Barnbow. When was live ammo in use at tank factory firing range?

Si · Post by Si » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 3:19 pm

They were probably dual purpose searchlights mounted on Chieftains then, Johnny.I remember seeing them at Barnbow going over those ramp things - about late 60s, early 70s, I think.

Post by **chameleon** » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 3:35 pm

[quotenick="Johnny39"] Si wrote: liits wrote: I'm assuming the searchlight mentioned above, was an infra-red light with dual white light/infra-red capability. At night, infra-red is great so long as your opponent doesn't have it, otherwise you may as well use normal searchlights! Thermal sights (heat sensitive) are much better as they are truly "invisible", can see through smoke and fog, and have a much longer range. Thanks for that Si but I was really meaning pre-laser and thermal days. I would think it was the late 60s or around that time. I only saw them a couple of times but those searchlights certainly left an impression on me. I remember at school we dicussed this new thing, LASERs - described then as an 'invention looking for a use'. Looking round today, we certainly found a few didn't we!!

Si · Post by Si » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 4:34 pm

Chieftain with searchlight on.

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 5:23 pm

Si wrote: They were probably dual purpose searchlights mounted on Chieftains then, Johnny.I remember seeing them at Barnbow going over those ramp things - about late 60s, early 70s, I think. Those are they! Should have said Chieftains. Did the Challenger follow with the new technology?

liits · Post by **liits** » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 6:18 pm

[quotenick="Johnny39"] Si wrote: liits wrote: I'm assuming the searchlight mentioned above, was an infra-red light with dual white light/infra-red capability. At night, infra-red is great so long as your opponent doesn't have it, otherwise you may as well use normal searchlights! Thermal sights (heat sensitive) are much better as they are truly "invisible", can see through smoke and fog, and have a much longer range. Thanks for that Si but I was really meaning pre-laser and thermal days. I would think it was the late 60s or around that time. I only saw them a couple of times but those searchlights certainly left an impression on me. The searchlight [white light] also had a filter for infra-red. The light itself was in an armoured case, the door flipped open and inside the door was the infra-red filter which in turn also flipped open to reveal the white light. The light was “steerable” up and down [if I remember correctly] independently of the main armament.As for lasers, both the Chieftain and Challengers have laser rangefinders [ to establish how far away the target is and linked to the fire control system] linked to the gunners sight but they also have a muzzle reference system [to establish where the end of the gun actually is in relation to where it’s supposed to be and linked to the fire control system]. I'm not sure that that last bit makes sense?!?

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 7:47 pm

Johnny39 wrote: I can remember the searchlights on those tanks! What a beam - even in bright sunlight. Does anyone know if they stopped running the tank testing when anyone was watching on the perimeter path or was it just my imagination? I can remember as a kid (early 80's) standing and watching a tank go round and round the test track adjacent to the factory with a mate, so they didn't stop them on that day.It used to be quite impressive when they moved the tanks out of the factory up Austhorpe Road on those giant tank transporters.

Johnny39 · Post by **Johnny39** » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 8:33 pm

raveydavey wrote: Johnny39 wrote: I can remember the searchlights on those tanks! What a beam - even in bright sunlight. Does anyone know if they stopped running the tank testing when anyone was watching on the perimeter path or was it just my imagination? I can remember as a kid (early 80's) standing and watching a tank go round and round the test track adjacent to the factory with a mate, so they didn't stop them on that day.It used to be quite impressive when they moved the tanks out of the factory up Austhorpe Road on those giant tank transporters. Thanks Raveydavey it must just have been all in the mind - the stopping bit. It certainly was a tight squeeze down Austhorpe Road when those convoys of low loaders moved them. I also remember them parked by the side of the factory near the railway waiting to be loaded onto railtrucks. They were mostly in sand camouflage, presumably bound for the Gulf States at that time.

Si · Post by Si » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 8:47 pm

liits wrote: As for lasers, both the Chieftain and Challengers have laser rangefinders [ to establish how far away the target is and linked to the fire control system] linked to the gunners sight but they also have a muzzle reference system [to establish where the end of the gun actually is in relation to where it’s supposed to be and linked to the fire control system]. I'm not sure that that last bit makes sense?!? It does to me! I had a go at describing this a few posts earlier, Liits.

compton · Post by **compton** » Thu 02 Dec, 2010 9:52 pm

Regarding the searchlights we had them fitted to mk9 centurions in the mid 60s, as said, white light plus infra red filter. Great show on Hohne ranges when night firing using white light. To get the range then, before the .50 ranging gun, we used 2 H.E. to get the range followed by an A.P. very wasteful

raveydavey · Post by **raveydavey** » Fri 03 Dec, 2010 8:15 pm

Johnny39 wrote: raveydavey wrote: Johnny39 wrote: I can remember the searchlights on those tanks! What a beam - even in bright sunlight. Does anyone know if they stopped running the tank testing when anyone was watching on the perimeter path or was it just my imagination? I can remember as a kid (early 80's) standing and watching a tank go round and round the test track adjacent to the factory with a mate, so they didn't stop them on that day.It used to be quite impressive when they moved the tanks out of the factory up Austhorpe Road on those giant tank transporters. Thanks Raveydavey it must just have been all in the mind - the stopping bit. It certainly was a tight squeeze down Austhorpe Road when those convoys of low loaders moved them. I also remember them parked by the side of the factory near the railway waiting to be loaded onto railtrucks. They were mostly in sand camouflage, presumably bound for the Gulf States at that time. I don't think they move the full battle tanks by rail any more - I'm sure I read somewhere that they are too big for the railways (out of gauge) now.