Vt radio proximity fuse book

This book is a technical history of the fuze device used by the united state military during world war ii. Smiths ndrc identification card while involved with the vt fuze project. Recent advancements in proximity fuzes technology article pdf available in international journal of engineering and technical research v404 april 2015 with 8,901 reads how we measure reads. Vt or radio proxmity fuse antiaircraft shell by the germans post by golden diamonds. Proximity fuze, also called vt fuze, orinfluence fuze, an explosive ignition device used in bombs, artillery shells, and mines. The radio proximity, or vt fuze for artillery shells represents, as will be readily apparent, a major contribution to the successful prosecution of the war in europe as well as in the pacific.

In completed form, the vt fuze consisted of four principal parts. As for the aiming, this varied with the type of ship the gun was installed in. The proximity fuse, a wonder weapon that won world war ii. They provide a more sophisticated trigger mechanism than the common. Two of these were the development of the atomic bomb and radar.

Mockup vt proximity fuze made during its development in 1942. The vt or radio proximity fuse as finally produced in this country during the war was the greatest invention in artillery since the explosive shell, journalist lee mccardell wrote in the sun. A history of the proximity fuze presented by stephen. The shock of fire that is to say the shock of firing the artillery piece or antiaircraft gun breaks a small glass vial or container inside the artillery shell filled with liquid electrolyte the liquid chemicals inside a wet battery. Fearing that the secret of the invention might fall into enemy hands, the very existence of the proximity fuze was topsecret, second only to the manhattan project which developed the atomic bomb.

The vt fuse radiated cw continuous wave signals, but the projectiles would often yaw a little in flight. To be fair the same proximity fuse was in royal navy 5. May 27, 2012 vt radio proximity fuse in diagram form. The radio proximity, or vt fuze for artillery shells represents. Work on a photoelectric fuse was abandoned when the solution to the vt fuse was found. Often troops will spot or hear the planes approaching, so there will be time to get into shelter. The ww2 proximity fuzes was codenamed the vt fuze, as an acronym of variable time fuze, for deliberate camouflage of. Some guessed from recovered duds that these might have been a kind of electronic timed fuse. Baldwin notes that the fuze was always called proximity or influence before the vt designation was adopted, it was never called the section t fuze or any other variation of that sort of name. The us devoted far more resources into it and had a workable fuse in the form of the mk 32 by early 1942. The ww2 proximity fuzes was codenamed the vt fuze, as an acronym of variable time fuze, for deliberate camouflage of the fuzes real operating principle. The fuze senses when a target is close enough to be damaged or destroyed by the weapons explosion. The secret weapon of world war ii ralph belknap baldwin on.

Published on may 27, 2012 vt radio proximity fuze a real, ww2 secret electronics weapon that helped win the war for the united states. An analysis in this book of the 278 aircraft shot down by vt fuzed. Inside each fuze was a small radio emitter, essentially a. Nov 04, 2016 minutes later, rounds equipped with a new radio proximity fuse started exploding right over the heads of the attacking germans. Radio proximity fuse article about radio proximity fuse by. The proximity fuze also called vt or pozit fuze, was a miniature radio transmitter built in the nose of a projectile, designed to detonate the explosive automatically when it came within a certain range of the target. Background the proximity fuze of the variabletime vt variety is essentially a combination radio frequency transmitter and receiver. Tracking julius rosenbergs lesser known associates central. A vt variable time fuse is a pintsized, fivetubed radio, installed in the nose of a shell and capable of both sending and receiving. How a proximity fuse works 8th air force historical society.

The vt variable time fuze is widely regarded as second only to the manhattan project in terms of bringing technological advantage to the allies in world war ii. According to the deadly fuze by baldwin, such a concept for a radio command detonated aa projectile was proposed to the admiralty by a polish naval officer in 1940, but rejected at first. The general principles governing the design of radio proximity fuzes are. To confuse the enemy this fuse was intentionally and misleadingly referred to as the variable time or vt fuse. A proximity fuse that contains a miniature radio transmitter and uses radio echoes from a target to trigger the fuse within predetermined limits of distance. Proximity fuzes theory and techniques drdo drdo e pi 7. Vt radio proximity fuze in diagram form vt radio proximity fuse in diagram form. Published on may 27, 2012 vt radio proximity fuse in diagram form. The most promising mechanism to use was a radio signal. Pdf recent advancements in proximity fuzes technology. These are the records of section t of the national defense research committee ndrc documenting the development of the proximity fuze during world war ii. The receiver consists of two subminiature vacuum tubes and a 22.

Vt or radio proxmity fuse antiaircraft shell by the germans post by golden diamonds 10 jan 2009, 23. A proximity fuze is a fuze that detonates an explosive device automatically when the distance to. The issue came up recently for me in a charles whiting book i was reading siegfried, the nazis last stand where he mentioned now houffalize was being pounded by britains latest secret weapon. Radio proximity fuse weapon behind victory 1945 united news newsreel diagrams the use of radio proximity fuses on aerial bombs and rockets. Department of commerce national bureau of standards research paper hp 1723 volume 37, july 1946 part of journal of research of the national bureau of standards radio proximity fuze design by wilbur s. Radio proximty vt fuzes naval history and heritage navy.

A radio frequency oscillator and receiver, an amplifier and thyratron tubes, a battery, and an explosive train incorporating vital safety features. The vt proximity fuze variable time fuse resembled tubes found in radios, and made it possible to detonate antiaircraft shells in the proximity of their target, rather than on impact. Because the fuse emitted a radio signal, the navy went so far as to create. Radio altimeters are used also as the proximity sensor in proximity fuzes used in artillery projectiles. The vt fuze was used to explode ordnance when the weapon was in close proximity to the target. A short time after a vt fuzed projectile or missile leaves the weapon, the fuze becomes armed and. Bureau staff at the end of world war ii prepared the book titled radio proximity fuzes. They detected range to the target by radio signals using vacuum tube technology.

A fresh look at the case of julius rosenberg, executed in 1953 for conspiracy to commit espionage, in the light of new information about two of his lesser known associates, joel barr and alfred sarant, reveals disturbing parallels to some contemporary intelligence issues. The mark 34 highexplosive shell this gun fired is usually referred to as hc, but, when fitted with a proximity vt fuse or a mechanical time mt fuse, it could be used against aircraft and thus was technically an aa. Vt fused projectile, the navys and osrds answer to the aircraft menace. The vt fuze was a proximity fuze developed by the uk and usa for artillery shells and aa guns during ww2. Its development, production and military use is an.

The proximity fuze was first successfully emplyed in june 1943, in 5inch shells fired by the u. Like 911, the most important government failure in the cases of rosenberg, barr, and sarant was one of imagination. Ein abstandszunder, auch annaherungszunder oder naherungszunder genannt, dient dazu. So, in 1940, the national defense research committee asked the carnegie institution and johns hopkins university to complete research on a tricky project, proximity fuses. The sensor is typically a small radar set that sends out signals and. Radio proximity vt fuzes and how they operate proximity fuzes are intended to detonate missiles automatically upon approach to a target and at such a position along the flight path of the missile as to inflict maximum damage to the target. He saw it in use in the pacific against kamikaze attacks, both while flying and on the deck of his carrier. Actress hedy lamarrs world war ii era invention at the. Ida and her twin brother, jim, were born on may 23, 1924, and grew up on a. Could proximity fuses have halted the bomber offensive. The americans were very mindful of the germans reverse engineering proximity fuses and would at first not allow their use over enemy held territory through fear of a dud being captured. In the late 1950s when i was a junior high school student, i built an am portable receiver shown in a radio magazine.

The creation of the proximity fuze defense media network. That summer, they tested proximity fuse tipped shells that hit their targets about half the time. Vt fuzes for projectiles and spinstabilized rockets, op 1480, 1946, is a manual for proximity fuzes of ww ii. It reads as though it was the first vt fuze that scored a kill. Vt or radio proxmity fuse antiaircraft shell by the. That general idea was investigated as part of the effort which produced self contained fire and forget proximity fuzes. Use of the proximity fuse in the battle of the bulge marked a final milestone in one of the most extraordinary scientific efforts of the war, rivaling that of the atomic bomb. Jan 17, 2008 the proximity fuse was a radio transmitterreceiver that detected an object in its path. History and technology proximity fuze what does vt mean. A proximity fuze is a fuze that detonates an explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value, or when the fuze and the target pass by each other. Proximity fuzes explode shells near to a target without hitting the target.

They have the advantages of having simple solidstate transmitters, they are resistant to. An electronic device for detonating a warhead as it approaches a target, used in antiaircraft shells. The radio device causes the projectile to explode if it passes anywhere within 70 feet of the target. The other secret weapon of world war ii naval history blog. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Proximity fuze article about proximity fuze by the free.

Vt or radio proxmity fuse antiaircraft shell by the germans. In ww2, what was the first employment of the vt proximity fuze. The proximity fuse was a radio transmitterreceiver that detected an object in its path. A german neon lamp tube and a design of a prototype proximity fuze based on capacitive effects was received by british intelligence in mid november 1939. The fuze was not only an impressive scientific breakthrough, it was also tricky to manufacture, requiring great precision. In less than a year, however, in september 1940, butements concept was moved dramatically toward mass production when it was exported under the technology transfer arrangements of the tizard mission, and subsequently a variation of his circuit became adopted in the united states as the proximity fuse or vt variabletime fuse, the most.

Significance and background of the radio proximity fuse vt in world war ii. Discovery of wwii shells at state park spurs search. Jul 09, 2014 that summer, they tested proximity fuse tipped shells that hit their targets about half the time. Dick mann, navy fighter pilot and engineer 35 years at sylvania explained the radio proximity fuse at the september 21, 2011 luncheon. Heres how the vt the radio proximity fuse for wwii ammunition works. This book aims to provide an overview of proximity fuzes covering theoretical, experimental, and engineering aspects of rf doppler proximity fuzes. In ww2, what was the first employment of the vt proximity. The first types of proximity fuses was designed with radio tubes, not transistors or ics since this was much earlier. Section t proximity fuze records, 19401999 bulk 19411943 dtm200501. Patentschrift merle antony tuve, radio proximity fuze engl. Ida wilson cooper age 95, of zanesville, ohio, died february 8, 2020, at her home surrounded by her loving family. Mt or, by late 1942, with variable time vt radio proximity fuzes for use against aircraft. Encyclopedia article about vt fuse by the free dictionary.

History and technology proximity fuze what does vt. Vt fuse article about vt fuse by the free dictionary. The applied physics laboratory at johns hopkins university succeeded in creating a revolutionary fuse that would tip battles in americas favor. Houffalize is about 20 miles north of bastogne in the. An analysis in this book of the 278 aircraft shot down by vt fuzed projectiles between october 1944 and august. The ww2 proximity fuzes was codenamed the vt fuze, as an acronym of variable time.

Three critical secret projects were pivotal for the allied victory in ww2. Significance and background of the radio proximity fuse vt in world war ii the radio proximity, or vt fuze for artillery shells represents, as will be readily apparent, a major contribution to the successful prosecution of the war in europe as well as in the pacific. Amazingly, the proximity fuse enabled us naval forces to act much more. By the end of the war, only one was actually in production, a complicated radio proximity fuze for rockets and bombs but not designed to withstand the acceleration of artillery shells. They provide a more sophisticated trigger mechanism. A proximity fuze is a fuze that detonates an explosive device automatically when the distance to the target becomes smaller than a predetermined value. Full text of radio proximity fuze design see other formats u. The proximity fuse was used with great effect by the allies, most notably against the. By equipping the shell fuze with a radio receiver, a signal could.

These fuzes use a clockwork mechanism to delay functioning for a specific time. As aircraft became faster and higher flying it became more difficult to hit them with gun fire. The proximity fuse was used with great effect by the allies, most notably against the v1 flying bombs against which it was highly successful. They found a way for the radio guidance transmitter and the. Proximity fuzes are designed for targets such as planes, missiles, ships at sea, and ground forces. However, thats the first successful use rather than the first use. War ii prepared the book titled radio proximity fuzes. But according to the deadly fuse by baldwin, the details of the vt fuse were never discovered by the axis powers during wwii due to tight security. Various kinds of proximity fuzes are designed for various targets such as planes, missiles, ships at sea and ground forces.

Radio proximity fuze of a wwiiera antiaircraft shell. Vt fuzes for projectiles and spinstabilized rockets op 1480. A radio signal was transmitted by electronics in the bomb or shell and bounced of whatever was nearby. Vt fuse definition of vt fuse by the free dictionary.

Proximity fuse mk53fuze military crosley radio corp. Sitting in the fuselage of the b17, the two rcm operators could pick up the radar transmissions from the shells coming up. By early 1943, about 5,000 fuses had been produced. By tony digiulian every so often, someone writes me to say that they believe that my definition for vt as being for variable time is wrong because the famous ian hogg in his 1978 book british and american artillery of world war two gives a different definition. The device is a radio operated fuse designed to screw into the nose of a shell and timed to explode at any desired distance from target. Apr 04, 2019 subscribe book shop travel with us smartnews history. The concussion of the shell charge breaks the glass container. In depth analysis and design of crucial subsystem of proximity fuzes are given special importance. This book tells this interesting story the importance of american engineering talent and manufacturing might to the war effort. Vt fuse synonyms, vt fuse pronunciation, vt fuse translation, english dictionary definition of vt fuse. Patton gave the proximity fuze credit for winning the battle of the bulge. Crosleys secret war effort the proximity fuze navweaps. We dont know for certain if the tube ck501x andor 932 was used for this model andor what others, but can presume it.

Inside each fuze was a small radio emitter, essentially a tiny variant of the radar systems in use by that time. This book is a technical history of the fuze device used by the united state military during. Bureau staff at the end of world war ii prepared the book titled radio proximity fuzes for finstabilized missiles 1. Jul 28, 2017 but artillery has slower rate of fire, so without timed or vt fuses, only the first couple of rounds would have maximal effect. Work on the radio shell fuze was completed by tuves group, known as section t. The british and the us had been working on ruggedising vacuum tubes for a radio proximity fuse from 1939 and 1940, respectively. Reliable information about the coronavirus covid19 is available from the world health organization current situation, international travel. M iniature radio transmitter the proximity fuze diagram of a proximity fuze, on display at the national electronics museum. First, the radio transmitter and receiver had to be housed in the shell itself, which would require a tremendous achievement in producing a fuze tiny enough by the standards of the time to be packaged into such a small space. Proximity fuse amplifier production line 1950s duration.