Real ww2 panzer sight???

[Britch]

The optics show an inverted triangle with numbers on the top anad both sides. There are no markings other than the plate and the serial number on top and the dials are unmarked also. The only markings on the box are a Carl zeis jenna ink stamp on the inside on the box. It is definately a puzzle. The surplus gun and parts dealers turn up some interesting stuff in the east, the problem is they usually have no idea what they have sometimes. I will look again when I am a little more awake and try to figure out exactly what the range numbers are in the optics. Haven't drank enough coffee yet and this thing is heavy

[cbo]

The optics show an inverted triangle with numbers on the top anad both sides. There are no markings other than the plate and the serial number on top and the dials are unmarked also. The only markings on the box are a Carl zeis jenna ink stamp on the inside on the box. It is definately a puzzle. The surplus gun and parts dealers turn up some interesting stuff in the east, the problem is they usually have no idea what they have sometimes. I will look again when I am a little more awake and try to figure out exactly what the range numbers are in the optics. Haven't drank enough coffee yet and this thing is heavy

I wrote the Carl Zeiss museum and asked them if they knew anything about it - can't hurt

Claus B

[Peter Wiking]

All that brass. Could it be a Kriegsmarine item ?

Cheers.
Peter Wiking

[Matt L]

The optics show an inverted triangle with numbers on the top anad both sides.

Can you be more specific? Is there just a single inverted triangle? What are the numbers?

I had a look at the Zeiss website Claus mentioned, and TWZF1 indeed does look a lot like your TWZF3, and yes what they say is a TWZF 3 is a LOT different- 3-10x magnification, with 23 and 7-degrees field-of-view, respectively.

The thing that confuses me is that the TWZF 1 is supposed to have been intended for use in the Maus- as the gunner's sight: http://afvinteriors.hobbyvista.com/maus/maus3.html According to these guys it had a 3x magnification, and looking at the image of the gunner's position from the manual , the sight mounted there doesn't really resemble the TWZF3f you have Brian- there's no large windage knob (assuming that's what it is) on the bottom, nor, it appears, is there an elevation knob on the left. Very strange indeed. Hopefully Zeiss will be able to shed some light on this question.

No, Peter, it isn't likely a Kriegsmarine sight as it's nomenclature, Turmwinkelzielfehrnrohr, is pretty specific for tanks, and I wouldn't think a 1,75x magnification would be sufficient for a ship's weapons.

Matt

[cbo]

I've got a response from the Zeiss factory museum. They cannot tell when this sight was made based on the data available - which is kinda puzzling..? Anyway, they did offer to send me a manual for the sight (against payment, of course ) and for the fun of it, I got it.

It does not really shed any light on the issue of date though. The printing is in standard latin letters, which would suggest to me that it was made either during the war or after as German manuals I've seen dated prior to 1943 are in gothic letters while those after are in latin ones. But the Zeiss company may have adopted latin letters earlier, I dont know.

The sight is spoke of as a sight for armoured vehicles, the term used is "Panzerwagen". It is recommended, that the sight is used with the "Panzerhaube 1" - armoured hood no. 1 - an armoured cover for use with "T.Rbl.F." and "T.W.Z.F." The former must be Turm-Rundblick-Fernrohr and the latter Turm-Winkel-Ziel-Fernrohr. The text suggest that it is to be used for a machinegun-cannon combination mount and the very schematic drawings would suggest a rather small turret is thought of, something akin to an armoured car or light tank.

I wonder if the lack of German Army specific markings could mean that it was an export item, intended for non-German markets?

[oldnewbie]

hI,

I think I might be able to shed some light on this mystery.

It looks like this sight was made in the 50s and early 60's??

Here are some pics I found on the net.

Comments?

[oldnewbie]

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[oldnewbie]

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[oldnewbie]

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[oldnewbie]

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[mlespaul]

Hey guys.

It's Swedish. I mean, you can tell by the identification card, but when you look inside the ocular, the strichplatte has two scales, the one on the left is titled "K" for kanone, and the other is "Ksp" for "kalspruta" or machinegun.

Its a Zeiss export for a Swedish tank or armored car of some type. Cant tell yet what time period. The "V" and scales combination are very reminiscent of the type used in the Czech pre-war periscopes and gunsights as they were being appropriated and converted by the Wehrmacht. Also very similar to the bunker direct fire periscope reticles used in a number of coastal armaments.

The V and lines move both horizontally and vertically and align against an upper scale for deflection which is sort of like some of the cold-war designs (like in 1961) but also was seen during WW2, so it's really hard to tell. This might have been left over surplus, just tagged that year.

Some of you Swedish armor experts might know more

hope this helps.

[Dufleuve]

It is back on ebay US.

[me6_130]

It is back on ebay US.

Another one here that didn't go for $1200

http://www.ebay.com/itm/161646327899...84.m1438.l2649

Carles

[M8owner]

Jena was the East German half of Ziess after the wall went up. I was in East Germany back in the 80's and bought stuff from Jena. Definitely post war optics.

[RTY]

This sight is very similar to the PT1-PTK-PT4/7 and so on Soviet sights.
There were a lot such sights for different tanks.
I don't know what is this, but you can look in this direction.

Several years ago I've seen the sight TZF.7 (or something like this) - afterwar copy of the Soviet TMFD-7 sight for T-34-76 tank that was used by the East Germany army.