Seventy-five years ago this month, it was clear that the Allies would soon prevail against both Germany and Japan. Therefore, it was soon time to break out the surrender speakers. In fact, such speakers had already been used in all theaters of war to encourage the enemy to surrender. It was found to be particularly useful when the enemy had been encircled or contained in a small pocket.

The model shown here was rated at 175 watts, and could peak at 350 watts, allowing it to be heard two miles away. It could be operated in relative safety, since once the speaker was in place, not only could the enemy not see it, but the microphone could be a further distance away.

The set had already been used at Cherbourg and other areas in Normandy, and resulted in the surrender of hundreds of German soldiers.

The setup is shown here on the cover of Radio Craft , November, 1944, which pointed out that the operator must be fluent in the enemy’s language. The enemy is told that the situation is hopeless and that further bloodshed is useless. This is followed by directions for surrender.