Mark 14 Gunsight
“Doc’s Shoebox” was the nickname for the rectangular black metal prototype of the Mark 14 Gunsight developed during WWII. Sperry Gyroscope had contracted with Charles Stark Draper’s Instrumentation Laboratory at MIT to help develop the specialized instrument that would allow a Navy anti-aircraft gunner to keep up with the new fast-flying airplanes. The resultant design was extremely effective in its first demonstration aboard the USS South Dakota in a 1942 battle when several Japanese Kamikaze aircraft were shot down. The U.S. Navy ordered 85,000 Mark 14 Gunsights, which have been credited with altering the balance of power in favor of the United States in the Pacific conflict. Newspaper accounts were even more glowing providing numerous testimonials to the number of American lives saved, and Draper received the Medal of Merit for his contributions. Most notably, Draper’s wartime project work led directly to his famous inertial navigation work and the steady expansion of the Instrumentation Laboratory to serve the nation’s defense needs.
On loan from The Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc.
Related information
Profile in Smithsonian Hotspots of Innovation
Yes I was friendly with the mark 14 gun sight as I took training on the 20 mm guns and the 40 mm guns which used this gun sight and all those on the other end had problems.Although I was a first loader on 40 mm and did not have much practice with the mark 14 it was always used mostly daily in war zones..
Hi, My dad served in the navy during WWII. I can not say for certain if he used a gun that the mark 14 gunsight was attatched to. He has passed on. However I have inherited from him the power unit of a mark 14 gunsight. My dad (and now I) use it to blow dry carburetors after being in carb dip and my computer when it needs it. The rubber diaphram in it is just as pliable and looks almost new still. The tag on the side dates it to 1944.
Leonard Brodt’s comments interest me very much because of his direct experience with the Mk-14. I (Doc Draper’s son) am writing a history of the Mk-14 in the lab and battle. I have collected the recollections of several gunners who used the Mk-14. I now have two and would much like more recollections of the Mk-14 ‘at work’.I would like permission to add Mr. Brodt’s history. Additional information that I find very useful are what ships are involved, what training and unit and rank did the gunner have, what battles he was in and what direct personal experiences that bring the Mk-14, its role and value in the minds of the gunners to life. Debbie Douglas of the MIT History Museum is aware of my work and might be able to facilitate a conversation. Have a great 2013! – James Draper