Richtkreis-Kollimator 12m
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Reichpapers
- Brigadegeneral
- Posts: 678
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:55 pm
- Location: Reading, PA
Richtkreis-Kollimator 12m
Here is another type of Richtkreis that I recently picked up....seems to have more functions than the model 31. For any information on the Richtkreis aiming circles, see the Richtkreis 31 post.
It's better to be silent and considered a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.
-
Reichpapers
- Brigadegeneral
- Posts: 678
- Joined: Thu Mar 17, 2005 8:55 pm
- Location: Reading, PA
Re: Richtkreis-Kollimator 12m
Hi,
the K12 you have there (btw its a very nice one) was used in a number of ways, including the normal surveying for angle for artillery, but the K series had an additional collimation feature, that you're well aware of.
These were used in conjunction with the Rundblickfernrohr 36 (Rbl.F) telescope models and higher which featured a long line of letters and numbers on a horizontal line on the reticle that went from left to right and were just above the "V" on the reticle that is identical to what you seen in your MGZ40 and 34s. The RblF 36 and above were manipulated by the artillery gunner to point directly into the opening of the K12 from a distance. The K12 would be aimed at a distant target (like a church steeple) to get an estimated height angle combined with the properly surveyed angle to the strike area. Once the proper height and angle called in by the observers were calibrated in the K12, the distant gunner would rotate the head of the RblF and point it into the direction of the external objective of the K12 so that in his view, he could see his horizontal line of data superimposed perfectly and magnified properly in the "projected" beam of data coming from the K12. Once the gun was elevated properly so that the RblF was collimated against the K12's showing the magnified letters in his scope coming from the K12, he knew his angle of his gun was properly aligned for height and angle.
Its hard to describe this, but basically the K12 has a separate reticle within it that is made up of a complicated pattern of numbers and letters, like a matrix and it projects that reticle's information outwardly on it's own light path. The opposing RblF's letter and number line has to be perfectly in alignment in order for the letters and numbers to show up in the gunner's view to show the two optics are "collimated" to each other. It's sort of like when you hold up a magnifying glass to an eye chart (poor description).
also, these K12s were used (along with the RblFs) to align V2 rockets for launch angles. The RblF was pointed at the K12 as above from the V2's tail assembly and the rocket was adjusted in this way just before launching.
the K12 you have there (btw its a very nice one) was used in a number of ways, including the normal surveying for angle for artillery, but the K series had an additional collimation feature, that you're well aware of.
These were used in conjunction with the Rundblickfernrohr 36 (Rbl.F) telescope models and higher which featured a long line of letters and numbers on a horizontal line on the reticle that went from left to right and were just above the "V" on the reticle that is identical to what you seen in your MGZ40 and 34s. The RblF 36 and above were manipulated by the artillery gunner to point directly into the opening of the K12 from a distance. The K12 would be aimed at a distant target (like a church steeple) to get an estimated height angle combined with the properly surveyed angle to the strike area. Once the proper height and angle called in by the observers were calibrated in the K12, the distant gunner would rotate the head of the RblF and point it into the direction of the external objective of the K12 so that in his view, he could see his horizontal line of data superimposed perfectly and magnified properly in the "projected" beam of data coming from the K12. Once the gun was elevated properly so that the RblF was collimated against the K12's showing the magnified letters in his scope coming from the K12, he knew his angle of his gun was properly aligned for height and angle.
Its hard to describe this, but basically the K12 has a separate reticle within it that is made up of a complicated pattern of numbers and letters, like a matrix and it projects that reticle's information outwardly on it's own light path. The opposing RblF's letter and number line has to be perfectly in alignment in order for the letters and numbers to show up in the gunner's view to show the two optics are "collimated" to each other. It's sort of like when you hold up a magnifying glass to an eye chart (poor description).
also, these K12s were used (along with the RblFs) to align V2 rockets for launch angles. The RblF was pointed at the K12 as above from the V2's tail assembly and the rocket was adjusted in this way just before launching.
Re: Richtkreis-Kollimator 12m
So was the R12 not mounted on the gun itself?possibly on a tripod? And would it serve more than one gun in a battery,or did each gun have one?Meaning did one R 12 control more than one gun.And who would determine the setting?Did it have its own team or crew?Thanks for the info on this old thread.It is nice to see some people read them! 
---bil
---bil"I dream of a world where I can buy alcohol,tobacco and firearms from the same drive-up window,and use them all on the way home from work!" Dogbert
Re: Richtkreis-Kollimator 12m
Hey Bil -
Sorry it took so long to get back....impossible to keep track of all the boards![[diz]](./images/smilies/Dizzy.gif "dizzy")
No, the K12 was not mounted on any weapon but was on a tripod at a distance remotely located from the field battery guns or the V2 launching pad. It was at a distance that was safely enough away but close enough for the Rundblickfernrohrs (panoramic scopes) on the guns to be able to locate and focus in on the emitted light path of the K12.
A collimator is really a means to pull random and multiple light paths into a pattern that can be projected in that prescribed pattern.
One Rkr could service more than one gun crew who were aiming their RblFs towards it, I'm assuming but not sure. Many times one lead gun in the battery would synchronize with the Rkr, then the other guns in the batter would be matched to the same elevation dialed in on the lead gun.
Settings were determined by the forward observers who relayed the distance the rounds would need to reach back to the battery commander. Using tables, the battery commander would calculate the necessary elevaton of the guns to be able to fire the rounds to reach that target. the commander would rotate the Rkr in the correct azimuth position as relayed back to him to get the proper horizontal angle to the objective, then the Rkr would be aimed from one side to a set of distance stakes mounted in the ground with numerical partitions, or onto a fixed point with a known height (like the church steeple), the other end of the Rkr which projected the pattern that coincided with the selected height was then what the gun crew was able to aim it's RblF to it and calibrate the elevation with the image projected by the Rkr.
Sorry it took so long to get back....impossible to keep track of all the boards
No, the K12 was not mounted on any weapon but was on a tripod at a distance remotely located from the field battery guns or the V2 launching pad. It was at a distance that was safely enough away but close enough for the Rundblickfernrohrs (panoramic scopes) on the guns to be able to locate and focus in on the emitted light path of the K12.
A collimator is really a means to pull random and multiple light paths into a pattern that can be projected in that prescribed pattern.
One Rkr could service more than one gun crew who were aiming their RblFs towards it, I'm assuming but not sure. Many times one lead gun in the battery would synchronize with the Rkr, then the other guns in the batter would be matched to the same elevation dialed in on the lead gun.
Settings were determined by the forward observers who relayed the distance the rounds would need to reach back to the battery commander. Using tables, the battery commander would calculate the necessary elevaton of the guns to be able to fire the rounds to reach that target. the commander would rotate the Rkr in the correct azimuth position as relayed back to him to get the proper horizontal angle to the objective, then the Rkr would be aimed from one side to a set of distance stakes mounted in the ground with numerical partitions, or onto a fixed point with a known height (like the church steeple), the other end of the Rkr which projected the pattern that coincided with the selected height was then what the gun crew was able to aim it's RblF to it and calibrate the elevation with the image projected by the Rkr.