O OBERBEFEHLSHABER (OB) “Commander in Chief ” (Wehrmacht) There were variations on this title, including “Ob.d.H.” for “Oberbefehlshaber des Heeres.” OBERBEFEHLSHABER WEST (OB WEST) The Wehrmacht GHQ for the Western Front From March 1942 through the Normandy campaign the position was held by Field Marshal Gerd von Rundstedt OBERKOMMANDO “High Command.” Each service within the Wehrmacht had its own Oberkommando or High Command: des Heer, des Luftwaffe, and des Marine (Kriegsmarine) See also OKH; OKW OBLAST A civilian administrative unit of the Soviet Union OBOE An RAF navigation and targeting aid developed from 1941 to 1942 In theory, Oboe permitted precision bombing by locating a target within 100 yards at 250 miles It comprised two radio beams broadcast from Norfolk and Kent that together plotted an aircraft’s position, altitude, and ground speed It was first deployed operationally in December 1942 It was used by “Mosquito” Pathfinders to locate and mark targets for the bomber streams That made bombing patterns achieved less than precise Also, range was limited, even when “repeater” aircraft were used to relay the signal Oboe was jammed by the Germans from October 1943, but countermeasures extended its life into 1945 It was employed deeper