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Re: Norden Bomb Sight--Curiosity Only



I recall reading somewhere that the pre-radar technology was, in good part,
German. Germany decided to not develop that technology, instead emphasizing
other technical things. Seems like I recall the Germans had a patent on this
pre-radar stuff, which the Brits and the Americans decided to tinker with. I
never cease to be amazed at German engineering prowess. It is common
knowledge that Germany was so far advanced of the Allies in rocketry and
aircraft. Some of the German wind tunnel apparatus from BMW (yes, the folks
who bring you the Beemers) was brought to Arnold AFB here after WWII. I
suspect if Germany had waited two more years, further developing aircraft,
WWII might have been a lot different.  Another thing which amazed me, at the
USAF Museum at Wright-Patterson AFB, there is a replica 8th Air Force
weather/aircraft tower in which is housed a rather slide rule-looking
device, German, I'm told, that calculated weather data. The device was
locked up, or I would have examined it further. If anyone has any knowledge
of that doo-dad, I'd be interested in learning more about it. I was
wondering if that had been patented elsewhere, just for curiosity's sake.
Seemed like a neat thing, and I never been aware of its existence.

Sharon Lee Butcher
Reference Librarian
AEDC Technical Library
100 Kindel Drive, Suite C212
Arnold AFB, TN  37389-3212
Phone:  931-454-4430
Fax:  931-454-5421
e-mail:  sharon.butcher@arnold.af.mil

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jim Lindner [SMTP:jim@VIDIPAX.COM]
> Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 1:37 PM
> To:   ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> Subject:      Re: Norden Bomb Sight--Curiosity Only
>
> Second most secret weapon? What about Radar? What about the ability we had
> to read ENIGMA messages? What about our SIGSALY voice encryption? The
> Sigaba
> "big" machine? I would ask more questions but I would have to shoot
> myself...........
> haha
> jim
>
> Jim Lindner
> VidiPax - The Magnetic Media Restoration Company
>
> Minister of Preservation and Access
> VP General Manager VidiPax Division -
> Loudeye Technologies
> 450 West 31 Street
> New York, N.Y.  10001
> 212-563-1999 ext. 102
>
> www.vidipax.com
> Moderator: AV Media Matters Listserve
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>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Archives & Archivists [mailto:ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU]On
> > Behalf Of Tom Anderson
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 12:25 PM
> > To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU
> > Subject: Re: Norden Bomb Sight--Curiosity Only
> >
> >
> > On the case of it's "classified" status.  It was considered the
> > Second most
> > secret weapon of the war, next the the Manhattan Project.
> > Ironically, a man
> > named Lang, a Norden worker, stole the plans in 1937 and sold them to
> the
> > Nazi's for $3000 (good money in 1937).  They decided against using it
> > prefering dive-bombing to the high-altitude bombing for which it was
> > designed.  We have one on display here at the AMSE, in conjunction w/our
> > Enola Gay Exhibit.
> >
> > Tom Anderson; Collections
> > American Museum of Science and Energy
> > 300 S. Tulane
> > Oak Ridge, TN 37830
> > (865) 576-3228 (Voice), (865) 576-6024 (Fax)
> >
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: James Stimpert <James.Stimpert@JHU.EDU>
> > To: ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU <ARCHIVES@LISTSERV.MUOHIO.EDU>
> > Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2001 11:11 AM
> > Subject: Re: [ARCHIVES] Norden Bomb Sight--Curiosity Only
> >
> >
> > >On Tue, 16 Jan 2001, Kurilecz, Peter wrote:
> > >
> > >> If I'm not mistaken isn't he required to carry a sidearm when
> > >> transporting it? (Preferably a 45 cal). Of course it will come in
> > >> handy when he wants to toss a pickle into a barrel. :-)
> > >
> > >As Peter indicates, during the war, the Norden was "Top Secret" and
> > >subject to extreme security measures.  Apparently, whenever it was
> > >being transported to or from an aircraft, it had to be accompanied by
> > >an armed guard to protect it from spies or saboteurs.
> > >
> > >When Doolittle led his raid on Japan from USS Hornet in 1942, his
> > >B-25s did *not* use the Norden because they knew they would lose most
> > >of their aircraft and many of them would fall into enemy hands, and
> > >they didn't want to risk losing the secret that early in the war.  Of
> > >all the bombers shot down over Europe 1943-45, at least a few of them
> > >had to be carrying the Norden, so the Germans must have gotten their
> > >hands on the Norden and figured out why it was, allegedly, so
> > >effective.
> > >
> > >Presumably, the Norden has since been declassified, otherwise you
> > >might expect a visit from several government representatives, and I
> > >don't mean NARA  :-)
> > >
> >
> >=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
> > >
> > >James Stimpert                       E-mail:    James.Stimpert@jhu.edu
> > >Archives (Arts and Sciences)
> > >MSE Library
> > >Johns Hopkins University             Voice:     (410) 516-8323
> > >3400 North Charles Street
> > >Baltimore, MD  21218                 Fax:       (410) 516-7202
> > >
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> A posting from the Archives & Archivists LISTSERV List!
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Problems?  Send e-mail to Robert F Schmidt <rschmidt@lib.muohio.edu>