WWII fire control 'computers' - side note

From: Clayton Frank Helvey <msspcva_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Sun Dec 29 18:45:01 2002

As an interesting side note, when President Reagan
reactivated the Iowa-class battleships from WWII back
in the '80s I remember reading that they kept the
original fire control computers because they were as
accurate as a modern electronic equivalent.

Good hunting!

-- Frank

--- Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk_at_yahoo.co.uk>
wrote:
> Hi,
>
> A bit (er, lot!) of a long shot this, but it's
> probably vaguely on-topic...
>
> Does anyone know anything about the mechanical fire
> control computers as used
> in second world war for UK coastal defence
> batteries? I did some restoration
> work out in New Zealand earlier in the year on a
> wartime coastal battery which
> was built to a British design, and used British
> systems. Unfortunately all
> information on 'out' plotting-room computer
> mysteriously vanished in the
> 1950's, and the unit itself sadly was cut up for
> scrap value many years ago.
> It'd be nice to get some information on possible
> units though just for
> something to show on site open days.
>
> It's possible that the unit shared a lot of
> commonality with ship-based
> systems, in some cut-down form or other, but I
> haven't yet located anyone who
> can confirm this.
>
> I seem to recall a few posts about US equivalent
> systems a few years back, so
> there's probably a few current list members who are
> interested in this sort of
> system despite the units being non-electronic in
> nature!
>
>
> cheers,
>
> Jules
>
>
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=====
= M O N T V A L E S O F T W A R E S E R V I C E S P. C.=
Clayton Frank Helvey, President
Montvale Software Services, P. C.
P.O. Box 840
Blue Ridge, VA 24064-0840
Phone: 540.947.5364 Email: msspcva_at_yahoo.com
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Received on Sun Dec 29 2002 - 18:45:01 GMT

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