USN Firecontrol on the eve of its entry into WW2

Guns, torpedoes, mines, bombs, missiles, ammunition, fire control, radars, and electronic warfare.
dunmunro
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USN Firecontrol on the eve of its entry into WW2

Post by dunmunro »

BuOrd,
May 1 1944:

Report from Fire Control Section Re4...

4. When Re4 was formed in April 1941, the status of navy fire control could be summarized briefly as follows:

(a) We had an excellent main battery fire control system in our modern ships

(b) We had an excellent 5" antiaircraft fire control system for defence against horizontal and glide bombers .

(c) We had an adequate torpedo control system for our surface ships and submarines

(d)We had a good bombsight for high level bombing.

On the other side of the ledger:

(e) We had no machine gun director in the Fleet, or developed.

(f) We had no fire control radar, except in the design stage.

(g) We had no 3"/50 gun director, even under design, and no 5"/38 gun director suitable for small ships.

(h) We had virtually no government owned fire control development and test facilities.
Taken from the BuOrd confidential history volume. Re4 was a navy counterpart to the NDRC and interfaced with it.