AN EVALUATION OF FLASH LOCALIZATION PERFORMANCE WITH THE FIRE CONTROL SYSTEM OF THE M48 TANK
Abstract
An evaluation was made of nighttime performances of tank gunners in localizing gun flashes with the fire control system of the M48 tank. Two night-simulated tests were conducted with 11 experienced and 20 inexperienced gunners, with these results: (1) In localizing 40 flash positions in a simulated periscope field-of-view, accuracy was fair within the reticle area but dropped off sharply outside this area; (2) in laying the main tank gun against those flashes, accuracy was poor. Error both in flash localization and in moving the gun controls contributed substantially to gun-laying error. It is concluded that the reticle of the M20 series periscopes (and presumably other periscopes and telescopes in which the reticle design covers only a small part of the field of view) is inadequate for localizing enemy gun flashes at night, and that the fire control system of the M48 series tank is inadequate for rapid laying of the main gun against nighttime targets that can be localized only by gun flashes.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 1962
- Accession Number
- AD0277388
Entities
People
- Alfred J. Kraemer
Organizations
- George Washington University