How would this WW1 gun sight work?
Discussion
One of my relatives was in the RGA in WW1 and operated guns like that below.
I'd always assumed that the sight the gunner is looking through was like a telescope looking at the target, but is that really the case? The reason I ask is many of these bigger guns acted like howitzers, lobbing shells over a hill, or into a wood etc where you can't see the target. So is the telescope like thing actually just some some of level and the aiming is all done via maths taking account of the range, different heights of gun:target etc and simply entered as an elevation for the gun?
Could someone educate me in simple terms please what this gunner is looking at? I'd imagine if he can see his enemy through that telescope then they can see him sat astride his big gun right? tia
I'd always assumed that the sight the gunner is looking through was like a telescope looking at the target, but is that really the case? The reason I ask is many of these bigger guns acted like howitzers, lobbing shells over a hill, or into a wood etc where you can't see the target. So is the telescope like thing actually just some some of level and the aiming is all done via maths taking account of the range, different heights of gun:target etc and simply entered as an elevation for the gun?
Could someone educate me in simple terms please what this gunner is looking at? I'd imagine if he can see his enemy through that telescope then they can see him sat astride his big gun right? tia
The gun appears to be being used in the direct fire role, a telescope like that would be of little use unless the gunner can see what they're shooting at.
Gun batteries generally wouldn't operate like that, by WW1 direct fire artillery had ceased to be much use due to the advent of machine guns which while they wouldn't damage the guns much could quickly kill or wound the gun crews and being visible generally means they would attract counter-battery fire from the enemy artillery. More normally the battery would be set up well behind the front line with terrain features between it and the enemy, using maps, compasses and theodolites to identify where it is and enable the gunnery director to plan bombardments using information supplied by forward observers(located either on high ground or in observation balloons and later aircraft) and ideally the observer would correct the aim once some ranging shots are fired, then the whole battery would bombard the target.
The gun in the picture resembles a 6" or 8" BL or breech loading gun.
Gun batteries generally wouldn't operate like that, by WW1 direct fire artillery had ceased to be much use due to the advent of machine guns which while they wouldn't damage the guns much could quickly kill or wound the gun crews and being visible generally means they would attract counter-battery fire from the enemy artillery. More normally the battery would be set up well behind the front line with terrain features between it and the enemy, using maps, compasses and theodolites to identify where it is and enable the gunnery director to plan bombardments using information supplied by forward observers(located either on high ground or in observation balloons and later aircraft) and ideally the observer would correct the aim once some ranging shots are fired, then the whole battery would bombard the target.
The gun in the picture resembles a 6" or 8" BL or breech loading gun.
Edited by hidetheelephants on Wednesday 23 April 02:04
hidetheelephants said:
The gun appears to be being used in the direct fire role, a telescope like that would be of little use unless the gunner can see what they're shooting at.
Gun batteries generally wouldn't operate like that, by WW1 direct fire artillery had ceased to be much use due to the advent of machine guns which while they wouldn't damage the guns much could quickly kill or wound the gun crews and being visible generally means they would attract counter-battery fire from the enemy artillery. More normally the battery would be set up well behind the front line with terrain features between it and the enemy, using maps, compasses and theodolites to identify where it is and enable the gunnery director to plan bombardments using information supplied by forward observers(located either on high ground or in observation balloons and later aircraft) and ideally the observer would correct the aim once some ranging shots are fired, then the whole battery would bombard the target.
The gun in the picture resembles a 6" or 8" BL or breech loading gun.
Perfect answer thanks and makes sense. My relative was on 6" BL Howitzers - https://militaria.british-classic-motorcycles.co.u...Gun batteries generally wouldn't operate like that, by WW1 direct fire artillery had ceased to be much use due to the advent of machine guns which while they wouldn't damage the guns much could quickly kill or wound the gun crews and being visible generally means they would attract counter-battery fire from the enemy artillery. More normally the battery would be set up well behind the front line with terrain features between it and the enemy, using maps, compasses and theodolites to identify where it is and enable the gunnery director to plan bombardments using information supplied by forward observers(located either on high ground or in observation balloons and later aircraft) and ideally the observer would correct the aim once some ranging shots are fired, then the whole battery would bombard the target.
The gun in the picture resembles a 6" or 8" BL or breech loading gun.
Edited by hidetheelephants on Wednesday 23 April 02:04
So I guess they could use a telescope if in direct fire mode (rare) and theodolite if in indirect/howitzer mode?
Interestingly his unit diary talks about using balloons and aircraft for spotting etc (usually in the context of no firing due to bad weather for aircraft)
He’s probably checking the marker sticks through the sight to realign the gun after firing.
Edit: explained simply here:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Yz2L0GKDb_g?si=Ju4jUauA...
Edit: explained simply here:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Yz2L0GKDb_g?si=Ju4jUauA...
Edited by Beati Dogu on Thursday 24th April 17:51
Scarletpimpofnel said:
One of my relatives was in the RGA in WW1 and operated guns like that below.
I'd always assumed that the sight the gunner is looking through was like a telescope looking at the target, but is that really the case? The reason I ask is many of these bigger guns acted like howitzers, lobbing shells over a hill, or into a wood etc where you can't see the target. So is the telescope like thing actually just some some of level and the aiming is all done via maths taking account of the range, different heights of gun:target etc and simply entered as an elevation for the gun?
Could someone educate me in simple terms please what this gunner is looking at? I'd imagine if he can see his enemy through that telescope then they can see him sat astride his big gun right? tia
Is it a range finder rather than a sight?I'd always assumed that the sight the gunner is looking through was like a telescope looking at the target, but is that really the case? The reason I ask is many of these bigger guns acted like howitzers, lobbing shells over a hill, or into a wood etc where you can't see the target. So is the telescope like thing actually just some some of level and the aiming is all done via maths taking account of the range, different heights of gun:target etc and simply entered as an elevation for the gun?
Could someone educate me in simple terms please what this gunner is looking at? I'd imagine if he can see his enemy through that telescope then they can see him sat astride his big gun right? tia
Disclaimer: I am not a WW1 gunner.
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