How do you use the USN MK8 Gunsight

[hawkeyeluke13]

Hello,
  I was looking the MK8 gunsight due to all the marks it has on it, but my question is , what do they all mean  , what are the hold overs for the reticle, etc.
Any help or manual will be much appreciated.
49Hawk14

[bustr]

Here are your two types, one for fighters the other for bombers. Along with two links. One to the Online WW2 manual for NAVY bambing. You will see a few illustrations of these gunsights. And a link to the NAVY manual for using the Mk8 gunsight, or at lest a picture of the cover. I cannot find any free downloads or free viewing places on the net. Hope you can or maybe someone in this audience has access.

More info than you really wanted on WW2 NAVY bombing:

http://aviationshoppe.com/manuals/navy_glide_bombing/glide_bombing.html

Link to the cover of the manual on using the Mk8. Maybe you can scrounge up a copy:

http://www.wartimepress.com/archive-publication.asp?TID=No.%201%20How%20to%20Get%20Hits%20with%20the%20Illuminated%20Sight&MID=Fixed%20Gunnery%20and%20Combat%20Tactics%20Series&q=8118&FID=968

Two Mk8 Gunsight patterns.

The rings are to judge distance based on known wingspans along with hold off for low E turns. (100Mil\50Mil\25Mil) The 45 degree line and 5Mil incrament hash marks are to aid bombing and torpedos.

[Saxman]

Been a while since I've thought about this, but as I recall, an aircraft with a 30ft wingspan should fill the 50mil ring at 200 yards. This should count for most single-engine fighters with a reasonable degree of variation.

[bustr]

Saxman,

The NAVY wrote a whole How To serise of books on air combat tactics in WW2. One specificly for using the Mk8 gunsight with these reticle. Do you have a source for a download or someone who can share their copy?

US NAVY

Fixed Gunnery and Combat Tactics Series

No.1 How to get hits with the illuminated sight.

The AAF has a similar manual from 1944: Fighter Gunnery

[Saxman]

Unfortunately, no. All the information I have is what I can dig up on Google.

[bustr]

Saxman,

I've been trying to find other than EBay to buy them at a reasonable price.

By any chance do you know the CO of VFS - 1000? It seems to be part of their training library. I cannot find the squad listed anymore and they refer to AH on their web page as AHII.

I've been waiting on a WW2 manual repository web site to update it for view but, as of yet that is still pending...................... ............................. .....................

Since all of these WW2 AAF and NAVY manuals are "public domain". I'm flabergasted that the Trainers have not created a repository of them that is view only like many book selling sights do now. Like that link to the NAVY view only Glide Bombing manual I included. One would think things like that would have a certain appeal to helping attract and keep a few subscriptions. At least they could have viewable copies of "Bag the Hun" and "Horrido" to go along with the fact that HTC includes the demonstrated gunsights in your install.

Maybe it's not necessary. How many players come to this game to read? On the other hand the AAF and NAVY understood that and many of their manuals are as rich in visual graphical information as they are in data. A picture is worth a thousand boring words.

[Saxman]

Unfortunately, I've been largely out of the loop for a bit since the Bucs folded and only just started thinking about playing again (hoping my video card is up to the task tonight).

I'd LOVE to have access to some of the old Navy/Marine training manuals from WWII if I ever get to where I wanted to get the squad going again, though. It would be a great tool to have for players interested in the more historical side of the game, particularly for creating training programs for their squadrons.