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CONSTANTLY NEWLY ADDED ITEMS ARE INSERTED THROUGHOUT THE SECTION AND NOT NECESSARILY ON THE LAST PAGE. |
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WWII ddx ( Voightlander & Sohnne code) Dienstglas 6x30 German Military Binoculars/ bakelite case |
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My ddx (Voightlander & Sohnne AG Braunschweig WWII code) 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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Bakelite case maker mark |
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NON MINIATURE BINOCULARS AND OPTICS: MOSTLY MILITARY |
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Japanese External Reverse Porro Prism Binoculars. WEBSITE MUSEUM |
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OTHER BINOCULARS #17 & OPTICAL SIGHTS/ MOSTLY MILITARY |
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OdelftFranke/ Franke & Co. Optik GmbH Fero 52 ZUB passive night vision binoculars/ monocular, US Govt. property marked, serial # 029 |
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The Fero 52 ZUB passive night vision device was a product of Frank and Co.Optik GmbH, affiliated with Delft Electronische Producten, with both being subsidiaries of Old Delft Optical corporation of the Netherlands, and which developed light intensifiers in the 1970’s. (On line sellers half the time identify this ZUB 52 as Zeiss, but untrue, and nothing to do with Zeiss). The group supplied night vision devices to Iraq around 1981 during the Iraq–Iran war and a court case was brought against the co. for violating the arms embargo by using secret routes and listing the UK and Portugal as being the destinations to bypass the embargo. Starting in 1989 OIdelft Groep, which became Delft Instruments in 1990, supplied these Fero 52 ZUB night vision devices to Iraq through a Belgian subsidiary as part of a 55 million guilders (around $27 million dollars) order. Part of that which was delivered 4 months after the general arms embargo was in effect. This came to light because US soldiers captured Fero 52 ZUB night vision devices in Iraqi positions in 1991 and 1992 during the Iraq War/Second Gulf War . Given the “US Govt.” sticker/ lots of sand & dust on my serial number 029 Fero 52 ZUB I believe these were one of these captured units (speculative), because I know the US Government collected them as evidence of Delft armaments embargo violations, and based on finding these, the US boycotted all Delft divisions (stopping any US part acquisition by the Delft subsidiaries and blocking Delft sales in the US ). Deft had many subsidiaries, including many involved in medical imaging, including ultrasound. |
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IF YOU VIEW THE WEBSITE FREQUENTLY YOU MAY HAVE TO DO A PAGE REFRESH TO SEE LATEST VERSION RATHER THAN YOUR OLD CACHE |
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And based on US soldiers finding Fero 52 ZUB night vision devices in Iraq the US pursued a court case against Delft Instruments, eventually winning $3.3 million dollars from the co. in 1992 Info credit: Wikipedia. Some surplus dealers claim the German army used some of these. Given use of German markings it is plausible, but I have no credible confirmation. |
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“DO NOT REMOVE THE LENS CAP IN DAYLIGHT” |
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Sand & dust |
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1939 Carl Zeiss Dienstglas 6x30 German Army binoculars serial No. 1920621 |
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My Carl Zeiss Jena 6x30 Dienstglas WWII German military binoculars with graticule/ range grid were made in 1939. |
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1910 Carl ZeissTelexem 6x21 German binoculars made for US Navy contract, and U.S. Navy property marked, serial no. 146922 property no. R25053 |
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My Carl Zeiss Jena Telexem binoculars were probably produced in 1910 based on the Zeiss Telexem 6x21 model being introduced in 1910 and the Telexem model changing to 6x24 in 1911 (info credit binocollection.com). Prior to US entry into WWI U.S. Navy procurement did contract for various civilian model (center focus) binoculars, probably because of quick availability off active production lines, and perhaps because the higher likelihood of center focus impact damage might have been less of an issue than for army field issue. Also extremely unlikely issued as primary ship’s binoculars. |
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ABDULWAHED branded 7x50 Saudi Arabian contracted Japanese Kokisha Ltd. Military Binoculars with graticule captured from an Iraqi tank group commander in 2003 U.S. invasion. |
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Ahmed Abdulwahed Abdullah Anam & Partners Co. are a Saudi Arabian retail chain under the Abdul Wahed brand and an importer, selling optics and electronics since the 1960’s, including contract made binoculars sold under their brand name. My Abdul Wahed 7x50 binoculars have a military graticule/ range grid, and carry JB code 21 indicating they were assembled by Kokisha Co. Ltd. of Japan, and given when JB codes largely ceased being used these were probably made in the 1970’s. Since virtually no civilian binoculars have an artillery graticule, ranging grid, these were produced as military binoculars. They were captured from an Iraqi tank group commander during the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq by a US soldier. |
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The Arabic script says ABDULWAHED. |
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WWII US Army Telescope sight mounted inside M4 periscopes for indirect sighting of 75mm artillery on M4 Sherman and Chafee light tanks |
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1943 US Army Field Manual Volume 17 issue 2 Tank Gunnery |
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My telescope M38A2 is reticle scope fitted inside the M4 periscope fitted to Sherman and Chafee tanks using 75mm main guns in WWII for indirect sighting and fire control. |
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WWII Japanese Nikko (Nippon Kogaku)10x45 trench and bunker periscope binoculars serial # 3087 |
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The military use of periscopes to look over objects is documented since 1647 (Johame Hevelius). They were widely used in WWI trenches not to exposing the user’s head to rifle fire or shrapnel. The two bubble levels, multiple fine adjustment knobs, and angle scales indicate that my Nikko (Nippon Kogaku) Japanese army trench binoculars were for artillery targeting and directing. |
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WWII Japanese Nikko (Nippon Kogaku)15x artillery binoculars serial # 1840 |
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CAN A VIEW ER HELP WITH KANJI MARKING TRANSLATION?miniaturebinoculars@gmail.com |
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My large WWII Nikko (Nippon Kogaku) artillery binoculars with graticule would have been for artillery targeting, spotting, observation etc. on a fixed ot tripod marking. (the brass mount is a later fitting) |
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US Navy Bureau of Ordnance Bausch & Lomb Optical Co Mk 91 conning tower torpedo targeting submarine binoculars |
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Bauch & Lomb of Rochester New York manufactured my MK 91 sealed high pressure rated torpedo targeting binoculars to mount permanently on the conning tower of WWII submarines, so that the minute the sub surfaced the targeting optics were ready to be used , which would not be the case with removable units. My understanding is that between the Tambor, Gato, Bako, and Tench class submarines, the US used around 238 submarines in WWII. Since MK 91 targeting units were not used on other vessels, the quantity manufactured would be small. My example is missing it’s data plate. At 37 pounds, these are by far the heaviest binoculars I have encountered. |
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An extremely small percentage of still existing examples of these seem to have their surviving rubber eyecups, as these do. |
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Example shown mounted on a submarine conning tower |
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WWII era Japanese Nikko (Nippon Kogaku) 4x20mm military monocular component serial # 998 |
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While my Nikko 4x20 monocular is optically complete (sharp focus) the fact of having a rotational engagement to another part and being marked with the kanji indicating “right” indicates it was part of a binoculars mechanism of some sort, probably military. The low serial number of 998 suggests low production. My internet searches for “Nikko 4x20” have turned up no relevant results. If anybody can help with knowledge of these contact : miniature.binoculars@gmail.com |
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MEDICAL OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS: SCROLL DOWN TO BOTOM OF PAGE |
