How did this apparatus actually work - discovery of induced nuclear fission? Despite all the ugliness threaded through this story, I'd like to understand the physics of this apparatus of Otto Hahn, Lise Meitner and Fritz Strassmann (in alphabetical order). The system shown represents the first measurement of fission induced by neutron radiation. 
note: While this NYTimes Obituary of Otto Hahn does not explain it - the link in the answer below does.
It looks like the electronics in the back might be a power supply, and the two identical electronic systems on the left and right could be amplifiers - is it somehow detecting coincidences of both fission fragments? The boxes labeled PERTRIX seem to be 90V batteries used in many radios in the 1930s. The fact that there are so many more in series on the shelf below suggests a Geiger–Müller tube or at least some kind of gas ionization detector, but I don't see any in the photo.
Question: How did this thing work?

Above: Image from the NYTimes Obituary credited there to Hulton Archive/Getty Images.
 A: This is discussed briefly in this article on the IAEA website.
The apparatus shown was for measuring the radioactivity from a sample of uranium that had been irradiated with neutrons. The irradiation was done separately, then the treated samples had their emission measured with the kit above. Finally the samples were analysed in a chemical lab to identify the elements present.
The radiation from uranium is constant on lab timescales, but the equipment shown above was able to measure changes in emission due to decay of the short lived fission products. This showed the uranium had been transformed into some other element(s). The chemical analysis was able to identify one of the new elements as barium.
A: At the suggestion of uhoh, I am reproducing a response I posted  on History of Science and Mathematics site
The above photo was reproduced in the biography: Lise Meitner, A life in Physics, by Ruth Lewin Sime; University Of California Press,1996, ISBN 0-520-20860-9. A brief description of the parts is given on page 371, bottom and 372 top. The attached photo, describing some of the components, is from those included with the text. Lise Meitner's apparatus
A: Here is a pretty good explainer image from the Nuclear Fission Deutsches Museum.
This grouping was divided across 3 rooms for the actual 1938 experiment. 

