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| Strebel bombsight | |
|---|---|
| Name | Strebel bombsight |
| Type | bombsight |
| Designer | Otto Strebel |
| Country | Germany |
| Introduced | 1930s |
| Used by | Luftwaffe |
Strebel bombsight The Strebel bombsight was a German optical bombsight developed in the interwar period and used during World War II. It combined optical rangefinding, mechanical computation, and pilotage aids to improve high-altitude and level bombing accuracy. The device was employed on several Luftwaffe aircraft types and influenced postwar bombing system development.
The Strebel bombsight emerged in the 1930s amid rearmament programs involving figures and organizations such as Hugo Junkers, Hermann Göring, Reich Air Ministry, Heinkel, and Messerschmitt. Early trials occurred alongside projects like the Dornier Do 17 evaluations and airframe testing coordinated with the Technische Hochschule Berlin. Field introduction coincided with operational deployment during the Spanish Civil War where units attached to the Condor Legion assessed bombing technologies. Wartime refinement paralleled developments at institutions such as the Kaiser Wilhelm Society and cooperation with firms including Siemens-Schuckert and Telefunken.
The Strebel sight combined an optical telescope, a mechanical computer, and stabilization elements similar in intent to systems used by Carl Zeiss AG and contemporary designs from Royal Aircraft Establishment. Primary components included an azimuth ring, elevation scale, drift meter, and a manual input panel for airspeed and altitude derived from instruments like those by Askania Werke. The optics used coated glass produced by suppliers associated with Carl Zeiss AG and mounting hardware was compatible with bomb-bay interfaces on airframes such as the Heinkel He 111 and Junkers Ju 88. Mechanical computation used differential gearing and cams, paralleling techniques developed by engineers influenced by work at Viktor Kaplan-era mechanical laboratories and machine shops collaborating with Rüstungsministerium contractors.
Crews in units like Kampfgeschwader 26, Kampfgeschwader 40, and reconnaissance elements adapted procedures integrating the Strebel sight with navigation by Willy Messerschmitt-equipped cockpits and radio guidance from ground stations at Fliegerhorst. Bombardiers cross-referenced inputs from radio direction finders similar to those by Telefunken and from visual landmarking over targets such as Guernica during the Spanish conflict and later in campaigns including the Battle of Britain and operations over Soviet Union territories during Operation Barbarossa. Training programs at schools run by Luftwaffenschule A/B/C emphasized coordination between pilot, navigator, and bombardier using manuals produced by the Reichsluftfahrtministerium logistical branches.
Measured performance metrics were evaluated under controlled trials at facilities like Peenemünde test ranges and at bombing ranges near Usedom. Accuracy depended on altitude, airspeed, wind estimation, and bomb ballistics; comparative assessments placed Strebel performance alongside contemporaries such as the Lotfe and Revi sights. In missions over England and Malta, crews reported variable circular error probable (CEP) outcomes influenced by defensive action from units like Royal Air Force fighter groups and weather systems tracked by services of Deutscher Wetterdienst. Mechanical wear and optical alignment, issues addressed by maintenance crews in depots associated with Fliegerkorps, affected repeatability over protracted campaigns.
Incremental versions incorporated stabilized platforms inspired by gyro-stabilization work at Siemens and secondary sighting aids similar to developments in United States Army Air Forces programs. Field modifications included hardened mounts for heavy fighters and adaptations for torpedo delivery on seaplane types operated by units such as Kampfgeschwader 806. Post-1942 iterations introduced improved computation cams and simplified user interfaces reflecting feedback from bomber crews operating in theaters ranging from North Africa to the Eastern Front, and coordination with avionics suppliers tied to companies like Rohde & Schwarz.
The Strebel bombsight influenced postwar optical and electro-mechanical bombsight evolution in programs at institutions including Royal Aircraft Establishment, United States Naval Research Laboratory, and aeronautical engineering departments at Technische Universität München. Design principles informed later computerized bomb-aiming developments seen in projects at Argus Motoren-linked labs and in NATO avionics standardization efforts. Surviving examples are held in collections at museums such as the Deutsches Technikmuseum Berlin and the Imperial War Museum, where they serve as artifacts connecting interwar engineering, firms like Carl Zeiss AG, and operational histories tied to units including Luftwaffe bomber groups.
Category:Bombsights