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You have an Aushilfrichtsmittel 38. also called ARM 38. It means "Auxilary aiming assistant". It attaches to the gun via the hook and pin assembly on various Pak or mobile assault gun carriages right next to the 3 x 8 zielfernrohr. It was an indirect aiming sight that took the place of the RblF series of panoramic telescopes you often see on the larger artillery pieces. Since the PaK guns sized 7,5 and smaller were not fitted with drum and panoramic sight fittings like the 8,8 PaK 41 and the 105 mm and larger, they were outfitted with these ARMs as lower cost alternative sights that simply were snapped into the hook and groove slot on the carriage of the gun. If you look close at some of the German Paks, you'll see just to the right of the direct 3 x 8 telescop, the fitting for this unit.

While the ARM 38 was primarily for indirect fire laying, it also could be calibrated and used for direct fire if the 3 x 8 telescope were to be damaged or rendered unusable.

After being hooked and snapped in to the slot, the user looks straight down into the eyepiece and the familiar /\ is seen. Azimuth is set similar to the panoramic style, and as the distance is adjusted, the entire unit rotates/tilts on the large circular "donut" that the upper part is attached to. The tilt is to be calibrated in conjunction with the angle of the cannon's barrel so as the optic's reticle raises when adjusted, the user elevates the cannon barrel by hand to match the angle set in the ARM, and both sight and the barrel are set for the distance and ready for firing. The red and white numerical markings along the arch of the "donut" are the distance markings for both AP and HE at the angle of which would correspond to the angle of attitude the unit was displaying for the cannon itself to be in alignment with for that particular type of ammunition to be used to reach that distance.

it was a rudimentary solution for indirect fire for guns that did not have the more elaborate RblF zieleinrichtung system of the larger artillery pieces.
These were found on all PaK guns, including wehrmacht-retrofitted Russian captured pieces, as well as on the anti-tank SP guns like the Hornisse.

Smaller, more compact and rugged design, they used less prism glass and required less light path length as the optics themselves were smaller and contained completely in the upper L shaped assembly on top. still marvelously engineered item.
I always liked these...

**mandy333** · 06-06-2010, 10:32 AM

Wow

Greetings Sir: "Thank you" for such and indepth and precise explanation of this device. You have supplied a wealth of information and I really appreciate the time you took to provide it. Your shared knowledge is an example of collecting at it's finest.

All the best!
Regards
Zeke

**Maraken** · 06-07-2010, 03:29 PM

Hi!
Isn't that levelling instrument? Something like this http://www.regmark.eu/images/produkt...welator-11.jpg

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