Kingdom of Sweden contract
Carl Zeiss, Jena, Thuringia, Germany, 1928-1942
In the Kingdom of Sweden armed forces, military service binoculars were marked to identify them as government military property.
Military service binoculars were issued to soldiers with specialized functions. For example, group leaders and artillery observers were issued military service binoculars to perform their duties.
The most common type of service glass used by the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden during the Second World War was the 6×30, based on the 6×30 Carl Zeiss Silvamar, that first appeared in 1910.
Originally, the body was made of aluminum alloy, and weighed 530 grams. After 1935, the body was made of magnesium and weighed just 365 grams. Production of the 6×30 Carl Zeiss Silvamar was eventualy halted around 1975.
The number “6” identifies the magnification power (in this case, “6” indicates that objects appear six times closer than their actual distance).
The number “30” identifies the diameter in millimeters of the front (objective) lenses — the light gathering lenses — in this case 30 millimeters in diameter.
“Vulkanite” schwarzes Kunstleder (black synthetic leather) Körperbedeckung (body covering)
In Germany in the 1930s, an early type of black plastic synthetic leather called “Vulkanite” was used as the body covering of military and commercial Dienstgläser (service glasses) manufactured before World War II.
This “Vulkanite” schwarzes Kunstleder (black synthetic leather) Körperbedeckung (body covering) was the most common Dienstglas body covering used by the German armed forces (and also by most of the other armed forces of Europe) during the early years of the Second World War.
TM 30-506, WAR DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL MANUAL, GERMAN-ENGLISH MILITARY DICTIONARY, WAR DEPARTMENT, 20 MAY I944
The TM 30-506 manual describes “Vulkanite” schwarzes Kunstleder (black synthetic leather) Körperbedeckung (body covering) as “Kunstleder n” artificial leather.
Schwarz „Reis“ Raulack (black “rice” rough lacquer) Körperbedeckung (body covering)
Early in the Second World War, a black Rauhlack (rough lacquer) body covering called schwarz „Reis“ Körperbedeckung (black “rice” body covering) also became a common Dienstglas body finish.
This new Dienstglas body covering began to replace the black “Vulkanite” (synthetic, leather-like, early plastic) body covering material on the housings of German field glasses.
The particular consistency of this schwarz „Reis“ (black “rice”) Rauhlack (rough lacquer) Körperbedeckung (body covering) was achieved by mixing crushed rice or finely granulated cork meal with black lacquer paint.
This schwarz „Reis“ Rauhlack Körperbedeckung (black “rice” rough lacquer body covering) became the most common Dienstglas body covering as the war progressed through 1942 and 1943.
This is a list of production serial numbers, observed in collections and recorded from sources online, of military service binoculars, manufactured by Carl Zeiss, Venlo, Netherlands, and Carl Zeiss, Jena, Germany, for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden prior to and during the Second World War.
Carl Zeiss NEDINSCO Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×24 Dienstglas, October 1928, 1445122, Nr 147, 1929, ‘s Gravenhage, Netherlands
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×24 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number, 1445122, heavy construction, made of brass, black “Vulkanite” schwarzes Kunstleder (black synthetic leather) Körperbedeckung (body covering), aluminum alloy prism and objective covers, brass lens rings. Manufactured in 1928 by Carl Zeiss, NEDINSCO, Venlo, Netherlands for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with Systeem (System) over NEDINSCO (Nederlandse Instrumenten Compagnie, Netherlands Instruments Company), “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo, ‘s Gravenhage, over production serial number “1445122”. Right prism cover marked in white with Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “Nr 147” (Number 147, Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number), over “1929” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property year of acceptance), over “6×24”. Right front objective cover marked in white with “VF 134 A”. Brown leather case marked with “147” over “VF 134 A” on top of case cover. This Carl Zeiss 6×24 serial number, 1445122, appears to be produced about October 1928, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss NEDINSCO Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Dienstglas, December 1931, 1585734, Ksp:2854g, ‘s Gravenhage, Netherlands
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number, 1585734, light construction, made of aluminum alloy, black “Vulkanite” schwarzes Kunstleder (black synthetic leather) Körperbedeckung (body covering), aluminum alloy fittings. Manufactured in December 1931 by Carl Zeiss, NEDINSCO, Venlo, Netherlands for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with Systeem (System) over “NEDINSCO” (Nederlandse Instrumenten Compagnie, Netherlands Instruments Company), “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo, ‘s Gravenhage, over production serial number “1585734”. Right prism cover marked in white with Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “6×30”, over “Ksp:2854g” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number, 1585734, appears to be produced about December 1931, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss NEDINSCO Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Dienstglas, January 1932, 1586749, Ksp:xxxxg 3889, ‘s Gravenhage, Netherlands
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number, 1586749, light construction, made of aluminum alloy, black “Vulkanite” schwarzes Kunstleder (black synthetic leather) Körperbedeckung (body covering), aluminum alloy fittings. Manufactured in January 1932 by Carl Zeiss, NEDINSCO, ‘s Gravenhage, Netherlands for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with Systeem (System) over “NEDINSCO” (Nederlandse Instrumenten Compagnie, Netherlands Instruments Company), “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo, ‘s Gravenhage, over production serial number “1586749”. Right prism cover marked with Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “6×30”, over “Ksp:xxxxg” overwritten in white with “3889” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number, 1586749, appears to be produced about January 1932, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Silvamar, September 1941, 2100326, Nr. 6126, 1942, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number, 2100326, light construction, made of aluminum alloy, schwarz „Reis“ Rauhlack Körperbedeckung (black “rice” rough lacquer body covering), aluminum alloy fittings. Manufactured in September 1941 by Carl Zeiss, Jena, Thuringia, Germany for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo. Right prism cover marked in white with “SILVAMAR / 6×30” logo. Left front objective cover marked in white with “6×30”, over Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “Nr. 6126” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number), over “1942” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property year of acceptance). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number, 2100326, appears to be produced about September 1941, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Silvamar, September 1941, 2100740, Nr. 6540, 1942, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number, 2100740, light construction, made of aluminum alloy, schwarz „Reis“ Rauhlack Körperbedeckung (black “rice” rough lacquer body covering), aluminum alloy fittings. Manufactured in September 1941 by Carl Zeiss, Jena, Thuringia, Germany for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo. Right prism cover marked in white with “SILVAMAR / 6×30” logo. Left front objective cover marked in white with “6×30”, over Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “Nr. 6540” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number), over “1942” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property year of acceptance). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number, 2100740, appears to be produced about September 1941, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Silvamar, November 1942, 2173481, Nr. 881, 1942, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number 2173481, light construction, made of aluminum alloy, schwarz „Reis“ Rauhlack Körperbedeckung (black “rice” rough lacquer body covering), aluminum alloy fittings, except for brass left objective lens ring. Manufactured November 1942 by Carl Zeiss, Jena, Thuringia, Germany for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo. Right prism cover marked in white with “SILVAMAR / 6×30” logo. Left front objective cover marked in white with “6×30”, over Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “Nr.881” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number), over “1942” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property year of acceptance). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number, 2173481, appears to be produced about November 1942, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Silvamar, November 1942, 217xxxx, Nr. 1115, 1942, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, without Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number is not visible (painted over with black paint), light construction, made of aluminum alloy, schwarz „Reis“ Rauhlack Körperbedeckung (black “rice” rough lacquer body covering), aluminum alloy fittings. Likely date of manufacture November 1942 by Carl Zeiss, Jena, Thuringia, Germany for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo. Right prism cover marked in white with “SILVAMAR / 6×30” logo. Left front objective cover marked in white with “6×30”, over Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “Nr. 1115” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number), over “1942” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property year of acceptance). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number is unknown, would likely be 217xxxx (November 1942), within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Silvamar, November 1942, 2175423, Nr. 1833, 1942, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number, 2175423, light construction, made of aluminum alloy, schwarz „Reis“ Rauhlack Körperbedeckung (black “rice” rough lacquer body covering), aluminum alloy fittings. Manufactured in November 1942 by Carl Zeiss, Jena, Thuringia, Germany for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo. Right prism cover marked in white with “SILVAMAR / 6×30” logo. Left front objective cover marked in white with “6×30”, over Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “Nr. 1833” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number), over “1942” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property year of acceptance). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number, 2175423, appears to be produced about November 1942, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Carl Zeiss Kingdom of Sweden contract
6×30 Silvamar, December 1942, 2179756, Nr.4906, 1942, Jena, Thuringia, Germany
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Kingdom of Sweden 6×30 military service binoculars, with Strichplatte (graduated range finding scale) in right lens, production serial number, 2179756, light construction, made of aluminum alloy, schwarz „Reis“ Rauhlack Körperbedeckung (black “rice” rough lacquer body covering), aluminum alloy fittings. Manufactured in December 1942 by Carl Zeiss, Jena, Thuringia, Germany for the armed forces of the Kingdom of Sweden. Left prism cover marked in white with “CARL ZEISS / JENA” trademark logo. Right prism cover marked in white with “SILVAMAR / 6×30” logo. Left front objective cover marked in white with “6×30”, over Kingdom of Sweden crown, over “Nr. 4906” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property number), over “1942” (Kingdom of Sweden armed forces property year of acceptance). This Carl Zeiss 6×30 serial number, 2179756, appears to be produced about December 1942, within the serial number sequence of the original Carl Zeiss production serial number series established in 1894. |
Treaty of Versailles Military Restrictions
The Treaty of Versailles was a peace treaty signed on June 28, 1919 that ended the war between Germany and most of the Allied Powers. It was signed in the Palace of Versailles, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which led to the war.
The treaty required Germany to disarm, make territorial concessions, extradite alleged war criminals, agree to Kaiser Wilhelm being put on trial, recognize the independence of states whose territory had previously been part of the German Empire, and pay reparations to the Entente powers.
The treaty was comprehensive and complex in the restrictions imposed upon the post-war German armed forces, the Reichswehr. The provisions were intended to make the Reichswehr incapable of offensive action and to encourage international disarmament.
German officials conspired systematically to evade the clauses of the treaty, by failing to meet disarmament deadlines, refusing Allied officials access to military facilities, and maintaining and hiding weapons production.
The Treaty of Versailles prohibited German companies from producing war materials. The treaty did not ban German companies from producing war materials outside of Germany, so companies moved, or opened new companies, in the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Sweden. In 1921, German troops were sent to Sweden to test weapons.
The Treaty of Versailles forced Carl Zeiss to relocate a significant portion of its military production to the Netherlands and Sweden. This influx of equipment and expertise brought new technologies and innovations to the country, influencing the development of Nedinsco.
The 1919 Treaty of Versailles that ended the First World War forced Carl Zeiss Jena to significantly reduce its military production in Germany. To circumvent this restriction, thousands of boxes of equipment and storage were illegally transported from Germany to the Netherlands and Sweden in 1919 and 1920.
In early 1921, the German optical manufacturing firm, Carl Zeiss of Jena, Thuringia, Germany, created a new company, Nedinsco (Nederlandse Instrumenten Compagnie), to produce cameras, binoculars, rangefinders, microscopes, periscopes, and similar optical instruments in the Netherlands.
Initially, the Netherlands Instruments Company (Nedinsco) set up its headquarters in an old disused chocolate factory in Flushing, Netherlands. Two years later, the company moved to a new location in Venlo, Netherlands, and constructed a new factory.
The architect, Hans Schlag, was commissioned for the design of the new Nedinsco factory. He and his design team built a special tower that was used to align optical instruments and to calibrate the larger measuring distances. This was done by adjusting the instruments to the many church towers in Venlo.
The tower, built in the Bauhaus style, is a beautiful national historical monument in the heart of Venlo.
As a subsidiary of Carl Zeiss Jena, Nedinsco inherited the German firm’s expertise in optical technology. This allowed Nedinsco to produce high-quality military optical equipment, including military service binoculars, telescopes, and other precision instruments.
Nedinsco’s early production focused on military optics, with exports to countries such as Switzerland and Sweden. The company’s products were well respected for their exceptional quality, and the company quickly gained a reputation as a reliable supplier of optical equipment.
Nedinsco’s was a well known subsidiary of Carl Zeiss Jena, located in Venlo, Netherlands, producing high-quality military optical equipment for export.
In the 1930s, Nedinsco grew into a strong economic company with a beneficial effect on the regional Dutch economy. During the Second World War, Nedinsco manufactured optical equipment for the German war effort.
In 1944, an aircraft bomb, intended for the nearby city bridge over the Maas River, destroyed the factory building. Only the tower survived the bombardment.
After the war, Nedinsco was confiscated by the Dutch government and, after a period of temporary management, was sold to the Arnhem entrepreneur G. Beusker, who rebuilt the factory. In 1953, it became an independent company.
Today, Nedinsco is a supplier of systems and modules for the semiconductor industry. The company manufactures diagnostic systems, and products for the defense industry. Nedinsco is a leader in the manufacture of optical, mechanical, and electronic technologies for safety and security.