Edgar Brooks
Senior Airman
AGLT actually = Airborne Gun Laying in Turrets, not "Automatic." There's a multi-page book, on Village Inn, in our National Archives, and this is the bare bones of about 30 pages.
As stated, it was used in H2S and FN121-equipped Lancasters, and could be used as a supplement to Fishpond, since it was more accurate, with an average error of half a degree. Village Inn was an ultra short-wave radar, and one additional feature was that it introduced a "pipping" warning note into the intercom system, if the gunner found a target.
Also included was the IIC gyro gunsight, which was automatic, but normally needed the range to be fed in by an optical rangefinder, using foot pedals; when Village Inn was used, it fed in the range, making the gunsight fully automatic.
Village Inn projected a CRT "spot" onto the GGS, through a system of mirrors (so the gunner had no need to look at a screen )and also added "wings" to the spot, to give an indication of range. The GGS automatically gave the amount of lay-off, or lead, in order to hit the target.
Also included in the GGS was the "Z" optical receiver, through which the gunner could check the nose of the suspect aircraft; the two circles, on the cupolas of Lancaster, Halifaxes, etc., were infra-red transmitters, usually flashing a letter of the day, which could be changed at will, of course.
On the back of aircraft were similar (but smaller) infra-red lights (known as "resin lamps",) which were "type F." These were used by Mosquito nightfighter crews, who had a forward-looking I.R. scope/sight, to identify enemy nightfighters; as one pilot said,"If we looked through the scope, and the wings were lit up like Christmas trees, we left them alone."
As far as I can tell, the term "resin lamps" was used because, as originally envisaged for RN use, it was a failure, so it was felt that the Germans would largely ignore them (it seems to have worked, since they were never compromised.)
When you know what to look for, the resin lamps can often be seen, on Lancaster, Mosquito, etc. trailing edges (even a couple of P-61 squadrons were supplied with them.)
As stated, it was used in H2S and FN121-equipped Lancasters, and could be used as a supplement to Fishpond, since it was more accurate, with an average error of half a degree. Village Inn was an ultra short-wave radar, and one additional feature was that it introduced a "pipping" warning note into the intercom system, if the gunner found a target.
Also included was the IIC gyro gunsight, which was automatic, but normally needed the range to be fed in by an optical rangefinder, using foot pedals; when Village Inn was used, it fed in the range, making the gunsight fully automatic.
Village Inn projected a CRT "spot" onto the GGS, through a system of mirrors (so the gunner had no need to look at a screen )and also added "wings" to the spot, to give an indication of range. The GGS automatically gave the amount of lay-off, or lead, in order to hit the target.
Also included in the GGS was the "Z" optical receiver, through which the gunner could check the nose of the suspect aircraft; the two circles, on the cupolas of Lancaster, Halifaxes, etc., were infra-red transmitters, usually flashing a letter of the day, which could be changed at will, of course.
On the back of aircraft were similar (but smaller) infra-red lights (known as "resin lamps",) which were "type F." These were used by Mosquito nightfighter crews, who had a forward-looking I.R. scope/sight, to identify enemy nightfighters; as one pilot said,"If we looked through the scope, and the wings were lit up like Christmas trees, we left them alone."
As far as I can tell, the term "resin lamps" was used because, as originally envisaged for RN use, it was a failure, so it was felt that the Germans would largely ignore them (it seems to have worked, since they were never compromised.)
When you know what to look for, the resin lamps can often be seen, on Lancaster, Mosquito, etc. trailing edges (even a couple of P-61 squadrons were supplied with them.)
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