View Single Post
  #5  
Old 31-07-05, 19:03
Richard Hughes Richard Hughes is offline
Registered User
 
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Kent, England
Posts: 74
Default

Thanks for your replies please find below a response I got from a member from another forum I am on

'A paralleloscope is an artillery instrument used to ensure that the guns are parallel to each other when firing. It was used in place of aiming posts in certain situations. We still use them today.

It is basically a prism in a robust case. The Gunner sets it out at the left front or left rear of the gun, about 10 paces from the gun and then aligns his sights in the prism. Looking into a prism is like staring into infinity so you can simulate a distant aiming point with an object very close to the gun. The math and trignometry involved are beyond this brief email but it takes about five minutes to get everything set up properly. Woe betide the dummy that bumps it once it is set up!

The 'scope is about 18 inches long (wide) and four inches high and the same deep. It is set up on a four legged tubular stand which holds it about two feet off the ground. The design allows for the gun to set back on recoil without having to reset the 'scope. If recoil was not an issue the 'scope could be four inches square... by having a long side parallel to the ground any rearward movement of the gun is compensated for, ie. the Gunner can still see his sight in the 'scope. '


From what I can gather a version of the scope is still in use today as it on the kit list of artillery Hummers and was certainly in use with Abbot SPG's .

Still no luck with what the bracket looks like though.

Cheers
Richard Hughes
Reply With Quote