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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

Acoustic location systems are used to locate a sound source. These devices were used by military services from mid-WWI to the early years of WWII for the passive detection of approaching enemy aircraft by listening for the noise and vibrations of their engines. These devices consisted of giant acoustic horns or microphones connected to the operators’ ear using the stethoscope-type earphones. Acoustic locators could give some information about the approaching airships; however, the operators were unable to hear the distant sounds. Commander Alfred Rawlinson of the Royal Naval Volunteer used this equipment in 1916 when commanding a mobile anti-aircraft battery on the east coast of England. He needed to mean locating the Zeppelins during bad weather or cloudy conditions. Radars completely replaced these giant acoustic location systems.

#1 A junior officer and NCO from an unidentified Feldartillerie regiment wearing a portable sound locating apparatus, c. 1917

A junior officer and NCO from an unidentified Feldartillerie regiment wearing a portable sound locating apparatus, c. 1917

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#2 A two-horn system at Bolling Field, USA, near the Army War College at Fort McNair (in the background), 1921

A two-horn system at Bolling Field, USA, near the Army War College at Fort McNair (in the background), 1921

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#3 An early Goerz listening equipment with receiving shells

An early Goerz listening equipment with receiving shells

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#4

Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#5 Horn-like sound locators of the US Army

Horn-like sound locators of the US Army

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#6 The Doppelt Richtungshörer, produced by the German Askania

The Doppelt Richtungshörer, produced by the German Askania

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#7 A Barbier, Bénard et Turenne device from France

A Barbier, Bénard et Turenne device from France

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#8 A Dutch device, built from 1934 for the Engineers Regiment and the Netherlands Army in the East Indies

A Dutch device, built from 1934 for the Engineers Regiment and the Netherlands Army in the East Indies

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#9 Miniaturized listening devices for the improved mobility, concepts from The Netherlands, 1930s

Miniaturized listening devices for the improved mobility, concepts from The Netherlands, 1930s

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#10 Gigantic trumpet-like Japanese electric ears for detecting enemy planes, 1936

Gigantic trumpet-like Japanese electric ears for detecting enemy planes, 1936

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#11 “Big Ears” Listen for Airplanes, 1938

"Big Ears" Listen for Airplanes, 1938

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#12 A Japanese detector from the late 1930s

A Japanese detector from the late 1930s

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#13 A four-horn acoustic locator in England: 1930s

A four-horn acoustic locator in England: 1930s

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#14 The German Ringtrichterrichtungshoerer (or RRH) acoustic locator, mainly used in World War II antiaircraft searchlight batteries for initial aiming of the searchlights at night targets.

The German Ringtrichterrichtungshoerer (or RRH) acoustic locator, mainly used in World War II antiaircraft searchlight batteries for initial aiming of the searchlights at night targets.

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#15

Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#16 The Shout-O-Phone from 1940

The Shout-O-Phone from 1940

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#17 Soviet soldiers are listening to the sky with their ZT-4 locator, 1942

Soviet soldiers are listening to the sky with their ZT-4 locator, 1942

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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#18

Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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Before The Radars: These Giant Acoustic Horns Were Used To Detect Enemy Aircrafts

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Written by Benjamin Grayson

Former Bouquet seller now making a go with blogging and graphic designing. I love creating & composing history articles and lists.

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