MiniatureBinoculars.com

My WWII Russian KOMZ ( Казанский оптико-механический завод / Kazan Optical Mechanical Factory) binoculars were produced in early in 1944 (serial number 44077210, with the first two prefix numbers of KOMZ binocular serial numbers being the year of manufacture), and these binoculars were rather quickly captured by German forces, possibly by the 11th Panzer division at Cherkassy in Feb 1944. The case of these binoculars is marked to German Oblt. (Oberleutenent) G. von Shealey of Aufkln (Aufkl ä rungsabteilung/Reconnaissance detachment) kompanie 3 of the 11P (the 11 Aufklarungs–Abteilung with it’s 3rd company was the reconnaissance detachment of the 11 th P anzer division). After Cherkassy, the damaged 11th Panzer division was withdrawn to southern France near Libourne/ Bordeau for rebuilding and was reorganized with integration of the 416 Grenadier Regiment and 273 Reserve Panzer division. Perhaps relevant to the B44 / 1944 Oberkommando der Wehrmacht stamp, the 11th Reconnaissance Abteilung was further reorganized in May 1944 by absorbing the Reserve Reconnaissance Abteilung 7, and perhaps relevant to the P44 /1944 Untech und Ausrustungsfeldlayer stamp (Technical and Equipments Field Warehouse Paris) on July 11 1944 the 11 Aufklarungs–Abteilung was converted into a Versorgunangs-Kompanie (Supply Company) with feldpost number 09426. I know from direct contact with veterans that by mid 1944 German reorganization and refitting made the best of shortages by using substitute standard items (like equipping refitted soldiers with French military compasses, and newly issued AC44 P38 pistols going into P08 luger holsters). A fairly new and serviceable pair of binoculars and case were probably judged to be a perfectly acceptable substitute when standard issue binoculars were unavailable. In cases where large quantities of substitute standard items were available and issued, they were given their own German model designation.

1944 WWII NIL No 5 Mk 5 Mk 5 Canadian Issue Binoculars

1944 NIL No5 Mk5 military binoculars.
1944 NIL No 5 Mk5 jumelles militaires.
1944 NIL No 5 Mk 5 militarisches fernglas.
1944 NIL No 5 Mk 5 militar kikare.
1944 NIL No 5 Mk 5 militaire verrekijker.
1944 NIL No 5 Mk 5 binocolo militare.
1944 NIL No5 Mk 5 binoculares militares.

My 1944 dated Canadian issued British manufactured No 5 Mk 5 7x50 binoculars were made by NIL / Nottingham Industries Limited. NIL appears to have been a UK Ministry of Supply created wartime company (1941-1946) which was set up in what had previously been a cigarette factory, but with optics and binocular manufacturer Ross operating it. The binoculars carry the WWII era UK and commonwealth military property broad arrow mark, and red W waterproofed mark, and desiccant ports with the red paint authorized removal/sealed designation, and the case has a C and broad arrow Canadian military property mark. As sold as surplus, this binocular has no ranging graticule, which may be one of the two “ MA ” change markings.

WWII U.S. AIR FORCE BENDIX 1942? OPTICAL BUBBLE AIRCRAFT AN-5851-1 SEXTANT

WWII II U.S. air force Bendix AN-5851-1 Aircraft bubble sextant.

My WWII U.S. Air Force AN-5851-1 Aircraft sextant was used for night navigation of large aircraft, including the B-17 bomber and PB4Y-2 bomber. It would be hung on a special arm for the navigator to take readings out of the bubble canopy, and it has a couple integral lights for night use. Since it was optical, complex, looked interesting, had an interesting case, and cost around $30 at my local flea market, it came home with me that day.

U.S. SECRET SERVICE MIRADOR LIMER BCF1180 11 X 80 BINOCULARS

US Government US Secret Service property Mirador Limer 11x80 binoculars
US Regierung US Geheimdiesnst Mirador Limer 11x80 Fernglas
USA:s regering USA:s sakerhetsjanst Mirador Limer 11x80 kikare
US Servicio Secreto Mirador Limer 11x80 Binoculares

U.S. secret Service Mirador Limer 11x80 binoculars.

The U.S. Secret service uses large high power binoculars to observe crowds, buildings, and surroundings as an integral part of their protection and counter sniper activities. Like all their equipment, their optical equipment gets periodically replaced or changed or upgraded. When a company that specialized in purchasing surplus government equipment at auction, and then reselling it, obtained a few of these US Secret Service property marked Mirador Limer 11x80 binoculars some years back, I purchased two. Though my interest was probably largely about the secret service label on the binoculars, I do like these. Even with 1,200 or so binocular to choose from, these are one of a handful I regularly grab to in order to use. Like other specialty items, these are only suited for special circumstances and conditions. Mirador is indicated as a registered trademark, but does not seem to show up as a US trademark in TESS, but does show up as Canadian trademark TMA294949 for binoculars from 1984-2000. Mirador binoculars were associated with the Mirador Optical Corporation of Marina Del Rey California in many US binoculars trade listings, and Mirador Optical Corporation was a registered California Corp 9/12/1982 until dissolved 10/28/2010. The U.S. Mirador entity is presumed to be an importer/ distributor, as Mirador also had a sales presence in Europe.

U.S. Navy Mk 89 Model 0 Optical Gun Sight, Part of Mk 15 Naval Antiaircraft Gunsight

My U.S. Navy Mk 89 Model 0 telescope is an initial target acquisition auxiliary scope made by Wollensak Optical Co. and used with the MK15 anti aircraft gun sight in U.S. Naval gun fire directors, such as the Mk52 fire director below.

Zrak ON-M59 Yugoslavain-Serbian RPG Rocket Propelled Grenade Launcher Optical Sight

When an optical sight like this shows up at my local flea market for $30 or so, I tend to buy them, partly for the fun of figuring out what they are and how they fit into military history.

Zrak ON-M59 Yugoslavian Serbian Optical sight for RPG.

My Zrak ON-M59 Optical Gun Sight was used on the Yugoslavian-Serbian M57A2 RPG rocket propelled grenade launcher, of which around 12,000-16.000 were made at the Kragujevac weapons factory Crvena Zastavia from around 1967-1975, and used in the 1992-1999 Yugoslav wars. The Zrak Optical Works factory that manufactured this sight is located in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia.

1938 Wild Heerbrugg TM-2 Swiss Military WWII Land Artillery Optical Coincidence Range Finder

1938 Wild Heerbrugg TM-2 Swiss military atrillery coincidence range finder.

The clever design and detail and fit and finish of Swiss precision equipment is usually fairly impressive, and my 1938 Wild Heerbrugg military range finder (made 23 years after Wild was founded) is no exception. For example the multi part tripod consists of a Kern made table top tripod that fits into the full height tripod base, with a ball tripod head/ mount of some complexity, and elaborate cases for everything.

WWII Hungarian Military L å tcs ö 6x30 Binoculars

Though I have not been able to find much direct documentation, I believe my L å tcs ö 6x30 binoculars to be Hungarian military issue and their marking “ AM.KIR.KINGSTAR TULAJDONA ”’ to be the equivalent to “Property of Royal Hungarian Treasury”. These binoculars have both horizontal and vertical ranging grids, and may be either an artillery or infantry model. I have seen identical binoculars marked as “L é g ó ”, “Honvedseg”, or Suss/MOM, with most of those dated 1941, suggesting multiple manufacturers providing this pattern of binoculars to supply the WWII related Hungarian military mobilizations.

WWII Hungarian Latcso 6x30 Military Binoculars.
6x30 Binoculares Militares Hungaros Latcso.
Ungarisches Latcso 6x30 Militarfernglas.
Jumelles Militaires Hongroises Latcso 6x30.
Latcso 6x30 miliiitaire verrekijker.
Latsco 6x30 binocolo militare.
Latsco 6x30 militar kikare.
Latsco 6x30 prismaticos militare.

Hungarian army officer in WWII with these type binoculars

J.J. Messer London Day & Night Brass Telescope

My J.J. Messer London day and night brass telescope was made by optician and telescope maker John James Messer of 19 & 20 King St. Commercial Road East, in London, County of Middlesex, England probably in the 1850’s. Messer worked 1845-1880, but had been forced into bankruptcy in 1859.

Since British military officers purchased their own equipment like this, it is hard to say if it had military or civilian use.

Telescope has sliding lens covers

Iraq War PSO-1 Russian Прицел Снайперский Оптический, Pritsel Snaipersky Optichesky / “Optical Sight Sniper”, and my Iraq War Land Rover Collection

Russian PS01 sniper scope captured in Abu Ghraib in the Iraq war.
Lunette de visse Russe PS01 capturee a Abu Ghraib pendant la guerre en Iraq.
Russisches PS01-Scharfschutzenzielfernrohr das im Irakkrieg in Abu Ghrab erbeutet
wurde.
Mirino de cecchino Russo PS01 catturando as Abu Ghraib durante la guerra in Iraq.
Visor de francotirador Ruso PS01 capturandoer Abu Ghraib en la guerra de Irak.
Rus PS01 keskin nisanci kapsam i Irak savasinda Abu Ghraib de ele gecirildi.
Fusheveprimi snajper Rus PS01 kapet ne Abu Ghraib ne lufen ne Irak.
Ruski snajperski nisan PS01 zarobljen u Abu Ghraib u Iraku.

Text Box: My Russian made PSO-1 Прицел Снайперский Оптический, Pritsel Snaipersky Optichesky, or “Optical Sight Sniper” has an unusual history in that it was removed in July 2003 from a Russian Dragunov SVD-63 Sniper rifle that had been stored in a Hamarabi Republican Guard facility in the Iraqi town of Abu Ghrab (the town later famous for it’s prison) by a US Military Police soldier in that war, who was later a co worker of mine, and who brought the scope home to the US as a war trophy or souvenir, before selling it to me along with an Iraqi Republican Guard uniform that fit me and some Republican Guard berets. This illuminated rifle scope was made in the Russian Novosibirsk instrument-making factory (NPZ Optics State Plant). It incorporates an IR/ Infra Red detector to warn against infrared illuminators. I use it on an accurized Romanian PSL/ Puşcă Semiautomată 7,62 mm cu Lunetă sniper rifle made by Urzina Mechanicã Cugir, and it is externally similar to the Soviet Dragunov SVD rifle. Internally ii uses a receiver of the RPK light machine gun family, and it used a long stroke rather than short stroke action. Like the SVD it has a squad marksman/ sniper designated role. Mine works well with the Soviet 7N1 sniper designated 7x54 ammunition. I have larger “souvenirs” from that war, including the Soviet Iraq war damaged T3k 10x80 flak binoculars 3 pages along, and three British military vehicles. My 9,000 pound 1992 British Land Rover Snatch 1.5 CAV-100 (Composite Armored Vehicle) served 8 years patrolling with the 7th battalion of the Royal Irish Regiment in Belfast Northern Ireland (Snatch squads used these armored vehicles to apprehended IRA opponents), which was then rebuilt by Courtaulds Aerospace (NP Aerospace) specifically for the Iraq War and served 3 years patrolling with the Basra South Battle Group in Iraq (shown with a 1//10 scale radio control replica that I fabricated to keep it company). I also have a (LHD) 1966 British 109 Military Ambulance with body made by Marshalls Cambridge that served with BAOR (British Army of the Rhine), but which was then mobilized for the Iraq war and sent out to Kuwait for Operation Granby (shown with a 1//10 scale radio control replica that I fabricated to keep it company). I also have a 1976 (LHD) Land Rover 101 Forward Control Military Artillery tractor, converted around 1980 by Marshalls of Cambridge under contract to mount an ambulance body (one of around 450), and being LHD presumably then servedwith BAOR. It was then sent to Kuwait in 1991 for Operation Granby in Iraq, where a German made gasoline heater for the ambulance body caught fire with around 4,000 miles on the truck, and upon being returned to the UK the truck was converted back to the original artillery tractor configuration before being demobbed (shown with a 1//10 scale radio control replica that I fabricated to keep it company).

1992 Snatch Land Rover CAV-100 armored military truck from the Iraq war.
1992 Snatch Land Rover CAV-100 camion blinde militaire Brittannique de la guerre en
Iraq.
1992 Snatch Land Rover CAV-100 Britischer Militar-Panzerwagen aus dem Iraq-Kreig.
1992 Snatch Land Rover CAV-100 camion blindado militar Britanico de la guerra de
Iraq.
1992 Snatch Land Rover CAV-100 camion blindado militare Britannico dalla guerra
in Iraq.
1992 Snatch Land Rover CAV-100 Brittisk militar pansarlastbil fran Oraqkriget.
1992 Snatch Land Rover CAV-100 Iraq savasindan Ingiliz askeri zirhlt kamyonu.

1966 Land Rover 109 British military ambulance from the Iraq war.
1966 Land Rover 109 ambulance militaire Britannique de la guerre en Iraq.
1966 Land Rover 109 ambulancia militar Britanica de la guerra de Iraq
1966 Land Rover 109 Britischer militarkrankenwagen aus dem Irakkreig.
1966 Land Rover 109 Brittisk militarambulans fron kriget i Irak.
1966 Land Rover 109 Iraq savasindan Inglitz askeri ambulansi.
1966 Land Rover 109 Brittisk militarambulans fran Irakkriget.

1977 Land Rover 101 military artillery tractor from the Iraq war.
1977 Land Rover 101 tracteur d'artillerie militaire Britannique de la guerre en Iraq.
1977 Land Rover 101 Britischer militarartillerie-traktor aus dem Irakkreig.
1977 Land Rover 101 Brittisk militar artilleritraktor fran Irakkriget.
1977 Land Rover 101 trattore di artigleria militare Britannico dall guerra in Iraq.
1977 Land Rover 101 Irak savasindan Inglitz askeri topcu traktoru.
1977 Land Rover 101 Britisk militaerartilleritraktor fra Irak-krigen.

Carl Zeiss Jena German made 8x30 Deltrintem Swedish Military Binoculars

Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Deltrintem Swedish Military Binoculars
Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Deltrintem Svensk Militar Kikare
Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Deltrintem Jumelles Militaires Suedoises
Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Deltrintem Schwedisches Militarfernglas
Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Deltrintem Binoculares Militares Suecosb

My Carl Zeiss Deltrintem 8x30 binoculars are center focus, and do not have a ranging grid, and are believed they may represent a substitute standard purchase by the Swedish military of an available binoculars model in the rush to mobilize preceding the onset of WWII. They are marked with a pre 1942 Swedish crown government property mark. Thanks to Robert Forslund for personal help confirming identification.

Ca 1908-1913 French Jules Huet & Cie Military 8 x Binoculars

In 1908 the limited partnership “Huet & Cie, Constructeurs ”was formed, and in 1912 reformed into “Anciens Establessment Huet et Cie”, and in 1913 reformed again into “Soc ié t é G é n é rale d’Optique” (SGO) plus “Ste Anoyme de Anciens Establessment Huet et Cie et Jumelles Flammaron”. Since my binoculars are marked “ Jules Huet & Cie, Paris, constructours” they date between 1908 and 1913. They are also marked “ Fournisseurs du Ministere de la Guerre ” (Suppliers of the Ministry of War), and they have a “ M.G. ” mark, which is the government property mark of the French “Minist è re de la Guerre” (Ministry of War).

Two Model 1930 Huet French 8x30 Trinotix Military Binoculars

I have two different French model 1930 Huet 8x30 Trinotix military binoculars. Both have a right ocular military ranging grid or graticule, of an unusual design which can be rotated for correct orientation by an external ring. My early Huet binoculars, above, are #5129, and carry a “ M.G. ” mark, for “Minist è re de la Guerre” (Ministry of War). They are also marked MLE1930 (Model of 1930). My late French Huet military binoculars, below, #92012 have omitted the MG and MLE 1930 markings, and are probably mid/late 1950’s? (speculative).

Jules Huet 8x French Military Binoculars.
Jules Huet 8x jumelles militaires de l'armee francaise.
Jules Huet 8x franska militarkikare der franzosischen armee..
Jules Huet 8x prismaticos militares de la fuerza francesa.
Jules Huet 8x binoculares militares de la fuerza francesa.
Jules Huet 8x franska armens bkikare.
Jules Huet 8x franse leger verrekijker.
Jules Huet binocolo dell'esercito francaise.

Huet mle 1930 Trinotix French military binoculars.
Huet mle 1930 Trinotix jumelles mitaires de l'armee francaise.
Huet mle 1930 Trinotix fernglas de franzosischen armee.
Huet mle 1930 Trinotix franska armens kikare.
Huet mle 1930 Trinotix prismaticos de erercito frances.
Huet mle 1930 Trinotix franse leger verrekijker.
Huet mle 1930 Trinotixbinocolo dell'esercito francese.

Carl Zeiss Jena 8x30 Deltrintem Swedish military binoculars.

I would like to highly recommend the book “Swedish Military Binoculars” by Robert Forslund as being the foremost resource on this topic.

1962 Swedish Army/ Svenska Armén Carl Zeiss 6x30B Military binoculars

1962 Swedish Army carl Zeiss 6x30 Military Binoculars
1962 Ejercito Swueco Carl Zeiss 6x30 Binoculares Militares
1962 Svenska Armen Carl Zeiss 6x30 Militar Kikare
1962 Armee Suedoise Carl Zeiss 6x30 Jumelles Militaires
1962 Schwedische Armee Carl Zeiss 6x30 Militarfernglas

My 1962 Carl Zeiss 6x30 B rubber armored binoculars were made in Germany for a Swedish Army contract. (Zeiss supplied the same binoculars for a Danish military contract, shown on the next page).

My Russian PSO-1 Scope from Iraq mounted on a PSL rifle

Iraqi sniper with Australian spotter firing PSO-1 scope on a PSL rifle

My French Huet 8x30 Trinolux military binoculars with graticule are dated 1949, #25824, and carry a “ M.G. ” mark for “Minist è re de la Guerre” (Ministry of War). They were captured in Cambodia in May 1970 at the PAVN (Peoples Army Vietnam) complex by John Gibbs, of the U.S. 101st Airborne Div., 3rd Battalion, 506th Infantry, which took part in operation Bin Tay 1 (Operation Tame the West ) which landed by helicopter on May 6, 1970 in Ratanakiri province in NE Cambodia (Base area 702). The NVA had orders to avoid contact and their hastily abandoned base camp complex yielded 900 weapons, 500 tons of rice, 2,000 huts, documents and equipment, and these binoculars, which had previously been captured from the French army, and speculatively but plausibly these may have originated from the masses of French military equipment that the Vietnamese captured from the French at Dien Bien Phu in 1954.

Huet 8x30 trinotix french miliitary binoculars.
Huet 8x30 Trinotix jumelles militaires de l'armee francaise.
Huet 8x30 Trinotix militar fernglas de franzosischen armee.
Huet 8x30 Trinotix binoculares militares del ejercito
Huet 8x30 Trinotix binocolo militaire dell'esercito francese.
Huet 8x30 Trinotixfranska armens Militar kikare
Huet 8x30 Trinotix franse leger Militaire verrekijker

Ring for Graticule Ranging grid ocular rotation

Text Box: Huet Mdl 1930 8x30 Trinotix military binoculars

Text Box: 1938 Wild Heerbrugg Military Rangefinder

Twice Captured 1949 Huet 8x30 Trinolux Military Binoculars

Vietnam War Captures French Huet 8x30 Military Binoculars
Vietnamkriget Fangade Franska Huet 8x30 Militar Kikare
Guerre du Vietnam Capturee Francais Jumelles Militaires Huet 8x30
Vietnamkrieg Erbeutete Franzosische Huet 8x30 Militarfernglaser
Guerra de Vietnam Capturo Binoculares Militaares Franceses Huet 8x30

US soldier in Cambodia in May 1970 reading about capture of the base where these binoculars came from

Tag with binoculars. Believed to be Lt. Colonel John Stephen Gibbs of San Antonio Texas (served 2 tours Vietnam)

This is an example of where the bare object is far less interesting than it’s history !

Text Box: Captured Huet 8x30 Trinolux military binoculars

WWII era W.&J. Co Ltd. British Military Mk 5 heliograph

W. & J. Co. Ltd. British Mk 5 heliograph.

Not exactly optics, but optical, my British MK 5 W&J Co Heliograph dates to WWII (by the tinplate spare lens case). The Mk 5 was introduced in 1906-1910 and phased out of service in the mid 1960’s. Heliographs were devices used to send sunlight flash signal messages in morse code. Some naval versions were rated to 60 mi.

C.P Goerz German made 6x Swedish Military Binoculars with Ranging Graticule

My C.P. Goerz binoculars have a right ocular military ranging granticule or grid, so would have been from an original military contract, and are marked with a large Swedish flat bottom crown (stora riksvapnet) government property mark over H.T., believed to likely be a branch of service abbreviation, since similarly marked “A” for Artilleriet and “I” for Infanteriet are know to appear on Swedish binoculars, bayonets and other military equipment. However, I have been unable to identify H.T What appears to be an original engraved property number was crossed out and Nr. 358 added. My binoculars are believed to be a C.P. Goerz Armee-Trieder model, which Goerz apparently actively marketed as a military contract model.