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Of Stabilizers and Infra-red Sights


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I was looking today at the US Forces, European Theater's 1945 study "Tank Gunnery" and noted two issues addressed that have arisen before in this forum. First, the Army said that most units did not use the stabilizers on the Shermans, although it claimed that a few did with good results. The Army blamed the lack of use largely on a supposedly inferior model used in training in the US that soured tankers on the apparatus. The study also flatly asserts that the Germans had developed infra-red searchlights and sights for tanks by the end of the war, although it offers no indication that such hardware was ever used. The study is available at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Cheers.

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I have seen pictures of panther "Nacchtjagers" with IR sights mounted on the cupola instead of an AA gun. I have also seen spw251/21(maybe?) called the "Uhu" (or Owl) that had huge IR spotlights attached.

Indeed, I have also seen soldiers with big battery backpacks and IR scopes on their rifles who fought the battle of Berlin. These items were rare, but did in fact exist in the closing months of the war. They are very technologically advanced for the time, and it was at least 10 yewars or so after the close of the war before the US had comparable equipment, and that was after studying captured German equipment! Of course, the German stuff was very crude by modern standards.

Also, I would like some info on how exactly this stuff worked. I have seen starlight and IR goggles (starlight is a black and white view and IR is a green) but how did these big spotlights work? Did they paint the area with some form or light? Was it red? Any ideas?

Here's a pic from a model (Dragon):

6089.jpg

[ 11-02-2001: Message edited by: Panzer Leader ]</p>

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You can read about IR equipped tanks on Achtungpanzer

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From March to April of 1945, approximately 50 Panthers Ausf G (and other variants) mounted with FG 1250, saw combat service on the Eastern Front and Western Front. Panthers with IR operated with SdKfz.251/20 Uhu (Owl) half-track with 60cm infra-red searchlight and Sd.Kfz.251/21 Falke (Falcon).

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Basically they worked on the use of an active IR source, a searchlight which would light up the target area and a seperate sensor, usually a telescopic sight designed to filter IR light would allow an observer to "see" the illuminated object.

The Germans developed two sets of IR night systems for their tanks. The Type A, which was simpler, consisted of a sight for the commander and gunner. It relied on the use of a large IR searchlight mounted on a half-track. It had disadvantages in that the driver was still basically blind and unless they were move towards the illuminated area, it didn't work.

So they developed Type B, which had small IR searchlights for the commander and driver and a sensor for the driver as well. This was taken up by the fUSSR after the war and developed into their night fighting systems.

The Germans also developed a sight for small arms, which consisted of a backpack with batteries and a small IR searchlight and sight on the weapon. Designed to be light enough to be easily carried by one man, again, the Soviets took this idea up postwar and developed a night fighting system based around it in the 1950's.

The Rocket Launcher on the left of the photo, BTW, is a "Fliegerfaust" which used unguided rockets, fired in a salvo to attack aircraft. It was never fielded.

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There is a reason why the Germans didn't produce large amounts of IR sights. They knew that it would cost a great deal of money and would very soon be tactically countered.

Their intelegence also believed that the British Army was equipt with IR googles on which anyone with an IR search light would stand out like a sore thumb.

They were partially correct, the British had experiance with IR equiptment but it was not in full scale service. IR googles were used in ampibious landings to guide boats in the dark. These were used in the crossing of the Rhine.

The Americans were not in anyway behind in the developement of this technology, they too simply didn't use it. They did however test a heat seeking bomb by the end of the war. However without any signal processing it was only able to home in on things like steel works.

It was the 1960's before anyone could actually build a homing air to ground munition.

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Here is a Panther with solution A IR equipment installed.

p5fg_1.jpg

Here's the text from Achtung Panzer on IR Panthers.

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Various units received IR Panthers including 116th Panzer Division (3rd company of 24th Panzer Regiment, Western Front, Summer of 1944), Sixth SS Panzer Army (Hungary, early 1945), Panzer Division Muncheberg and Clausewitz.

One combat report is by a veteran of 1st SS Panzer Regiment of 1st SS Panzer Division "LSSAH", who states that few Panthers equipped with infrared night-vision devices possibly from 116th Panzer Division were used in 1944/45 during the Ardennes Offensive.

In April of 1945, Panthers equipped with IR equipment (solution B) joined Panzer Division Clausewitz and in mid April near Uelzen destroyed entire platoon of British Comet cruiser tanks. Also on April 21st of 1945, same Panthers overran an American anti-tank position on the Weser-Elbe Canal.

In addition, it is reported that single unit equipped with Jagdpanthers also received and used infrared night-vision devices.

Crews of infrared night-vision devices mounted vehicles were also armed with MP44 assault rifles fitted with infrared night-vision device - Vampir (Vampire). <hr></blockquote>

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I have seen starlight and IR goggles (starlight is a black and white view and IR is a green)

Actually it was the other way around. Starlight is a light amplifying technology, it does not work in conditions of total darkness. Passive IR measures available heat and works in any amount of light, including broad daylight. Tank gunners in the gulf war used their IR sights during the day because it was easier to find targets.

The German WWII IR used an IR 'spotlight' that painted the area. The reflection of that light was visible to the operator using special glasses.

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Last night i watched an old episode of “The man from U.N.C.L.E” where the bad guys had something that looked very much like the IR scopes from the poster. Did the Americans (or just Hollywood) steal the technology from the Germans?

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<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Swift:

Last night i watched an old episode of “The man from U.N.C.L.E” where the bad guys had something that looked very much like the IR scopes from the poster. Did the Americans (or just Hollywood) steal the technology from the Germans?<hr></blockquote>

Infra red was known technology to all major particpants of WWII, it just wasn't used due to the fact that is cost a great deal of money and was easy to counter. Once everybody has IR detectors it becomes as tactically sensible as fighting with searchlights.

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