193780002 – 80003 |
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| January | |
| February | |
| March | |
| April 25 | 80002 – 80003 |
| May | |
| June | |
| July | |
| August | |
| September | |
| October | |
| November | |
| December |
193980004 – 82754 |
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| January | |
| February | |
| March | 80004 – 81203 |
| April | 81204 – 81503 |
| May | 81504 – 81803 |
| June | 81804 – 82304 |
| July | 82004 – 82304 |
| August | 82305 – 82605 |
| September | 82606 – 82754 |
| October | |
| November | |
| December |
The other company named H. Kolberg i S-ka Spolka z o.o
In 1931, Henryk Kolberg sold his shares in his Company H. Kolberg i S-ka S.A. (joint stock company). On September 28,1933, Henryk Kolberg started a new company, called H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o (limited liability company), and registered the company in Warsaw at the address of 22, Chocimska Street 33.
The H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o company became a competitor to PZO, producing 6x30 military binoculars for the Polish Ministry of Defense, identical to those produced by PZO.
On April 25, 1937, the H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o company signed a contract with the Polish Ministry of Defense to produce 2,200 6x30 binoculars, in accordance with technical specification No. 520096. This is the identical technical specification issued to PZO by the Ministry of Defense.
The first prototype binoculars provided for inspection by the H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o company to the Polish Ministry of Defense were serial numbers 80002 and 80003.35
The date when these two prototype binoculars (80002 and 80003) were submitted by the company to the Polish Ministry of Defense is unknown. The estimated date may have been on or about April 25, 1937, the same date the company signed the production contract with the Polish Ministry of Defense.
In any case, during the period, April 25, 1937 to August 31, 1939, according to the factory production serial numbers (beginning at 80004 and ending at 82754), the H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o company produced 2750 binoculars for the Polish Ministry of Defense. 34
These are the factory production serial numbers of the H. Kolberg i S-ka o.o 6x30 binoculars produced from 1937 to 1939:
| Dates of Production | H. Kolberg factory production serial numbers |
| 1937* – March 31, 1939 | 80002, 80003, 80004 – 81203 |
| April 1, 1939 – April 30, 1939 | 81204 – 81503 |
| May 1, 1939 – May 31, 1939 | 81504 – 81803 |
| June 1, 1939 – June 30, 1939 | 81804 – 82003 |
| July 1, 1939 – July 31, 1939 | 82004 – 82304 |
| August 1, 1939 – August 31, 1939 | 82305 – 82605 |
| September 1, 1939 – September 5, 1939 | 82,606 – 82,754** (approximate) |
1937* – March 31, 1939 80003 – 81203
April 1, 1939 – April 30, 1939 81204 – 81503
May 1. 1939 – May 31, 1939 81504 – 81803
June 1, 1939 – June 30, 1939 81804 – 82003
July 1, 1939 – July 31, 1939 82004 – 82304
August 1, 1939 – August 31, 1939 82305 – 82605
September 1, 1939 – September 5,1939 82,606 – 82,754** (approximate)
33 Archiwum m st Warszawy, Rejestr Handlowy Dzial B NR LXIII 9107 Sadu Okregowego w Warszawie (National Archive for capitol Warsaw, The book of Trade Registries)
34 The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London A.I.8
35 CAW (Central Military Archives) I 360.1.319 - Letter No. 353 dated May 27, 1938 of Main Expert of the Headquarters of Weapon Items to the Technical Armament Institute
* CAW (Central Military Archives) I 360.1.319. Pismo KZU Nr 606-2-5/CO2 z wrzesnia 1938 do firmy Kolberg i Ska. (Ministry of Defense letter dated October 1938 to H. Kolberg i S-ka – An agreement of the Ministry of Defense for the beginning of 6x30 binoculars production by H. Kolberg i S-ka)
** In September 2009, the H. Kolberg 6x30 binocular No. 82754 was seen at a Polish auction.
28 In this way two identical binoculars were produced by two different producers.
The decision of the MOD was influenced by the price being too high for the PZO binoculars. It was important for the MOD to reduce the price of these items, in the aspect of the MOD’s order for the requisite officers’ equipment.
In addition, the quantity of 6x30 binoculars required by the MOD was greater than PZO was able to produce. The H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o company was not the only other company that the MOD was considering for the production of 6x30 binoculars.
The other factory, proposing to produce the binoculars, was “Jan Bujak.Fabryka Przyrzadow Mierniczych” in Lvov. The company planned to produce binoculars from 1940.
Unfortunately, the Polish forces were overwhelmed by the attack of the Germans from the west and the Russians from the east, preventing the completion of the contract.
The document from the archives of The Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London shows the number of H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o binoculars produced for the MOD. The document, dated August 31, 1939, was signed by the Chief of Weapons Division of the Armament, Department of MOD – Engineer Lieutenant-Colonel Jozef Sarnocki.
page image and caption -- The document from the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London
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38 However, after the document was issued, and after the evacuation of the Army Postal Service from Poland to France, and then to Great Britain, it appears that the company was still producing further quantities of binoculars. It is presumed to be true that after Poland was invaded, on September 1, 1939, the factory was still working until September 5, 1939.
38 The document was sent from the Polish Institute and Sikorski Museum in London, with the copyright clearance for this publication only.
29 The army informed all optical factories (PZO, H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o, and others), that they had to be evacuated, on September 6, 1939, to Lvov.
In the collection of Anna and Terry Vacani is the binocular with the serial number 82568. This binocular was brought from Russia. It appears to be one of the last production binoculars of H. Kolberg i S-ka z o.o.
image -- left lens cover -- 6x30 / serial number 82568
image and caption -- H. Kolberg i S-ka No 82568 from the Collection of Anna & Terry Vacani
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The left prism cover of this D.F. 03 6×24 Dienstglas is stamped with the designation “D.F. 03” (“Doppelfernrohr” – “binoculars” – Model 1903) over “Dienstglas” (Service glass) over “Nr. 9312” over “U.F.” (“Unteroffizier Fernglas” – Service glass intended for use by non-commissioned officers.) The number “Nr. 9312″ is the inventory number of this Dienstglas in the property lists of the German armed forces. There is another number “57386″ that is stamped on the forward face of the left front bridge cross member. This is the production serial number of this particular Dienstglas when it was manufactured at the Oigee factory in Berlin-Schöneberg sometime in 1914-1915. The right prism cover is stamped with the name of the manufacturer “OIGEE” (Optische Anstalt Optikal Industrie-G.M.B.H.) over “BERLIN” (Berlin-Schöneberg) over “Vergr.” (magnification power) “6x” (6×24) over “D.R.P.” (Deutsches Reich Patent). The designation “R.J.R. 29” is stamped on top of the right rear bridge cross member, indicating that the binoculars were the property of “Rheinisches Jager Regiment 29” (Infanterie-Regiment von Horn (3. Rheinisches) Nr. 29). The designation “9.K N.3” is stamped on top of the left rear bridge cross member, indicating that the binoculars were the property of “9. Kompanie Nachrichtengruppe 3” (9th Company, Signals / Communications / Intelligence Group 3). |
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Polish armed forces 6×30 military binoculars, production serial number 81901, manufactured about June 1939 by Fabryka Aparatow Optyczne i Precyzyjnych, H. Kolberg i Ska, Warszawa, Polska (Factory of Optical and Precise Instruments, H. Kolberg & Co., Ltd., Warsaw, Poland). The left prizm cover of the binoculars is marked with the manufacturer’s trademark logo, “H.KOLBERG i SKA WARSZAWA” followed by “WP” next to the company trademark logo, meaning “Wojsko Polskie” (Polish Military). In Poland, the popular term Wojsko Polskie, abbreviated WP, meaning “Polish Military,” refers to the national armed forces of the Republic of Poland. The official title is Siły Zbrojne Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej, abbreviated SZ RP, meaning the Armed Forces of the Republic of Poland. The right prizm cover is marked with the Polish national eagle followed by a stylized box with “6×30” over the production serial number, “81901” (estimated date of manufacture June 1939). These 6×30 military binoculars are accompanied by the original brown leather carrying strap. |
