| Show 1 Behind the the War War News I By Maj 1 George Fielding Eliot Lets Let's consider this V 2 the V the giant rocket which tho the Germans arc are bringing Into use We do donot donot donot not yet know much about it It but there arc are certain points which we wo do know ow and which bl ble of analysis First of ot all It is a projectile fired from a 11 fixed starting point against t very distant tar tarr I gets It Is a 8 rocket provided with fuel tuel sufficient to carry It to a n great height from which it dives down in the direction of ot Its target Its range is la measured in hundreds of miles Obviously it must bo be controlled by adjustments adjustments ad ad- of ot one sorter sort or another in order to make it go in the desired direction and to the de desired desired desired de- de sired distance Like an artillery shell It must be controlled both as to direction and as to range or It will not hit what it is aimed at How is this control to be accomplished accomplished ac ac- ac- ac 7 With weapons of very great technical precision the heavy artillery guns of today it is not possible to hit a distant target except by observation and adjustment adjustment ad ad- of Ire fire that fire that is is by trial and error The gun Is aimed In the right direction as far as can be judged from tram the data available Its elevation is adjusted adjust adjust- ed cd to give the correct range range as as estimated from estimated from the gun to the target A trial shot is 15 then fired Its fall must be observed observed either either from an airplane or from some position on the ground where the observer can can see sec where the shell goes The observer must be able abl to communicate with the theun gun un to tell what he sa saw save then the necessary adjustments are arc made according to the observers observer's observers observer's observers observer's ers er's calculation of ot the errors Indirection in indirection indirection direction and range and the gunis gun gunis is f fir fired i r e d again The observer again reports where the shell hit and once more adjustments are arc made made and and so on until the shell finally hits the target When this is accomplished the correct firing tiring data may be given to all all' available guns and heavy concentrated fire may be directed direct direct- ed upon that particular target Why cant can't the gun correctly by We arc at X point on this scale map We wo desire to tire fire point Y Y 2000 yards yarda a q aY here K we e point the tho gun Int at point Y Y we set the sig i gh yards yard and wo we blaze blare t That sounds all right but f 1 doesn't work in pra Prace practice ce arc too many other factor fact t i the equation Some of ot these then J Variations In muzzle vel 7 including temperature of at 1 I der del variations in atm apher density variations in VY t a temperature in the velocity and di cC tho the wind at various points I ak ale the course the projectile fol foland lone fob and and for yards It 2 tion of or the earth slight but important t in veI of projectile WJ li weight of or projectile Now lets let's apply all an thIs this to t German problem in trying to to M something important with ti ci W V 2 rocket The V 2 VS is it a a weapon of ot undetermined clan chir The Germans ct cia art r sec see where each rocket hlll they can do is to try to ai ma the right adjustments and it go If It they could only ob r and Immediately report the tJ suit they might be able t to i just the next rocket to do i t ter but they cannot do u t 1 because they cannot have haTe indispensable observer with wits communication system i J We may also acc accept pt u-j u with villi hesitation the tho statement ft tr authoritative sources that far the V 2 is a highly rate weapon It could not un the conditions be otherwise constant adjustment is I nes na sary in order to hit with guns about which a a. a vl science of ballistics has hast t built up what can be ex of ot the rocket in its days j The science of Its control direction has yet to be crea em emIt It will not be the dec deci weapon of ot this war what it ido i ido do in the next we can Imagine imagine imagine-if if we are arc fools enc ene to let the next nolt war happen |
