Show I Glass Ornaments Save Lives fives in in War If you talk about prisms Grandma Grand Grand- ma might think you mean the glass ornaments decorating her chan chan- delier But her grandson if hes he's a GI Gl Joe is aware of the fact that solid glass prisms have been the means of saving many lives during the war It was early in the war that the army wanted a tank periscope superior superior superior supe supe- to the style old-style type made of mirrors and fiat flat glass windows As Asa a result glass technicians here developed developed developed de de- a new plate glass prism that supplied about a 50 per cent increase increase increase in- in in in- crease in visibility And equally if not more important this superiority was achieved in a unit that could be produced mass-produced to take care of the desperate need for prisms traditionally traditionally traditionally tradition tradition- ally turned out in small quantities by the precise handicraft methods of the optical industry When the first U. U S. S tanks went into combat however a great need for prismatic viewing blocks developed In those first tanks commanders had to stand in in the hatch exposed to sniper fire if they wanted a fullview fullview full fullview view of their surroundings An alarming number were killed The answer was a new type of bullet bullet- resisting viewing panel developed by Owens Libbey-Owens-Ford Glass company Made of laminated plate glass the tank observation panels are so placed that tank crews and comi commanders commanders commanders com com- manders are enabled to obtain a I degree field of vision vision when in action without having to open the hatch to see going on The prismatic prismatic prismatic pris pris- matic viewing blocks utilize for the first time the refractive properties of plate glass to obtain a Some indication of the importance of these prisms might be gleaned from the number thus far turned out by the glass concerti concert To date more than have been produced for various instruments of war war |