KWC 0105 r.D.F. 4x15

[Michael Downey]

This item is way out of my league, but looks to be KM issue:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Germ...vip=true&rt=nc

Be interested to know exactly what they were used for.

[Zeissure]

on the right ocular plate should be the Reichsadler, but in this case there is not. No Eagle, no Kriegsmarine!

[Sgt Bilko]

There are many three letter coded optics made for the KM without Eagles....

[Sgt Bilko]

Michael - see Seeger's grey book page 299 "Porro 2 navy binocular" where he suggests an A/A role or a director possibly

[Mikedenmark]

As long as we don´t know the purpose, we cannot say it is navy either.
Similar designs exist with navy eagles. But that doesn´t prove the wartime models are navy as well.
In a war, where the Luftwaffe had an SS tank division and catapult ships, many weird things can be possible.
Wanna have a try at something: Tell us, what is: Transportflotte Speer. Took me awhile to light that one up, when it became interesting some years ago.
Never mind, just another weird german formation.

Still, a very very interesting binocular. Everything about it seems odd ( at least to me)

[Sgt Bilko]

Similar designs exist with navy eagles. But that doesn´t prove the wartime models are navy as well.



You may be right Mike - buy when I see a 3 letter coded optic (that was previously made before the war for the KM) with flip back eyeguards (like KM optics for use with sunglasses or gasmasks) and coated optics and, what looks to be dessicator ports (often found on KM optics) made by a company that is known to have made KM optics, in the same 4x15 format and in the same colour scheme as known kwc KM optics - I think it just might be a KM optic....

[Michael Downey]

Michael - see Seeger's grey book page 299 "Porro 2 navy binocular" where he suggests an A/A role or a director possibly

Sgt Bilko many thanks for the reference to Dr Seeger. I have never noticed this particular style of binocular before. For sure the binocular offered on eBay looks to form part of a pre-war and war time KM lineage. I also notice the bino featured in Dr Seeger's book includes a head rest.

[MrZeiss]

Kwc

The binocular is depicted and described in detail in Dr Seeger's new -green- book.(pages 385 to 389) He mentions that it was a Flak Zielfernrohr and had an angle of view of 15 degrees. (262m at 1000).if you look carefully the description is 4x15 degrees.Not 4x 15mm obj diameter.
Also depicted is a Zeiss binocular 4x20 with an even wider field of view. This was KM marked.

[Sgt Bilko]

There's so much info in Seeger's books it's easy to miss stuff Michael. I hadn't noticed the references in the new book - thanks MrZeiss. Here's another 4x15 kwc optic -much heavier built and with filters in.

I have one of these and it weighs a ton - but nice!

http://www.monocular.info/kwc4x.htm

[Mikedenmark]

the marking on that mono clearly indicate to me it is intended for something diving. Nicht druckdicht, only makes sense, if it can be subjected to druck, or in english, pressure.

That exclude just about anything but sub´s.
Might be for their antiaircraft cannons. Nasty to be expected to first shoot at attacking aircrafts, then remove the sight before diving.

Sgt. Bilko. Now, ARE you sure ? I mean, you forward a compelling case for the kwc to be a navy item.

Heh, Heh. I totally agree with you. But I like to see proof. And we haven´t found that, yet. Some day, a czech historian will write the book on CZ optics during WWII.

[Zeissure]

http://dev.wehrmacht-awards.com/foru...=23379&page=18

page 18
post from Max of Atlantik Pirat

[Sgt Bilko]

Thanks for the link - it's amazing the stuff to be found on this site!

I don't think Max's bmk monocular (or the kwc version) is from a U Boat though. As Mike says - they're marked with "Nicht druckdicht" or "not pressure tight".

My understanding is they're from a surface ship A/A gun.....