Rover Joe:
Origins



This name derives from a communication system created by the United States Army for the Italian campaign.

In detail it is a mobile radio system installed on Willys jeep equipped with two radio devices: one for communication with the army and the other with aviation.

The vehicle, named with the initials AN / VRC-1 or, more often, with the nickname of "Rover Joe", coordinated the US aviation interventions along the mobile lines of the front during the Italian campaign, drastically innovating the communication which, until then, was in watertight compartments.

This development has shown that, through the expansion of communication, you can get great success and win important challenges both in the field of war or civilian.

In addition to research in the world of original materials, the Association organizes, promotes and supports exhibitions, conferences, studies, guided visits to museums and memorial sites, in collaboration with museum organizations, other associations, Armed Forces, libraries, archives historians.

The c purpose is always striving to design new initiatives to the cultural enhancement of the historical period mentioned above.

  During the invasion of Sicily and Italy, the command of US tactical air force controlled all the air forces that supported the operation. Even the transport logistics forces, not directly involved in the defense of the fleet were under his operational control.

This union of air forces was not only solid in theory, but resisted the examination of the battle and proved to be the most effective method to control the air forces in the framework of operations.

As soon as all the potential of ground-based air controllers on the front lines was evident, an experiment was made for the Italian campaign called Rover Joe.

A Willys Jeep equipped with two Radio devices, SCR193 for ground communications (troops) and SCR 522 for direct communications with aircraft, followed the lines of the moving front.

On board, in addition to the driver of the vehicle, there was an expert fighter-bomber pilot.

The Jeep was positioned at a point overlooking an active area of the front of the Fifth Army.

Based on the experience of the pilot who observed the evolution of the front, he directly chose the objectives for the Allied air force, described the theater of operations and warned the pilots of the presence of friendly troops and enemy defenses in the area.

Rover Joe flights coordinated with four every 30 minutes, this is to ensure sufficient air cover, avoiding the enemy could reorganize in time.

Gen. Mark Clark said in his report:
"Often, with the Rover Joe Coordination we dropped the bombs on targets just 500 meters from our troops and our men have never been hurt once."  

Given the excellent result of the Rover Joe experiment during the Italian campaign, the Nona Forza Aerea employed a similar program in Europe.

At the time of the invasion of Normandy, then, they had already been created tactical aircraft numbered commands working with any army of the earth, and this has contributed to the success that from Normandy has followed the liberation of Europe.







   

Paul Bennett

..."I've been a little bit in your story. Today I relived my story."...


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