Radio 1212
Encyclopedia
Radio 1212 or Nachtsender 1212 was a black propaganda
radio
station operated from 1944 to 1945 by the Psychological Warfare Branch of the US Office of War Information (OWI) under the direction of CBS
radio chief William S. Paley
, who was based in London
. Nachtsender 1212 broadcast from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg using the former commercial radio facilities known as Radio Luxembourg
, which had been occupied and then liberated from German control during World War II
.
Radio Luxembourg closed down on September 21, 1939 on the instructions of the government of the Grand Duchy in order to protect the neutrality of Luxembourg during World War II
.
ordered the occupation of Luxembourg, and the Wehrmacht
turned over the facilities of Radio Luxembourg to the Großdeutscher Rundfunk . The Nazis also used the broadcasting station to reach the British Isles
. It featured the Irish
presenter William Joyce
, whose propaganda broadcasts became dubbed by disbelieving listeners in the UK as the stilted voice of "Lord Haw-Haw".
agreed that, following the liberation of the Grand Duchy, they would turn over the facilities of Radio Luxembourg to U.S. Army control. More specifically, this control would be given to SHAEF where the station would serve as "the voice of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
" acting on behalf of America, Britain, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
On September 10, 1944, the German armies fled from Luxembourg following the successful Allied invasion on D-Day
and the approach of a special task force of the American 12th Army. The Luxembourg transmitters were then turned over to SHAEF.
During the withdrawal some German soldiers had been ordered to dynamite the station, but a station engineer persuaded them to shoot holes in the transmitter tubes
instead. When the US troops arrived, the engineer dug up a set of spare tubes which he had buried in the grounds of the station four years earlier.
Also using these facilities was the Psychological Warfare Branch of the United States Office of War Information (OWI) under the management of CBS radio chief William S. Paley
. The OWI used the facility to create Nachtsender 1212, a black propaganda
station that identified itself as broadcasting from within Nazi Germany.
The purpose of Nachtsender 1212 was to gain a loyal Nazi audience by broadcasting information favourable to the German interpretation of the War, but as the battle advanced against the borders of Germany itself, Nachtsender 1212 began to intersperse misleading and totally false information within its broadcasts. This included a fictitious story about a German city that rebelled against the Nazi regime, pretending to relay messages from the burgomaster
asking for help. The station had a similar mission to the British-operated Soldatensender Calais
, which attempted to undermine German military morale and provide misinformation under the cover of entertaining Germans. Nachtsender 1212 signed off the air by pretending that the Allies had captured this make-believe German station by overrunning it.
, a plan was devised to redirect the station towards communist Eastern Europe
and the Soviet Union
by linking the Luxembourg transmitters via landline to BBC World Service
studios in London. This plan fell apart when Churchill's Conservative Party
lost to the Labour Party
in the postwar British General Election
on July 5, 1945.
For a time the Luxembourg transmitters remained under American control and they were used to relay programs for the Voice of America
as well as originating programming under the call sign identifier of the "United Nations Station
".
Radio Luxembourg was handed back to the Grand Duchy in November 1945.
Among the arriving British Allied troops who came to occupy the Grand Duchy was Geoffrey Everitt. He stayed on after VE
day and was hired by Stephen Williams
to help him rebuild the English-language commercial service of Radio Luxembourg
.
Black propaganda
Black propaganda is false information and material that purports to be from a source on one side of a conflict, but is actually from the opposing side. It is typically used to vilify, embarrass or misrepresent the enemy...
radio
Radio
Radio is the transmission of signals through free space by modulation of electromagnetic waves with frequencies below those of visible light. Electromagnetic radiation travels by means of oscillating electromagnetic fields that pass through the air and the vacuum of space...
station operated from 1944 to 1945 by the Psychological Warfare Branch of the US Office of War Information (OWI) under the direction of CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
radio chief William S. Paley
William S. Paley
William S. Paley was the chief executive who built Columbia Broadcasting System from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.-Early life:...
, who was based in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. Nachtsender 1212 broadcast from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg using the former commercial radio facilities known as Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (French)
Radio Luxembourg - 1933-1939 and 1951- is the name of a Long Wave commercial radio station that began broadcasting from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg in 1933 as a daytime and evening service in the French language from Monday to Saturday and until 12 Noon on Sundays.The station closed down at the...
, which had been occupied and then liberated from German control during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
History of the station
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Era of "Lord Haw-Haw"
On May 10, 1940, the Nazi government of GermanyGermany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
ordered the occupation of Luxembourg, and the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
turned over the facilities of Radio Luxembourg to the Großdeutscher Rundfunk . The Nazis also used the broadcasting station to reach the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
. It featured the Irish
Irish people
The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...
presenter William Joyce
William Joyce
William Joyce , nicknamed Lord Haw-Haw, was an Irish-American fascist politician and Nazi propaganda broadcaster to the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He was hanged for treason by the British as a result of his wartime activities, even though he had renounced his British nationality...
, whose propaganda broadcasts became dubbed by disbelieving listeners in the UK as the stilted voice of "Lord Haw-Haw".
Era of OWI
On May 24, 1944, the Luxembourg government in exile in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
agreed that, following the liberation of the Grand Duchy, they would turn over the facilities of Radio Luxembourg to U.S. Army control. More specifically, this control would be given to SHAEF where the station would serve as "the voice of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force
Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force , was the headquarters of the Commander of Allied forces in north west Europe, from late 1943 until the end of World War II. U.S. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was in command of SHAEF throughout its existence...
" acting on behalf of America, Britain, France, Belgium and Luxembourg.
On September 10, 1944, the German armies fled from Luxembourg following the successful Allied invasion on D-Day
D-Day
D-Day is a term often used in military parlance to denote the day on which a combat attack or operation is to be initiated. "D-Day" often represents a variable, designating the day upon which some significant event will occur or has occurred; see Military designation of days and hours for similar...
and the approach of a special task force of the American 12th Army. The Luxembourg transmitters were then turned over to SHAEF.
During the withdrawal some German soldiers had been ordered to dynamite the station, but a station engineer persuaded them to shoot holes in the transmitter tubes
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
instead. When the US troops arrived, the engineer dug up a set of spare tubes which he had buried in the grounds of the station four years earlier.
Also using these facilities was the Psychological Warfare Branch of the United States Office of War Information (OWI) under the management of CBS radio chief William S. Paley
William S. Paley
William S. Paley was the chief executive who built Columbia Broadcasting System from a small radio network into one of the foremost radio and television network operations in the United States.-Early life:...
. The OWI used the facility to create Nachtsender 1212, a black propaganda
Black propaganda
Black propaganda is false information and material that purports to be from a source on one side of a conflict, but is actually from the opposing side. It is typically used to vilify, embarrass or misrepresent the enemy...
station that identified itself as broadcasting from within Nazi Germany.
The purpose of Nachtsender 1212 was to gain a loyal Nazi audience by broadcasting information favourable to the German interpretation of the War, but as the battle advanced against the borders of Germany itself, Nachtsender 1212 began to intersperse misleading and totally false information within its broadcasts. This included a fictitious story about a German city that rebelled against the Nazi regime, pretending to relay messages from the burgomaster
Burgomaster
Burgomaster is the English form of various terms in or derived from Germanic languages for the chief magistrate or chairman of the executive council of a sub-national level of administration...
asking for help. The station had a similar mission to the British-operated Soldatensender Calais
Soldatensender Calais
Soldatensender Calais was a British black propaganda broadcaster during the Second World War operated by the Political Warfare Executive. It pretended to be a station of the German military broadcasting network...
, which attempted to undermine German military morale and provide misinformation under the cover of entertaining Germans. Nachtsender 1212 signed off the air by pretending that the Allies had captured this make-believe German station by overrunning it.
Era of transition
Following the occupation of Germany in May 1945, the future of Radio Luxembourg was debated in the United Kingdom. The BBC did not welcome the idea of renewed commercial competition if the facilities were turned back to commercial control. In conjunction with Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, a plan was devised to redirect the station towards communist Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe
Eastern Europe is the eastern part of Europe. The term has widely disparate geopolitical, geographical, cultural and socioeconomic readings, which makes it highly context-dependent and even volatile, and there are "almost as many definitions of Eastern Europe as there are scholars of the region"...
and the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
by linking the Luxembourg transmitters via landline to BBC World Service
BBC World Service
The BBC World Service is the world's largest international broadcaster, broadcasting in 27 languages to many parts of the world via analogue and digital shortwave, internet streaming and podcasting, satellite, FM and MW relays...
studios in London. This plan fell apart when Churchill's Conservative Party
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
lost to the Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
in the postwar British General Election
United Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
on July 5, 1945.
For a time the Luxembourg transmitters remained under American control and they were used to relay programs for the Voice of America
Voice of America
Voice of America is the official external broadcast institution of the United States federal government. It is one of five civilian U.S. international broadcasters working under the umbrella of the Broadcasting Board of Governors . VOA provides a wide range of programming for broadcast on radio...
as well as originating programming under the call sign identifier of the "United Nations Station
United Nations Radio
United Nations Radio is the international broadcasting service of the United Nations.The radio broadcast is part of the World Radio Network. In the United States of America, the broadcast can be heard on Sirius Satellite Radio....
".
Radio Luxembourg was handed back to the Grand Duchy in November 1945.
Among the arriving British Allied troops who came to occupy the Grand Duchy was Geoffrey Everitt. He stayed on after VE
VE
VE, Ve or ve may refer to:* Vili and Vé, gods in Norse mythology* Vé , a shrine in Germanic paganism and modern place name element* Ve , a character from the Cyrillic alphabet* Ve , a character of the Arabic alphabet...
day and was hired by Stephen Williams
Stephen Williams
Steven or Stephen Williams may refer to:*Stephen Williams , archaeologist at Harvard University*Stephen Williams , former Gloucestershire cricketer*Stephen Williams , former Cornwall cricketer...
to help him rebuild the English-language commercial service of Radio Luxembourg
Radio Luxembourg (English)
Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
.
See also
- Radio Luxembourg (disambiguation)
- 208, your station of the starsRadio Luxembourg (English)Radio Luxembourg is a commercial broadcaster in many languages from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. It is nowadays known in most non-English languages as RTL ....
- 1951-1992.