With its distinctive ring around its fuselage, the Wellington DWI (Directional Wireless Installation) aircraft was effective against Germany’s magnetic mines during World War II. Following British successes in defending against mines with the technology, the Germans installed similar systems on their aircraft.
Allied Shipping Faced Dangers From German Magnetic Mines
The unique Wellington DWI modified bomber aircraft was designed to combat German magnetic mines during the Second World War. In the early days of the war, Luftwaffe aircraft were dropping mines in British coastal waters, presenting a severe hazard to Allied shipping.
Aluminum Ring Powered by Automobile Engine
British engineers devised a solution to install an aluminum ring on the Wellington. They also added a Ford V8 automobile engine in the fuselage to create and send an electric current to the ring, which would generate a magnetic field. This ring, a circular coil 51 feet in diameter, was inside a balsa wood covering.
The basic mission was for the Wellington DWI to fly low over water, and the magnetic field in the ring would trigger German magnetic mines and make them detonate. They conducted successful tests of the system in December 1939. The first successful mission with a DWI Aircraft occurred on 8 January 1940 near Manston, a town near the English Channel coast.
Challenges Faced by Wellington DWI Crews
The ring system presented some unique challenges for flight crews. First, the aircraft had to fly very low and were in danger from the exploding magnetic mines. Crew determined that they could fly no lower than 35 feet above the water, and the RAF set a standard altitude of 60 feet. Despite this, the explosions still rattled the aircraft quite a bit.
During a test flight on 13 January 1940, the Wellington DWI accidentally dropped below 35 feet, and when the mine exploded, the crew stated the aircraft was “thrown” up in the air.
Engine Fumes Made Conditions Difficult For Flight Crews
A second variant of the DWI had a De Havilland Gypsy Six engine, which produced a more powerful current. The Gypsy version was called the Mark II. Both this and the V8 produced fumes inside the aircraft, often causing “violent nausea” among the crew.
Altogether, the British converted as many as 15 Wellingtons to the DWI models with the rings. The basic mission outline was a formation of three DWIs.
On 11 May 1940, DWIs participated in a mission to evacuate Dutch Queen Wilhelmina and members of her family and her government from the Netherlands during the German invasion. They escaped on a British destroyer, and DWIs helped clear mines so the ship could escape.
Wellington DWI Aircraft Provide Valuable Support For Allied Armies
Following this, the DWIs deployed to Ismalia, Egypt, and flew missions over Alexandria Harbor, the Suez Canal, and the African coast. Their ability to clear mines proved to be essential support for the Allied armies advancing in Northern Africa.
German Develop their Own Anti-Mine Ring Systems
The Wellington DWI proved so effective that the Germans developed similar designs to combat British magnetic mining of the Baltic and North Seas. In 1939, the Luftwaffe modified a Junker Ju-52/3m transport aircraft with a 46-foot diameter ring. Like the Wellington, the ring on the Ju-52/3m, which the Germans called the “MS Minensuche(mine search)” aircraft, was an aluminum coil encased in balsa wood.
They attached the ring to the wings with plywood struts. The German aircraft used diesel and gasoline motors mounted in the fuselage to power 150-kilowatt generators to provide electricity to their rings.
Acoustic Mines Create More Challenges for Germans
When the British also began using acoustic mines, the Germans responded by adding new devices to their Junkers. These “KK-Gerät (Knallkörpergerät, or mine destruction devices)” aircraft carried 30 22-pound explosive charges, which would destroy the hydrophones (microphones)on the mines.
During their missions, two MS Minensuchemine search planes would fly next to each other at 32 – 65 feet, and the KK-Gerät aircraft would fly about 130 feet behind them. This put them in danger from explosions caused by the first planes.
The Germans eventually deployed these aircraft as far south as the Mediterranean, with their most critical and dangerous area along the French coast. The aircraft conducted mine sweeping operations until the end of the war.
These high-tech (for their time) developments by both sides to combat magnetic mines during World War II were examples of what Winston Churchill called the “Battle of the Boffins,” the continuous scientific battle to develop the most advanced weapons and tactics in the early days of the war.
