Neat use for a Director's Trailer, M17?

[jds15151]

Sorry for the poor quality of this picture. I thought it was neat seeing a WWII Director's Trailer being used to haul a Buffalo around in Germany in 1956. The unit was the 510 Tank Battalion, 4th Armored Group. The picture is in the Squadron HQ of the 1/10 Cavalry( Buffalo Soldiers ). Oh yeah, Geronimo is the buffalo's name.

 

[sailor2000]

OK... what is a "Director's Trailer "????

 

[jds15151]

Sorry, common reference to the M7, M13, M14 trailers which had built up enclosures for use in Anti-Aircraft units in WWII. This is more likely an M1 or M17 version which commonly carried generators, misc. equipment, or the Quad 50 Mount.

 

[DDoyle]

"director trailers" housed a device called the gun director - the equipment that calculates altitude, angle, speed and sent the info (by wire) to the guns, so the fuzes were properly set and the correct elevation and lead were taken by the gun crew. The director was a large complicated mechanical/optical device.

DD

 

[rmgill]

More generally, the artillery on land had similar equipment to the naval artillery to direct their guns. Basically electromechanical computers that either directly or gave guidance to the gunners where to point their guns. The bigger and better guns had fuze setters that would allow a loader to insert a fuze into a machine controlled centrally by the director. The fuze setter would automatically index the right time of flight and that round was the next to be put into the gun for firing. For anti-aircraft work this was especially important. Combining the directors with radar data input REALLY made the system better and then with VT fuzes (radar proximity) the effectiveness of the guns was somewhere on the order of ~20 rounds per aircraft (in the case of the V1 buzz bombs).

The most interesting thing about these computers is that they were in fact FASTER than the computers of the 80s because their outputs were almost instantaneous (gears and electrical data inputs meant the outputs were continuously calculated). When the Iowas were refitted, the electromechanical computers were not replaced with solid state units because the solid state units weren't faster yet. Hows that for old technology that's still good as it can get?

I'm most fascinated by the british 3.7" HAA guns. They were director controlled and as they were developed, they received hydraulic power ramming, automatic fuze setting in the tray, VT fuzes, and a multi round loading tray that allowed the gunners to just drop the next coupla rounds in the tray rather than having to wait for the gun to need the round. Effective altitude was iirc 50,000 feet and they were killer guns in their final forms. Even in WWII they weren't shabby, bigger and heavier than the German 88 they were used by the germans to design their 10.5cm AA guns.

 

[Timespanr]

G-221 Trailer Series 2T 2Axles x 4Wh with loading ramp 1942-1945
Models
M1 for Search Light 60 Inch
M7 for Generator for Search Lights
M13 for Director, Searchlights or Guns, Top Bows, Canvas Top or Soft Top
M14 for Director, Searchlights or Guns, Metal Van Type Enclosure, or Hard Top
M17 for M45 Quad (4) 50cal MGs
M18 for Generator for Search Lights
M22 for Director, Searchlights or Guns, Metal Van Type Enclosure, or Hard Top

Note: M13, M14 & M22 Directors inclued an M3 (or M4) Gun Director Computer

 

[319]

Cool! I always wondered how the AA gunners were able to hit anything!

 

[emr]

Cool! I always wondered how the AA gunners were able to hit anything!

Thats for sure, GREAT THREAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Timespanr]

G-221 Trailer Faimly 2Axles x 4Wh (Towed) is as Follows:

M1 for trans of Search Light Canvas Top Mfr Fruehauf
M7 for trand of Generators Open Mfr Fruehauf
M7 for trans of Smoke Generators Open Mfr Fruehauf
M7 for trans of M29 Weasel Open Mft Fruehauf
M13 for trans of M1 thru 10 Gun Director Computers Canvas Mfr Brill
M13 for trans of M1 thru 10 Gun Director Computers Canvas Mfr Fruehauf
M14 for trans of M1 thru 10 Gun Director Computers Metal Mfr Brill
M14 for trans of M1 thru 10 Gun Director Computers Metal Mfr Fruehauf
M17 for trans of M45D or M51 Quad (4) 50cal MG's Open Mfr Fruehauf
M18 for trans of M1 thru 10 Gun Director Computers Metal Mfr Fruehauf
M21 for trans of M1 thru 10 Gun Director Computers Metal Mfr Fruehauf
M22 for trans of M1 thru 10 Gun Director Computers Metal Mfr Fruehauf
K-84 for trans of of Radios (Signal) Canvas Mfr Fruehauf

 

[stancanpara]

OK... what is a "Director's Trailer "????

And do any of them still exist today?

 

[maddawg308]

Sure, here's a website with a couple survivors posted, along with some history, mfg. specs and pics.

2 ton Directors Trailers

Also, I took photos of one at TNJ Murray's in Delaware a couple years back. Kinda sad looking, but it can be saved.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Thanks for a great thread with historical insight.

 

[BackWoodsDrifter]

i just happened to stumble over one of these in a salvage yard today and came on here to find out what it was. Its in the cutting pile is a lil rough but could be saved anybody interested? the pintle has been remove and a draw bar made under neith of it

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

i just happened to stumble over one of these in a salvage yard today and came on here to find out what it was. Its in the cutting pile is a lil rough but could be saved anybody interested? the pintle has been remove and a draw bar made under neith of it

Hope you're able to save it!

On another note:

FYI: The RING on the front of a trailer is the LUNETTE RING. Whereas the HOOK on the back of a Truck or Trailer for connecting a Trailer or Tow Bar is the PINTLE HOOK. Actually, the PINTLE and LUNETTE are only words necessary (from the French Language) and it's we Americans who seem to think we must add the "hook" and "ring" annotations.

Lunette - Definition and More from the Free Merriam-Webster Dictionary

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pintle

 

[BackWoodsDrifter]

haha my apologies, as a 88M i should know better

 

[Pawnshop]

There was one of those trailers at the MVPA convention in Topeka last year

 

[harleyhouse]

Looks like they used torsion axles due to the low deck height?
Great information!

 

[BackWoodsDrifter]

The one i seen at the scrap yard had leaf springs under it and a cool looking skid pan the covered the bottom of the spring pack.

 

[Timespanr]

I wonder, if either Maddawg308 and or Pawnshop, would be so kind as to venture
a traile identification on the trailers presented in their posts?
Thanks in advance

 

[Pawnshop]

Sorry, I did not get a shot of the data plate (should have, dammit...)

Some photos I found on the WWW. the other night