Oboe

Oboe, also known as AMES Type 9000, is a blind bombing targeting system. This system requires the use of two radar stations called Cat and Mouse. The Cat station guides a bomber aircraft on a flight path to its target and the Mouse station indicates when the bomber is directly above its target and should release its load.

The flight path is indicated by an auditory signal directed to the pilot’s headphones. This signal is made up of Morse code dots and dashes. To the left of the flight path the pilot can only hear dots, and to the right the pilot can only hear dashes. When the aircraft is directly on the flight path, the two signals combine and the pilot hears a single, consistent tone. This tone sounds like a note played on an oboe, hence the nickname for AMES Type 9000 equipment.

Bombing missions using the Oboe system were usually carried out by Mosquito bombers because they were capable of flying higher than any German aircraft at the time and higher than the range of German anti-aircraft guns. Oboe also had a 400km range in distance and was accurate in within 100 meters of the target. Combined, these factors made Oboe safe for use in day and night bombing raids.