FLASH-FIRE I: A FIELD EXPERIMENT IN DIRECT FIRE AT NIGHT WITHOUT ILLUMINATION

Since the accuracy and frequency of direct fire of tank cannon in static situations at night against unilluminated stationary targets whose positions are disclosed only by muzzle flash can be increased significantly, through the use of reference lights, to a level comparable with that of daylight firing at concealed targets, the method warrants recognition as an effective aid to night combat. Although the frequency of return fire is greater against large-flash weapons, accuracy is significantly higher against small-flash weapons, especially when reference lights are used as a night-gunnery aid. Target-acquisition times at night without illumination are about equal to times for daylight tank firing at camouflaged targets. The use of some form of reference lights to localize muzzle flashes so reduces lay errors that a searching pattern of fire, such as the standard area-fire pattern, attains an extremely high probability of neutralizing targets. This is especially marked when HEAT ammunition is used against point-type soft targets. (Author)