07-12-2025, 01:36 PM
A historian friend of mine, passionate about World War II, recently provided me with an interesting article https://lampes-et-tubes.info/wm/Tonne-Se...System.pdf by Wolfgang-D. Schröer about early television in Germany. He told me I would definitely be interested.
I didn't think it would be that interesting.
The content of the article is copyrighted, so I will only provide a brief comment here, also providing information about the source and author.
When the radio exhibition in Berlin ended in 1935 with a demonstration of television systems, the great military potential of this new technology was recognized. At the same time, the development of "civilian" television seemed unprofitable. The Reich Post had appropriate financial resources. Financing began for Telefunken and Fernseh A.G. Development began on a targeting system design, consisting of a camera in the nose of the bomb – codenamed Tonne, a transmitter with power supply in the tail of the bomb, and a television receiver on board the aircraft – codenamed Seedorf. The bomb was radio-controlled by the pilot. The system was designed to be small and lightweight, and stable in operation under various environmental conditions. The first prototype camera, from 1940, measured 16x16x32 cm. The camera had a viewing angle of 15-30 degrees. It had a windshield defrosting system and automatic aperture control. A new type of receiver tube, the Super Ikonoskop IS 9, was produced, which operated even in low light conditions at 50 lux. The first versions had 29 tubes – primarily RV 12 P 2000 pentodes – and weighed 28 kg, including the power supply and batteries. The transmitter operated on a 441-line system with a frequency above 400 MHz. The biggest challenge was synchronizing the transmitter's images with the receiver. For this reason, both devices used quartz generators. The transmitter had a power of 20 W. It included Urdox gas resistors and a dedicated oscillator – a TU50 tube with a Lecher system. The tube had a heater current of 6.5 A and a voltage of 1.4 V. The anode voltage was 800 V. The tube's very low internal capacitance guaranteed the transmitter's stability. To achieve good brightness, the CRT was powered by 12 KV and was only 30 cm long – the LB20 model. The screen had a diameter of 12 x 15 cm. Ultimately, television images were obtained from a distance of 400 km and the ability to control bombs 50 km from the target. However, the project ended in failure. Perhaps the weakest link turned out to be the human factor – the pilot, who was unable to control the aircraft and the bomb and analyze the image on the screen in an emotional situation on board the aircraft, in combat conditions. I discovered that field trials of the system were conducted, among other places, 20 km from my home. I don't think anyone knows this story. The article is very comprehensive and rich in technical information. It undoubtedly sheds new and interesting light on the development of television in Germany. The author has done a great job.
I didn't think it would be that interesting.
The content of the article is copyrighted, so I will only provide a brief comment here, also providing information about the source and author.
When the radio exhibition in Berlin ended in 1935 with a demonstration of television systems, the great military potential of this new technology was recognized. At the same time, the development of "civilian" television seemed unprofitable. The Reich Post had appropriate financial resources. Financing began for Telefunken and Fernseh A.G. Development began on a targeting system design, consisting of a camera in the nose of the bomb – codenamed Tonne, a transmitter with power supply in the tail of the bomb, and a television receiver on board the aircraft – codenamed Seedorf. The bomb was radio-controlled by the pilot. The system was designed to be small and lightweight, and stable in operation under various environmental conditions. The first prototype camera, from 1940, measured 16x16x32 cm. The camera had a viewing angle of 15-30 degrees. It had a windshield defrosting system and automatic aperture control. A new type of receiver tube, the Super Ikonoskop IS 9, was produced, which operated even in low light conditions at 50 lux. The first versions had 29 tubes – primarily RV 12 P 2000 pentodes – and weighed 28 kg, including the power supply and batteries. The transmitter operated on a 441-line system with a frequency above 400 MHz. The biggest challenge was synchronizing the transmitter's images with the receiver. For this reason, both devices used quartz generators. The transmitter had a power of 20 W. It included Urdox gas resistors and a dedicated oscillator – a TU50 tube with a Lecher system. The tube had a heater current of 6.5 A and a voltage of 1.4 V. The anode voltage was 800 V. The tube's very low internal capacitance guaranteed the transmitter's stability. To achieve good brightness, the CRT was powered by 12 KV and was only 30 cm long – the LB20 model. The screen had a diameter of 12 x 15 cm. Ultimately, television images were obtained from a distance of 400 km and the ability to control bombs 50 km from the target. However, the project ended in failure. Perhaps the weakest link turned out to be the human factor – the pilot, who was unable to control the aircraft and the bomb and analyze the image on the screen in an emotional situation on board the aircraft, in combat conditions. I discovered that field trials of the system were conducted, among other places, 20 km from my home. I don't think anyone knows this story. The article is very comprehensive and rich in technical information. It undoubtedly sheds new and interesting light on the development of television in Germany. The author has done a great job.
