Erdsprechgerät

[Erik E]

Hello!

Can anyone explain the difference between a "Erdsprechgerät" and a usual field telephone? Why are there 2 different methods for this, and which one was best??

Erik E

[patrick.fissot]

Hello,
I'm having an erdsprechgerät, like you. You can find good information and photos, documents, by using google. You just have to write "ersprechgerät". I remember a french site, called "technimili" where there's a lot of information ( but in french language !).
have a good research

[ducatim901]

http://www.techmili.com/

[odddog]

"Erdsprechgerat". Split this word into components giving "erd sprech gerat" which translated bit by bit into English is something close to "earth speak equipment". I take this to refer to a type of field telephone with no wires. Instead a metal spike is pushed into the ground and the electircal currents travel through the soil.

I have read about this being used ( by Germany ) during the First World War ( in the war biography of an American soldier whose job it was to 'tap' this device for intelligence purposes ), but I have never heard of its use beyond those times.

If I can and anybody expresses further interest, I will dig out the reference.

[T. A. Gardner]

This is simply a ground return field telephone. To make a complete electrical circuit one only needs one wire between the two stations communicating and a ground (earth) return. Several militaries used such systems as early as WW 1. The major reason was the savings in copper, aluminum or steel wire (one versus two). On the other hand, such field telephones are considered "unsecure" as it is often possible for an enemy to simply tap the ground (place two grounds) and listen in. This occured more in WW 1 than 2 were the opposing sides were far more often close togeather allowing the weak ground return signal to be picked up.
These systems are also more prone to problems with 'ghosting.' That is, those faint voices one sometimes hears on telephones when using land lines were inductive interference occurs.

[Harri]

This occured more in WW 1 than 2 were the opposing sides were far more often close togeather allowing the weak ground return signal to be picked up.

At least Finns listened Soviet field telephones during the war with a special device which "carried" a thin wire and metallic spike. They were shot to the Soviet side or between the lines as close to the enemy as possible for listening Soviet field telephones. Also Finnish patrols which "visited" Soviet side could assemble listening wires.

Actually the use of field telephones with only one wire and ground was taught in the Finnish Defence Forces as a back-up method in the late 1980's, perhaps even today.