|
NON MINIATURE BINOCULARS AND OPTICS: MOSTLY MILITARY |
|
OTHER BINOCULARS #21 & OPTICAL SIGHTS/ MOSTLY MILITARY |
![Text Box: CLICK ON PAGE LINE. CLIQUEZ SUR LA LIGNE DE PAGE. KLICKEN SIE AUF SEITENZEILE. HAGA CLIC EN LÍNEA DE PÁGINA..[ページ行]をクリックします。НАЖМИТЕ НА СТРОКУ СТРАНИЦЫ. ALSO SEE INDEX.](image2302.gif)
|
MONTHLY NEWLY ADDED ITEMS ARE INSERTED THROUGHOUT THE SECTION AND NOT NECESSARILY ON THE LAST PAGE. Redirected search such as google image may display old content or distortion: try a refresh and or go directly to the site : http//www.miniaturebinoculars.com |
|
Bulgarian Army 6x30 military binoculars |
|
It is my understanding that the Bulgarian army used many different binoculars from different manufacturers in the various 20th century wars it was involved in (First Balkan War 1912-1913, Second Balkan War 1913, First World War 1915-1918, Second World War 1941-1945, and they seem to have also reused many captured binoculars. I believe the Cyrillic “ Б “ on my Bulgarian army binoculars and on other binoculars to be a Bulgarian army ( Б ългарска армия ) military property mark. |
|
Carl Zeiss Bulgarian Army 6x30 military binoculars |
|
I believe my Carl Zeiss Jena Silvamar 6x30 to be Bulgarian army by it’s “20” marking I have seen on many confirmed Bulgarian army binoculars. I can find no serial number on these binoculars. The ocular cover has an aluminum plate engraved with what I think is a name “Hamork Epehkob” ? And perhaps date “1983”, but have abbreviations and if anyone can read or determine language and translation? contact: miniature.binoculars@gmail.com |
|
For our other Bulgarian Army binoculars see: OTHER BINOCULARS #6 |
|
SRPI Grand Champ French Army 8x30 military binoculars, MG (Minist è re de Guerre) serial #36169 |
|
Huet Trinolux Grand Champ French Army 8x30 military binoculars, MG (Minist è re de Guerre) marked, serial #3869 |
|
According to the French Ministere des Armees , SRPI is the French govt contractor S t é de R echerches et de P erfectionnement Industriels located in Puteaux France. |
|
My SRPI 8x30 binoculars are MG / M inist è re de G uerre (French Ministry of War) marked. I believe that the “56/” prefix before serial number 36169 to be year of MG pattern or model approval (1956) rather than year of manufacture (speculative). |
|
My Huet 8x30 Grand Champ binoculars are MG / M inist è re de G uerre (French Ministry of War) marked. I believe that the “49/” prefix before serial number 3869 to be year of MG pattern or model approval (1949) rather than year of manufacture (speculative). Their case contains a flap of ocular filters. |
|
USN/ US Navy Mark XI Model 13 Telescopic Gun Sight |
|
My 24” long and heavy (7 lb) brass MK XI USN Mod 13 brass telescope is presumably a direct fire telescopic gun sight, as it has a non ranging center cross hair. I have found no reference information on these so far, but have seen a photo of an almost identical Mark XI Mod 1 unit which has March 17,1903 patent date markings (but unfortunately no patent no.) so this gives a clue about the original era of these units. If anyone has documentation on these, please email me at miniature.binoculars@gmail.com. |
|
WWII Post 1940 bmj ( Hensoldt & Sohne Optisch Werke ) German Army 6x30 military binoculars |
|
WWII SRB & STYS German Kriegsmarine 7x50 Navy military binoculars |
|
The Czech firm Srb & Stys Fabrik Praziser Messinstrument was founded in 1919, in Kavalirka My understanding is that they were initially involved in clock repair, then soon repair of microscopes and projectors, and they assembled microscopes from contracted parts, distributed geodetic optical meteorology instruments, in 1921 supplied surveying instruments to the Czech military. And from 1924 on they were involved in lens polishing and from 1937 in lens grinding. I understand they provided telescopes and binoculars to the Turkish army, telescopes to the Yugoslav army, and surveying optics to Greece. With the 1939 occupation of Czechoslovakia by Germany, Srb & Stys in Prag/Prague was placed under German military control. My Srb & Stys 7x50 Kreigsmarine M and eagle with swastika marked binoculars Nr. 443 (which I believe an assignment ID number), were produced between 1938 and 1940 (prior to changeover to manufacturer codes on German military binoculars, with Srb and Stys markings changing to bmk). Historical info credit: historicacollectacles.com (excellent website). For our other Srb & Stys binoculars see OTHER BINOCULARS #11 for a Czech army model and bmk post 1940 German army dienstglas model. |
|
bmj is the post 1940 manufacturer code for German military dienstglas binoculars made by Hensoldt & Sohne Optisch Werke. My example serial no. 460590 ha the “ KF ” ( K ätel f est) 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. The H/6400 marking refers to the right ocular graticule/ strichplatte/ range grid, such that the Artillerie promille grid units indicate a 2m object filling one grid unit is 2 km away. |
|
Zeiss U.S. Navy 7x50 Mark XXXV Mod. 1 military binoculars |
|
I understand that my Zeiss U.S. Navy 7x50 Mark XXXV Mod 1 binoculars were made for a 1926 contract of several thousand binoculars by the U.S. Navy to Carl Zeiss Germany, and that my example is as originally delivered by Zeiss. All these binoculars had no serial number. Some binoculars from this contract were later modified by National Instrument Co of Houston Texas, and some by |
|
Ajax Engineering Co. Chicago, but all of the modified Mk 35 Mk 1 binoculars have various additional markingsthat this example does not. Info. credit Frank Lagorio/ Flickr |
|
Carl Zeiss Italian Navy 7x50 military binoculars R.M./ Regia Marina serial #2134823 |
|
I believe that my Zeiss 7x50 binoculars with T marking (for transparenz) were issued in limited numbers to quite high ranking Italian Navy commanders, based on those similarly R.M. ( R egia M arina) marked Officine Galileo 7x50 binoculars that were issued to Italian navy commandants and also the Koristka R.M.I marked binoculars issued to Italian submarine commandants. The binocular ID No. 73 suggests a small order, and the Italian Navy Officine Galilo and Koriska have simlar. The specialized anti reflective single layer lens coated that gave greater light transmission on these was invented by Zeiss (Alexander Smakula) in 1935. The case that these came in seem to have 1942 and 1944 markings. The serial number 2134823 suggests 1941 production per Hans Seeger’s Zeiss factory notes. |
|
Oigee German army 6x30 dienstglas binoculars with strichtplatte/ range grid |
|
FAUX MILITARY BINOCULARS SECTION AT BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. |
|
1938 Wild Heerbrugg TM-2 Swiss Military WWII Land Artillery Optical 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. |
My WWII Oigee/ Optische Anstalt Oigee GmbH 6x30 dienstglas German army binoculars were made at their Berlin-Schöneberg factory, prior to the 1940 changeover to using codes on German WWII binoculars. Dienstglas has been defaced, and I normally associate defaced military markings with binoculars taken without official release. |
|
Bausch & Lomb U.S.M.C./ U.S.Marine Corps 6x30 binoculars |
|
My Bausch & Lomb U.S.M.C./ U.S. Marine Corp. have a couple oddities versus the few other Bausch & Lomb U.S.M.C 6x30 binoculars that I have seen, suggesting either prewar or early WWII (such as 1939) production For example, the objective pivot cover is blank and has no contract data. I have read that B&L binoculars had serial number prefixes from 1940, and mine have no prefix. |