The sounds of war: 'phonotelemetry' at the Italian front

This paper is devoted to a historical research on a sound ranging technique, called the 'Garbasso-Cardani method', which was developed in Italy during the years of the Great War (1915-1918). Such a method, that was aimed at detecting the location of the enemy artillery positions upon the basis of the sound produced by the artillery gunfire, proved crucial during the battles on the Italian Front at the border between the Austro-Hungarian Empire and Italy. This research, which is largely based on archival documents, led to an exhibition including interactive experiments on the physics of sound and a battlefield model. Case studies like this one might be helpful in guiding physics teachers to establish a more active classroom environment.