffe removed critical DF, radar and intercept out-station equipment first from Tunisia to Frascati, and then from Frascati to Padua, as the war progressed. Frascati was the regional headquarters of Albert Kesselring before being moved to Padua and then Canazei. Equipment and personnel who could not be carried by aeroplane travelled up the west coast of Italy, to a troop assembly area at Cosenza, where they reorganised before heading north.