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OTHER BINOCULARS #4 & OPTICAL SIGHTS (MOSTLY MILITARY) |
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Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. WEBSITE MUSEUM |
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Sometimes I view fun with optics as being in the research. I have fairly developed skills, and view it more as an entertaining challenge than drudgery. I picked this up at my local flea market for $25 and figured that to be the price of the military case, with the odd optics inside being basically free. Since the case and optics were covered in part numbers and contract numbers and such, and marked as being a borescope, and with the 2003 date not that old, I figured tracking everything down would be a cake walk. In fact the only easy thing was the sticker “ METCAL ” for Met r ology and CAL ibration activity of the Naval Surface Warfare Program, and perhaps the Hughes Aircraft Co sticker. The FSCM ( F ederal S upply C ode for M anufacturer) contractor number was a dead end because FSCM had been replaced by CAGE codes. The SABE part number turned up nothing; the “borescope P/N on the case turned up nothing; the contract number turned up nothing; and even the part number on the device with or without “borescope” turned up nothing. Eventually I tried punching in that part number 3493367 as being a NSN / national stock number, though I knew it wasn’t, and that brought up national stock number 4920-01-420-2527 that had 3493367 as being a listed part number buried within that NSN, listing this as basically being an opto electric target test kit to check the aim or harmonization or boresighting of an aircraft armament system when testing it in a simulated way on the ground, and specifically related to the H1 program to upgrade AH-12 Viper and UH1Y Venom combat helicopters. I live within a half hour of Sikorsky aircraft that makes helicopters, and see military helicopters fly by all the time, and frequently find stuff related to helicopters at the local flea market, so it all now makes perfect sense. |
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Speaking of fun flea market optics, I also live near a medical tool manufacturer, and for a short time somebody showed up at the flea market with some endoscopes (optical surgery tool to insert into a person’s insides and organs to have a look or work on them), along with lots of endoscopy tools scrapped after salt spray tests. (I think testing of competitors stuff, because of being all different brands from around the world). So now I have a bigger collection of endoscopy tools than anybody I know plus some optical endoscopes ! |
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Pre 1940 Hensoldt Wetzlar Dienstglas 6x30 German Military Binoculars Captured in Stalingrad |
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Waffenampt ??Stamping on hinge |
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My Hensoldt Wetzlar Dienstglas 6x30 binoculars predate 1940, when German manufacturer’s letter codes were instituted replacing placing maker names on binoculars, in order to obscure factory output levels and what factories to target. These were purchased in Russia as being of Stalingrad capture. Certainly few Russian soldiers in WWII failed to scoop up any functional binoculars they had the opportunity to grab (nor did any American soldier in either of the World Wars). These binoculars have two deep stampings on the pivot arms which I assumed to be Waffenampt acceptance marks, though they do look a bit different than what I am used to seeing as Waffenampts? And I can’t discern a number, when enlarged a lot. The Waffenampt for Hensolt & Sohne Optische Werke A.G. 1939-1942 was “WaA414”. In other respects these are fairly standard WWII era German infantry binoculars. |
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1925 Barr & Stroud No2 Mk I British Military Binoculars |
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My 1925 dated Barr & Stroud British Military Binocular Prismatic No.2Mk I binoculars were made by the Scottish firm in the inter war years, which is a bit unusual, and are broad arrow British military property marked, and were probably originally black. |
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Mystery British Military Property Marked Binoculars |
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My mystery binoculars have no indication of manufacturer, or of brand, or model, or country of origin, or sign it ever had such. But they do have multiple British military property marks. It has a stamped number K805 and what looks like a stamped serial number, plus rotary engraved markings CLY 893 in two places. My guess is they were civilian binoculars taken into British military possession as being a usable non standard type that might be issued to the Home Guard volunteers of WWI and WWII (which in WWII had 1.5 million members to equip). |
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Pre 1940 WWII E. Leitz Dienstglas D.F. 6x30 German Military Binoculars |
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WWII German D.F. 12 x 60 Binocular Director for Antiaircraft Rangefinder (Fertigungskennzeichen) |
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My WWII 12x60 German Binocular Fire Director would have been mounted with 2 others into an anti aircraft 4 m rangefinder. Height of aircraft is critical to flak type antiaircraft fire, which depends on setting the shell fuse to explode at the height of the aircraft, as a proximity explosion rather than direct fire is the function of the 88mm antiaircraft guns (versus direct fire in their anti tank role). Unfortunately my unit is missing it’s data plate so mfgr is unknown and is missing it’s objective sun shields. |
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My E. Leitz Wetzlar D. F. 6x30 Dienstglas German Military Binoculars are of the standard WWII Infantry pattern, but predate 1940 because the manufacturer’s logo is present (rather than a manufacturer’s numerical code). E. Leitz (Leica) together with Zeiss are among the most respected German optics manufacturers. |
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WWII ddx Voightlander Dienstglas D.F. 6x30 German Military Binoculars with bakelite case |
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My ddx (Voightlander & Sohnne AG Braunschweig) Dienstglas military binoculars are post 1940 standard WWII 6x30 German infantry binoculars, and came in a bakelite (early powdered cast plastic) case with “ MD ” manufacturers mark. The “ KF ” (K ätelfest) marking indicates the use of cold weather Invarol lubricant. The German Russian campaign of 1941 particularly brought intense focus onto lubricants for guns, vehicles, aircraft, binoculars, and everything else to enable extreme cold weather operation. (pardon the pun). |
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1914 WWI Rodenstock Fernglas 08 German Military Binoculars (Galilian/ non Prismatic) |
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My WWI German military binoculars are of the ubiquitous pattern issued to all non commissioned officers and are marked “ F.G. 08 ” (Fernglas 08 or binoculars [model] 08), and are marked “ K.B Dienst ” ( K.B. Govt Service property?) and also “ J ” (Bavarian acceptance mark of Geschofabric Ingolstadt) and also “ IX14 ” (production date of September 1914) on the pivot arms. These binoculars are also maker marked “ G. Rodenstock Fernglas 08 No. 7676 Munchen ” on the pivot disk. The case is marked as having been made by “ Emil Busch A.G. Rathenow” (camera maker) and has the normal case lid instructions, which are quite faded. . |
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Bakelite case maker mark |
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WWII blc Carl Zeiss 7x50 Dienstglas German Military Binoculars |
