Here are some of the German Heavy AAA aiming/ range finding systems in use during WW2:
the EM 4 m R (H) 34 or 36, the Entfernungsmesser 4 m
Raumbild (Hochenmesser) 34 or 36, a standard 4 m-class rangefinder of heavy antiaircraft batteries.
It (as well as a newer, slightly different Em 4m R 40) could be used as a free standing on a tripod base,
as seen here - in co-operation with the Kdo.Hi.Ger. 35, or coupled directly with the Kdo.Ger. 36 or Kdo.Ger. 40.
The Em 4 m R (H) 34 or 36 were manned by 4 men (3 aimers and a commander) and could measure ranges
from 620 m (670 m in case of the model 34) to 50 000 m, as well as target's altitude.
Kdo.Hi.Ger. 35 or Kommando Hilfsgeraet 35, an antiaircraft artillery command
device used as the secondary unit of a heavy antiaircraft battery (cal. 8,8 cm upwards), the primary unit
being either the Kdo.Ger. 36 or the Kdo.Ger. 40, both of them, as opposed to this one, were more complex,
coupled with a 4 m-class rangefinder and offered electric wire transmission of calculated elevation, traverse
and fuse setting to the guns. Range was given to the Kdo.Hi.Ger. 35 verbally from a free standing 4 m rangefinder,
while target's traverse and elevation were observed with two optical sights visible on both sides of the device.
Calculated values were given to the guns verbally via a phone line. The Kdo.Hi.Ger. 35 together with an
accompanying rangefinder were manned by 14 men, 9 of them operating the command device alone.
I'd love to be able to put all those poor men at work.
