Скачать или смотреть America Had No Optical Glass in 1941 — So Bausch & Lomb Rebuilt Precision Lens Production

In early 1941, America faced a dangerous and little-known crisis. Despite its vast industrial power, the United States had no domestic optical glass production capable of supporting modern warfare. With European supply chains cut off, the U.S. military suddenly lacked the precision lenses needed for bombsights, rangefinders, periscopes, binoculars, and gun sights. This documentary reveals how Bausch & Lomb rebuilt optical glass production from nothing—and changed World War II forever.

At their Rochester, New York facilities, American engineers raced against time to recreate the optical glass formulas Germany had perfected over sixty years. Without recipes, without experience, and under extreme wartime pressure, Bausch & Lomb turned shattered experiments into repeatable success. Through systematic engineering and industrial scaling, they transformed optical glass from a rare European craft into a mass-produced American capability.

By 1943, World War 2 military optics made from American optical glass filled battleships, bombers, submarines, tanks, and artillery units across the globe. While German optics were refined but scarce, American precision lenses became abundant—giving Allied forces faster targeting, better reconnaissance, and decisive battlefield advantages.

This video explores how WWII industrial production, optical engineering, and American manufacturing philosophy turned scarcity into overwhelming supply. The glass itself wasn’t revolutionary—but its availability reshaped modern warfare.

If you’re interested in World War 2 technology, forgotten industrial victories, or how factories—not just battlefields—won the war, this story shows how optical glass became a weapon.

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