I'd like to ask if anyone knows when optics started to appear in armoured vehicles?
I know in The Great War that Britain initially sourced 90% of its optics-quality glass from overseas and was cut of from these sources. So I can understand that initially vision was supplied by simple slits cut into the armour plate. Obviously, this was susceptible to bullet-splash (hence the chain mail masks) but I'm particularly interested about when prisms such as protectoscopes and episcopes were placed into vehicles.
I think from a hazy memory that the British MkV Heavy Tank had a rear-facing periscope in a cupola. (EDIT: This was an officer's hand periscope-port, I was in error)
Any information would be greatly appreciated, especially sources and especially technical manuals.
-- Edited by Jim Lawrie on Saturday 18th of November 2023 02:31:58 PM
Your post on the Russian optics got me looking for information on VA Mgebrov, the designer of the Mgebrov-Renault armoured cars. I found this Russian wikipedia article on him (Google Translate) https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%9C%D0%B3%D0%B5%D0%B1%D1%80%D0%BE%D0%B2,_%D0%92%D0%BB%D0%B0%D0%B4%D0%B8%D0%BC%D0%B8%D1%80_%D0%90%D0%B2%D0%B5%D0%BB%D1%8C%D0%B5%D0%B2%D0%B8%D1%87 (Somehow I don't think that's going to work . . . )
I was surprised to learn he did all that work before 21st August 1915 when testing his rifle grenades for anti-armour work at the front the enemy launch an attack and during the counterattack he led he suffered injuries that he later died from. That's an enormous amount of innovation for a single year.
Just after the first world war, Stroboscopic turret, on the French tank FCM 2C, and classic aiming and observation slots equipped, only with a triplex glass.
No triplex glass, for Schneider, Saint Chamond and Renault FT, on aiming and observation slots, during the first world war.
