AAA burst altitude?

[Ignition Override]

Certain old films from the Pacific always gave me the impression that Navy ships had AAA that burst at a given range from the ship. But during an attack, especially from a kamikaze, the altitude might not be constant. The old Soviet-made ZSU 23 mm would spray like a nightmarish red water hose, and was aimed by radar (but luckily, not in Grenada in '83. I met a FEDEX pilot who had been AC on an MC-130 there-they turned around, even without radar fire control on those guns ).

How about guns during and after WW2? Did certain 37 and 57mm rounds have proximity fuses, or were all set for an exact altitude? :uhoh:

Even the excellent WW2 aviation computer games, by "Ubisoft" (both WW2 Pacific [Ami and Jap. fighters] and IL-2, Sturmovik [Rus. and Ger. fighters]), imply that most flak shells could be quickly adjusted for changing altitudes. :confused:

[henry crun]

I cannot comment of their use in the Pacific theatre, but proximity fuses were first used in England against the V1 in mid 1944.

[jimgriff]

Proxy fuses would explode when the shadow of a target passed over a "window" or photo cell on the tip of the fuse. Therefore would explode at or near the height of the intended target. Those that didnt pass close to a target to explode them would self distruct before hitting the ground at or near the apogee.

Before proxy fuses the timer (either clockwork or pyro train) would be set on a fuse setter on the side of gun before loading in the breech. This setter would turn a complicated set of dials on the fuse, the setting of which set the delay.

[ORAC]

US Naval Aviation Chronology in World War II (http://www.history.navy.mil/branches/avchr5.htm )

August 1940:

The Bureau of Ordnance informally requested the National Defense Research Committee to sponsor development, on a priority basis, of proximity fuzes with particular emphasis on anti-aircraft use. Such fuzes had been under consideration for some time and the decision to undertake development followed receipt from the Tizard Mission of reports of British progress.

Section T (so called for its Chairman, Dr. Merle A. Tuve) of Division A, National Defense Research Committee, was established to examine the feasibility of various approaches to developing a proximity fuze. Eight days later, a contract was issued to the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, for the research that culminated in the radio VT fuze for anti-aircraft guns and both radio and photoelectric VT fuzes for bombs and rockets.

April 1941:

The first successful test of electronic components of a radio-proximity fuze was made at a farm in Vienna, Va., as a radio oscillator, or sonde, which had been fired from a 37-mm pack howitzer, made radio transmissions during its flight. The demonstration, that radio tubes and batteries could be constructed sufficiently rugged to withstand firing from a gun, led Section T of the National Defense Research Committee to concentrate upon the radio-proximity fuze for anti-aircraft guns.

July 1941:

The organization for development of proximity fuzes was realigned so that Section T could devote its entire effort to radio-proximity fuzes for anti-aircraft projectiles. Responsibility for photoelectric and radio fuzes for bombs and rockets was transferred to Section E of the National Defense Research Committee at the National Bureau of Standards.

January 1942:

Five-inch projectiles containing radio-proximity fuzes were test fired at the Naval Proving Ground, Dahlgren, and 52 percent of the fuzes functioned satisfactorily by proximity to water at the end of a 5-mile trajectory. This performance, obtained with samples selected to simulate a production lot, confirmed that the radioproximity fuze would greatly increase the effectiveness of anti-aircraft batteries and led to immediate small scale production of the fuze.

November 1942:

Mass production of the Mk 32 VT fuze begins.

January 1943:

The fuze begins to be used in combat, its first victim likely having been a Rabaul-based IJN dive-bomber shot down by Helena on 4 January off Guadalcanal.



VT Fuze (http://www.microworks.net/pacific/equipment/vt_fuze.htm )

[Ignition Override]

Thanks for the enlightening info.

I suppose that all AAA built since the late 60's is radar-guided?

On a related note, it's tragic that so many transport planes required, for example, the left and right, Booster or Utility hydraulic systems to fly-very risky in combat. Maybe large control tabs were difficult to install as a back-up on elevators and ailerons, such as with the Lockheed C-130 (or the Electra/P-3?). Looked at a real B-24 bomber c0ckp1t yesterday and they had no hydraulic flight controls. Many pilots developed their muscles as a result.

How about on the British turboprops such as the Argosy, Vanguard and Britannia etc ?