been installed on board Italian warships by 8 September 1943, the day Italy signed an armistice with the Allies. Beginning in the spring of 1943, the recommendation of the Italian High Command was to switch the radar on only in proximity of enemy forces, after an incorrect German advisory that the British had radar warning receivers similar to the Metox. The Allies, however, did not develop such technology until 1944. In spite of this, it has been reported that the crews made a wide use of the Gufo as a search radar, omitting to mention it on the ship's logbook to avoid sanctions. The radar was used in combat by the light cruiser on the night of 17 July 1943, while on passage from La Spezia to Taranto, when she detected a flotilla of four British Elco motor torpedo boats five miles ahead in the strait of Messina. One of the motor boats, MTB 316, was destroyed by the cruiser's guns, and another one was seriously damaged. Twelve British seamen lost their lives. After Italy's armistice in September 1943, all the documentation pertaining to the research and development of the "Gufo" and of its ground-based version, named "Folaga" (coot) and built by Radiomarelli, was destroyed by order of the Italian Royal Navy Command to prevent it from falling in the hands of the occupying Nazi troops. Brandimarte, who had been promoted to Lt. Commander due to his achievements in developing the radar, joined the Italian anti-fascist resistance movement and was taken prisoner and subsequently executed by the Germans in 1944. Other Commonwealth countries When war with Germany was believed to be inevitable, Great Britain shared its secrets of RDF (radar) with the Commonwealth dominions of Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa – and asked that they develop their own capabilities for indigenous systems. After Germany invaded Poland in September 1939, Great Britain and the Commonwealth Nations declared war with Germany. Within a short time, all four of the Commonwealth Nations had locally designed radar systems in operation, and most continued with developments throughout the war. Australia After Australia declared war on Germany in September 1939, the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research established the Radiophysics Laboratory (RPL) at the University of Sydney to conduct radar research. Led by John H. Piddington, their first project produced a shore-defense system, designated ShD, for the Australian Army. This was followed by the