Yamato gun house rangefinder

[synthesim]

If Yamato's main radar had become disabled, could they have used one, two, or all three gun house 15m rangefinders and rotated the gun houses periodically this way and that, as a way to scan the skies for enemy aircraft approaching?
Would it have been a very useful substitute for disabled radar to search for possible enemy ship or especially aircraft patrols or attacks?

[tommy303]

The 15m rangefinders were designed for surface action, and so would not have been ideal for scanning the sky for enemy aircraft. There were some excellent and powerful optical binoculars much more suited to the purpose in the air defence gallery around the top of the tower mast. Even with radar working, these were manned continually.

[synthesim]

I see, and thank you. But supposing the radar was out, might they have put the 15M units to good use for scanning the horizon then?

[Byron Angel]

I see, and thank you. But supposing the radar was out, might they have put the 15M units to good use for scanning the horizon then?

..... Others may be able to supply more precise data and insight, but it is my feeling that the turret optical range-finders would have been difficult to use effectively for visual surveillance. Their magnification was probably about 20x, which would have been no better than those big Japanese pedestal-mounted watch binoculars and they would have been very cumbersome in terms of scanning. they only had a few degrees +/- movement independent of the turret, meaning that the entire turret would have to be rotated a few degrees avery minute or so in order to sweep the horizon effectively.

B

[tommy303]

All in all, the turret rangefinders and the huge rangefinder in the foretop would have been of more use scanning the horizon for surface threats. The very powerful binoculars in the air defence station around the foretop would have been much better suited for air obsevation and they were excellently positioned to cover all sectors and possible approach angles. The big low angle rangefinders would not have been necessary even if radar went out, at least for aircraft detection purposes.

[Thorsten Wahl]

Rangefinders has because of their high resolution a very limited field of view. As changes in air situation are highly dynamic they were unsuitable for fast scanning horizont for approaching planes.