Soviet night vision devices of the Great Patriotic War
Night vision devices (NVD) for several decades now occupy a very important place in the modern world. These optoelectronic devices, which provide the operator with an image of the terrain (target, object) in low light conditions, are widely used today in various military equipment. First of all, night vision devices are used to support combat operations at night, to conduct covert surveillance (reconnaissance) in the dark or in poorly lit rooms, driving all types of military equipment without using the unmasking light of headlights and solving other similar tasks.
In the modern world, night-vision devices are also entering the civilian market, and are no longer something surprising or unique. However, at the dawn of their appearance everything was completely different. NVD were a real breakthrough, the development of the first such devices was carried out in different countries of the world before the beginning of the Second World War, and the war itself only accelerated and gave impetus to developments in this direction. Own night vision devices were developed in the USSR.
Back in the prewar years, the Soviet Union was actively working on the development of a variety of devices designed to increase firepower tanks and expand the capabilities of their combat use at any time of the day and under different climatic conditions. Back in 1937, floodlights designed for firing at night were tested and recommended for serial production at the NIBT training ground on the BT-7 light tank. And in 1939-1940, the BT-7 tank passed tests of Soviet infrared night-vision devices, which received the designation "Thorn" and "Pipe". The Spike kit, which was created by engineers at the State Optical Institute and the Moscow Institute of Glass, included infrared periscope glasses and a set of additional equipment designed to drive military vehicles at night.
The tests of the improved kit called “Pipe” took place at the NIBT testing ground in June 1940 of the year, and then in January-February of the 1941 of the year. This kit included periscopic infrared glasses for the tank commander and driver, as well as two infrared searchlights with a diameter of 140 mm and power of 1 kW each, a remote control unit, a separate infrared signal lamp and a set of electrical cables for glasses and searchlights. The mass of glasses, excluding the mass of helmet-mounted fasteners (side stretch marks and straps, head shield) was 750 grams, angle of view - 24 degrees, vision distance - up to 50 meters. These night-vision devices were collected by experts of the plant number 211 NKEP. They mainly satisfied the specialists of the GABTU RKKA and provided the possibility of driving tanks at night, but the imperfection and cumbersome design of the first infrared glasses, as well as difficulties with their use, especially in winter conditions, required their further constructive refinement, which was not finally realized because of the outbreak of World War II.
In the war years, mass production of night vision devices in the Soviet Union could not be established. Although the Soviet industry produced them, but in very limited quantities. The instruments entered the fleet and tank divisions as test samples. For example, the Black Sea Fleet in the summer of 1941 had 15 sets of shipboard night vision systems, and by the autumn of the same year had received 18 night vision devices. Ground units began to receive the first devices only in 1943 year, they came in small test batches, which were forbidden to use in battles. The range of the first night vision devices did not exceed 150-200 meters, mostly they were only suitable for ensuring the movement of equipment columns at night.
Part of the night vision devices created during the Second World War, are truly exotic options, about which it is very difficult to obtain additional information. For example, the Automobile Archive Foundation specializing in technical documentation for Soviet vehicles, by 9 in May, presented material with unique photos of night vision devices designed in 1941 in Moscow for subsequent installation on automobile transport. Unfortunately, neither the exact name of the designed devices, nor the authors of inventions are known. With a high degree of probability, the presented prototypes remained forever in the role of experimental and demonstration samples.
Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, a special design office was organized within the walls of the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute, the main task of which was the development and introduction into production of new types of weapons and military equipment. It was at VEI that numerous night vision devices were created for ships, aircraft, tanks, and small weapons. The archive of the automotive fund found a unique document that contains a brief description of automotive and reconnaissance night-vision devices.
With the onset of darkness, truck drivers were forced to minimize the use of headlights, as the columns were bombarded and bombed by the enemy. This, in turn, caused a slowdown in traffic and frequent accidents at night. As a solution to this problem, the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute installed a night-vision device on a GAZ-AA truck (the famous lorry).
The principle of operation of the night vision device was quite simple - binoculars with two lenses, two electron-optical light converters and two magnifiers were placed in the cab of the truck, which served to magnify the image and rotate it by 180 degrees. An ordinary car headlight was installed on the roof of the car cabin - an illuminator with a fairly powerful 250 watt light bulb. The headlamp was closed with a special light filter, which allowed only infrared rays to pass through. This light, invisible to the human eye, was read with the help of electron-optical converters of binoculars and transformed into a picture. Batteries designed to power this system were located in the back of a truck. Due to the presence of such a device, the driver could drive at night, in complete darkness at speeds up to 25 km / h, orienting himself on the terrain through binoculars. At the same time, the visibility of the device was limited to just 30 meters.
At the same time, a portable version of the device, designed for intelligence, was designed and assembled. The principle of operation of the device was similar to the automotive version. All devices were mounted on brackets and belts directly to the person. On the chest was a headlamp from the GAZ-AA with a car bulb in 12-15 W, a battery on the back of the scout, and binoculars in the front. The total weight of such a portable kit should not exceed 10 kg.
Information sources:
http://autoar.org/pribor-spetsialnogo-naznacheniya
http://alternathistory.com/sovetskie-ik-pribory-nochnogo-videnya-pnv-vo-vtoroi-mirovoi-voine
https://www.utro.ru/articles/2016/11/03/1303311.shtml
In the modern world, night-vision devices are also entering the civilian market, and are no longer something surprising or unique. However, at the dawn of their appearance everything was completely different. NVD were a real breakthrough, the development of the first such devices was carried out in different countries of the world before the beginning of the Second World War, and the war itself only accelerated and gave impetus to developments in this direction. Own night vision devices were developed in the USSR.
Back in the prewar years, the Soviet Union was actively working on the development of a variety of devices designed to increase firepower tanks and expand the capabilities of their combat use at any time of the day and under different climatic conditions. Back in 1937, floodlights designed for firing at night were tested and recommended for serial production at the NIBT training ground on the BT-7 light tank. And in 1939-1940, the BT-7 tank passed tests of Soviet infrared night-vision devices, which received the designation "Thorn" and "Pipe". The Spike kit, which was created by engineers at the State Optical Institute and the Moscow Institute of Glass, included infrared periscope glasses and a set of additional equipment designed to drive military vehicles at night.
The tests of the improved kit called “Pipe” took place at the NIBT testing ground in June 1940 of the year, and then in January-February of the 1941 of the year. This kit included periscopic infrared glasses for the tank commander and driver, as well as two infrared searchlights with a diameter of 140 mm and power of 1 kW each, a remote control unit, a separate infrared signal lamp and a set of electrical cables for glasses and searchlights. The mass of glasses, excluding the mass of helmet-mounted fasteners (side stretch marks and straps, head shield) was 750 grams, angle of view - 24 degrees, vision distance - up to 50 meters. These night-vision devices were collected by experts of the plant number 211 NKEP. They mainly satisfied the specialists of the GABTU RKKA and provided the possibility of driving tanks at night, but the imperfection and cumbersome design of the first infrared glasses, as well as difficulties with their use, especially in winter conditions, required their further constructive refinement, which was not finally realized because of the outbreak of World War II.
In the war years, mass production of night vision devices in the Soviet Union could not be established. Although the Soviet industry produced them, but in very limited quantities. The instruments entered the fleet and tank divisions as test samples. For example, the Black Sea Fleet in the summer of 1941 had 15 sets of shipboard night vision systems, and by the autumn of the same year had received 18 night vision devices. Ground units began to receive the first devices only in 1943 year, they came in small test batches, which were forbidden to use in battles. The range of the first night vision devices did not exceed 150-200 meters, mostly they were only suitable for ensuring the movement of equipment columns at night.
Part of the night vision devices created during the Second World War, are truly exotic options, about which it is very difficult to obtain additional information. For example, the Automobile Archive Foundation specializing in technical documentation for Soviet vehicles, by 9 in May, presented material with unique photos of night vision devices designed in 1941 in Moscow for subsequent installation on automobile transport. Unfortunately, neither the exact name of the designed devices, nor the authors of inventions are known. With a high degree of probability, the presented prototypes remained forever in the role of experimental and demonstration samples.
Photo: Automotive Archive Foundation, autoar.org
Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War in Moscow, a special design office was organized within the walls of the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute, the main task of which was the development and introduction into production of new types of weapons and military equipment. It was at VEI that numerous night vision devices were created for ships, aircraft, tanks, and small weapons. The archive of the automotive fund found a unique document that contains a brief description of automotive and reconnaissance night-vision devices.
With the onset of darkness, truck drivers were forced to minimize the use of headlights, as the columns were bombarded and bombed by the enemy. This, in turn, caused a slowdown in traffic and frequent accidents at night. As a solution to this problem, the All-Union Electrotechnical Institute installed a night-vision device on a GAZ-AA truck (the famous lorry).
Photo: Automotive Archive Foundation, autoar.org
The principle of operation of the night vision device was quite simple - binoculars with two lenses, two electron-optical light converters and two magnifiers were placed in the cab of the truck, which served to magnify the image and rotate it by 180 degrees. An ordinary car headlight was installed on the roof of the car cabin - an illuminator with a fairly powerful 250 watt light bulb. The headlamp was closed with a special light filter, which allowed only infrared rays to pass through. This light, invisible to the human eye, was read with the help of electron-optical converters of binoculars and transformed into a picture. Batteries designed to power this system were located in the back of a truck. Due to the presence of such a device, the driver could drive at night, in complete darkness at speeds up to 25 km / h, orienting himself on the terrain through binoculars. At the same time, the visibility of the device was limited to just 30 meters.
At the same time, a portable version of the device, designed for intelligence, was designed and assembled. The principle of operation of the device was similar to the automotive version. All devices were mounted on brackets and belts directly to the person. On the chest was a headlamp from the GAZ-AA with a car bulb in 12-15 W, a battery on the back of the scout, and binoculars in the front. The total weight of such a portable kit should not exceed 10 kg.
Photo: Automotive Archive Foundation, autoar.org
Information sources:
http://autoar.org/pribor-spetsialnogo-naznacheniya
http://alternathistory.com/sovetskie-ik-pribory-nochnogo-videnya-pnv-vo-vtoroi-mirovoi-voine
https://www.utro.ru/articles/2016/11/03/1303311.shtml
Information