Early history of the proximity fuze (1937-40)

The RAF´s air exercises of 1936-7 highlighted the inability of Fighter Command´s force of obsolete biplane fighters to intercept modern, fast, monoplane bombers. One tactic suggested to counter this deficiency was known as ´bombing the bomber´. Both acoustic and photoelectric proximity fuzes were produced for this purpose and demonstrated before the outbreak of the Second World War. Several applications of the PE proximity fuze were advanced and partially developed in 1939-40. These included the use of the fuze in UPs (unrotated projectiles), in ground-influenced bombs, in an airfield defence scheme for protecting airfields against low flying aircraft and as a means of defending bombers against stern fighter attacks. The author considers the early history of the origin, development, potential applications, and limitations of some British proximity fuzes (principally the PEPF) and of their subsequent replacement by the radio proximity fuze.