ORIGINAL: dazkaz15
Just a few small edits, and re-posting this as requested by BG [:)]
Side note: General Gavin did not seem to be impressed by the use of proximity fuzes near woods.
My guess is, that the radio wave emitter was prone to confusing the treetop level with the ground level.
Also, afaik, shells with proximity fuzes started to be issued to units in the European theater in December.
Until that point, the US feared that duds (thus the technology) could get into German hands, so they barred using them in Europe ("VT" = variable time shells were used in an AA role in the Pacific, possibly in a reg. arty role too). They had been used by British AA sites in England, though, in order to shoot down V1 flying bombs (quite successfully btw.).
Question is, whether US VT rounds had reached the front in sufficient numbers, or not. Afaik, shells with percussion/direct action fuzes were by far the most available/used types of artillery rounds.
In turn, the Germans had worked on proximity fuzes in 1940, but the project was halted, until R+D continued in 1944. The germans did not manage to get their development to a serial stage before the war ended.
In 1944, through their experiences bombarding wooded areas and swamps in Russia, the Germans had mastered airburst bombardments (using time fuzes) for more than 2 years, already, which turned out to be devastating for Allied inf units in woods, especially during the battles in the Huertgen Forest area.
