Description
40mm A.A. Gunnery Trainer Infra-Red Scorer 3-A-20-C with Original 3-D-14K Box
This 40mm antiaircraft gunnery trainer equipment comes in its original stowage and handling box, identified for the Department of the Army and the Air Force, National Guard Bureau. Inside is an Infra-Red Scorer made by J.H. Keeney & Co., Inc., of Chicago, Illinois. The box carries trainer Device No. 3-D-14K, while the scorer has its own Device No. 3-A-20-C.
Identification and Features
The box and scorer carry different device numbers, serial numbers, and contracts. Each record is listed separately below, with the contract codes preserved as supplied.
- Box identification: Department of the Army and the Air Force, National Guard Bureau; 40mm A.A. Gunnery Trainer.
- Trainer device number: 3-D-14K.
- Trainer serial number: 65.
- Developed and procured by: Office of Naval Research Special Devices Center, U.S.N.
- Trainer contract: N140S-17679B.
- Scorer agency: SPECIAL DEVICES DIVISION USN BUREAU of AERONAUTICS.
- Scorer identification: INFRA-RED SCORER; DEVICE NUMBER 3-A-20-C.
- Scorer contract: CONTRACT NUMBER NOa(s) 4343.
- Scorer serial: SERIAL NUMBER 1375 AERO.
- Scorer manufacturer: J.H. KEENEY & CO., INC., CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.
Function and Contents
The infrared scorer served the measurement side of simulated gunnery training. Period Navy systems used a light-sensitive pickup to detect an aiming reference on a screen, even when an infrared filter hid that reference from the gunner. Counters recorded simulated shots and hits, helping instructors judge tracking accuracy. The equipment supplied here consists of two parts: the scorer box and a mounting assembly that plugs into it. The original stowage and handling box accompanies these components.
Documented Applications
A surviving film catalog lists the U.S. instructional film Installation of the 3-D-14-K 40mm Gunnery Trainer. Its producer is recorded as the Department of the Army and the Air Force, National Guard Bureau. The archive describes a black-and-white 16mm sound film. This dedicated installation film documents formal instruction for the specific trainer named on the box and places the device within the National Guard's training program.
Product History
The 3-D-14K 40mm trainer was adapted from the Navy's 3-A2 trainer, used with 20mm guns during World War II. The later device carried that training approach into Army antiaircraft instruction. This example's box credits the Office of Naval Research Special Devices Center with development and procurement. Its scorer credits the Special Devices Division of the Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics. Together, the plates record two stages in the Navy's training-device organization, although they do not give an exact manufacturing date for either serial number.
Equipment History
The Navy's Special Devices program began in April 1941 under Commander Luis de Florez in the Bureau of Aeronautics. He promoted synthetic training, meaning practice with machines that copied real military tasks. During World War II, the program developed motion-picture gunnery trainers and other teaching devices. It grew into the Special Devices Division. In August 1946, the division became the Special Devices Center at Port Washington, Long Island, New York. The organization became the Naval Training Device Center in 1956. The office names on this equipment belong to that broader development of military simulation.
Weapon-System Background
The 40mm Bofors was a major Allied antiaircraft gun of World War II. Developed in Sweden, it entered service in many countries, including the United States. The U.S. Army used the M1 version, mounted on a wheeled carriage with supports for stability. Early Bofors guns could fire about 120 rounds per minute. Hitting a moving aircraft required steady tracking and correct lead, which means aiming ahead of the target's path. Gunnery trainers helped crews practice those skills. The Bofors remained in military service after the war, giving 40mm training equipment a role in the wider history of postwar air defense.
History of Use
A September–October 1952 Antiaircraft Journal account records four 3-D-14K trainers at the Antiaircraft Artillery Replacement Training Center at Fort Bliss, Texas. Personnel had attended Navy training in Boston in November 1951. The trainer used dual 16mm projection equipment. Practice moved from visible aiming guides to a hidden infrared reference, then to sight-only tracking. Repeated simulated firing helped soldiers gain experience before live firing while reducing ammunition costs.
Condition
The equipment is supplied with its original stowage and handling box, scorer box, and plug-in mounting assembly. The identification plates carry the markings transcribed in this listing. It is offered as historical training equipment for collection and display. These contents do not establish a complete or operational 40mm gunnery trainer installation.
Ideal For
Suited to displays on antiaircraft instruction, Navy training-device development, and the National Guard's role in postwar air defense. It also fits collections that study early military electronics or J.H. Keeney's contract work. Displaying the scorer with its original box keeps the two identification records together for comparison.
- Military training-device and simulator collections.
- National Guard and Navy history displays.
- 40mm antiaircraft and Bofors-related collections.
- Historic electronics and J.H. Keeney manufacturer collections.
Approx length 19", Approx width 18", Approx height 16", Approx weight 68lbs.
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