Concrete Sound Mirrors

[JMB1943]

On bbc.com today there is a series of about a dozen photos of concrete sound mirrors.

These were built in Britain during the GW to try to detect the approach of Zeppelins before they arrived.

Made of concrete, they apparently ranged in size from 20 ft to 200 ft.

 

Regards,

JMB

[Moonraker]

Previous thread of 2014 re BBC World War One at Home series

 

with some good photos.

 

Moonraker

[Terry_Reeves]

The subject has been discussed a number of time on the forum:

 

https://www.greatwarforum.org/search/?q=sound mirrors

 

TR

[JMB1943]

Yes, it has been discussed several time previously.

The reason for my posting the topic is that photos of about one dozen different mirrors are shown, compared to the photos of only two mirrors shown in all of the earlier multiple, extensive discussions.

 

Regards,

JMB

 

[mandy hall]

I saw this article today and discovered there is one of these mirrors, not far from me.  I intend to be nosey and have a look later this week.  

 

Mandy

[Dai Bach y Sowldiwr]

Here's the link:

https://www.bbc.com/news/in-pictures-46348917

[depaor01]

Saw that today. He uses large format film to make the images. Impressive. 

[NigelS]

My understanding is that the three at Denge - certainly the 200ft one - were the final evolution of the technology, being constructed post Great War. There has been at least one reconstruction shown  on TV (here's one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=84nK-M_40Uk ) using one of the  mirrors with a light aircraft as the 'target' & modern day audio equipment for sensing, to prove the technology worked. Made obsolete by the increasing speed of aircraft which meant they arrived overhead too soon after the initial detection, and, more significantly, the advent of radar.

 

NigelS

[mandy hall]

The sound mirror at Selsey today looking very sad, it was converted into a house in the 1930s.

 

Mandy