Soldiers of Reserve-Infanterie-Regiment Nr. 226, on the Eastern Front, November 12, 1914, honor their dead during the Battle of Łódź in November–December 1914. These 49th Reserve Division soldiers are armed with older, substitute standard Model 1888 Mauser rifles, rather than the first line standard Model 1898 Mauser rifles.
This is a list of serial numbers, observed in collections and and recorded from sources online, of German 7×50 binoculars manufactured between 1933 and 1945, marked as equipment of the German armed forces during World War II.
| Y:= Sand Yellow (erroneously attributed to “Afrika Korps” binoculars) Ba:= Bakelite L:= Black leather body covering (or Vulkanite, a leather-like early form of synthetc plastic) R:= Black rice body covering (black paint mixed with crushed rice to give a rough body texture) G:= Gummi, rubber protected (only in uboats) M:= Marked with a “M” marine K:= Marked with a “K” for kriegsmarine KF : Kalte Fett – cold resistant grease “Invarol” – weißer Schrift (white letters “KF” or “K.F.”) 1940-1941 O : Vakuumfett 1416 – cold resistant grease “Vacuum” – hellblaue Kreis (light blue circle “O”) 1942 + : Instrumentenfett 1442 – cold resistant grease “Instrument Grease 1442” – hellblaue Kreuz (light blue cross “+”) 1942-1943 Δ : unknown – cold resistant grease – hellblaue dreieck (light blue triangle “Δ”) 1944-1945 (mainly applied in 1944) Unmarked |
beh (Ernst Leitz, Wetzlar, Deutschland) |
|||||
| S/N | C/R Mark | Identifying Features | Mfg / Maintenance | ||
| 344982 | KF | Black leather or Vulkanite body, M – Marine (Navy) | 1940-1941 | ||
| 351622 | KF | Black leather or Vulkanite body, marked “T” for coated lenses, eagle / M – Marine (Navy), TCPII, but marked flak (kuste) | 1940-1941 | ||
| 373675 | KF | Black leather or Vulkanite body, marked “T” for coated lenses, TCPII, also eagle / M – Marine (Navy) and 0565 N | 1940-1941 | ||
| 375194 | Reticle, black rice body, M – Marine (Navy), WaA 14 marked okularshutz cap for rear lenses | 1940-1941 | |||
| 378663 | KF O | Reticle, black rice body, M – Marine (Navy) | 1940-1941 / 1942 | ||
| 382206 | KF O | Black leather or Vulkanite body | 1940-1941 / 1942 | ||
| 382855 | KF O |
|
1940-1941 / 1942 | ||
| 386585 | KF O | Black leather or Vulkanite body, M – Marine (Navy) | 1940-1941 / 1942 | ||
| 393378 | KF O | Reticle, black rice body | 1940-1941 / 1942 | ||
| 393550 | KF O | Reticle, black rice body, leather case dated 1942 | 1940-1941 / 1942 | ||
| 393816 | + | Reticle, black rice body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 398982 | O + | Reticle, black rice body | 1942 / 1942-1943 | ||
| 399131 | O + | Reticle, black leather or Vulkanite body, black leather case marked with manufacturer’s name (not readable) and Eagle/WaA 14 1942 | 1942 / 1942-1943 | ||
| 399417 | KF | Black rice body, case marked ksd 1942 WaA 14 | 1942-1943 | ||
| 404379 | O + | Black leather or Vulkanite body, aluminum fittings, left side blank, right side marked “Dienstglas 7×50 404379 beh O +”, black leather strap, bakelite okularshutz cap for rear lenses marked WaA202, black leather case marked “WaA 14” and “1942” | 1942 / 1942-1943 | ||
| 406689 | + | Black leather or Vulkanite body, bakelite okularshutz cap for rear lenses, leather case marked “”Walter Winkler Spandau 1941” | 1942-1943 | ||
| 429226 | + | Reticle, black rice body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 434334 | + | Reticle, black body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 438544 | + | Reticle, black rice body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 438965 | + | Reticle, black rice body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 444291 | + | Reticle, black rice body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 445750 | + | Black rice body, okularshutz cap for rear lenses, leather case marked | 1942-1943 | ||
| 445752 | + | Black rice body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 463070 | + | Reticle, black body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 466771 | + | Reticle, black rice body, leather case marked ksd 1943 | 1942-1943 | ||
| 468920 | + | Reticle, black body | 1942-1943 | ||
| 469275 | Black rice body, left prism cover marked “7 X 50 beh 469275”, black rubber “armor”, Kreigsmarine | ||||
| ok | |||||
blc (Carl Zeiss, Militarabtailung, Jena, Deutschland) |
|||
| Serial Numbers 1933 : 1607008 – 1628868 1934 : 1628869 – 1660396 1935 : 1660397 – 1705441 1936 : 1705442 – 1751204 1937 : 1751205 – 1801967 1938 : 1801968 – 1865276 1939 : 1865277 – 1935538 1940 : 1935539 – 2017171 1941 : 2017172 – 2105419 1942 : 2105420 – 2167993 1943 : 2167994 – 2228256 1944 : 2228257 – 2293770 1945 : 2293771 – 2348412 |
|||
| S/N | C/R Mark | Identifying Features | Mfg / Maintenance |
| 2143 | U.D.F. 2143 : U-Boat conning tower / deck targeting binoculars : blc (Carl Zeiss Jena) 7×50, sea blue enamel painted bronze, hinged flip up rubber lens fittings, left prism cover marked “T” (for coated lenses), “blc” “M” (Marine – Navy) and “Eagle IV/1”, right prism cover marked “U.D.F. 7×50”
UDF binoculars are very rare. This one (U.D.F. 2143) belonged to U-310.
After the German surrender, there were 97 submarines in six Norwegian ports: With very few exceptions, these boats were transported to England, and there in late summer 1945, they were sunk. In the autumn 1945 , there was a commission settled by the Norwegian Government to see if some of the submarines still could be used. Among 15 boats, 4 were chosen that had potential for further sea service. Others were taken ashore and used for spare parts. U310, U926, U995 and U1202 were the ones chosen, and they were gathered together in Trondheim. In 1948, three out of four ex-German u-boats went into the Norwegian Navy. U-926 (KNM KYA) Inspection of the 4th sub, U-310, determined that the condition of the submarine was so poor that it was decided to cut it up for scrap. One of the workers took this binocular (U.D.F. 2143) from U-310. The U-310 had a record of two ships sunk. (Refer to “uboat.net” for the history of U-310. |
19xx | |
| 345935 | U.D.F. 345935 : U-Boat conning tower / deck targeting binoculars : blc (Carl Zeiss Jena) 7×50, originally sea blue enamel painted bronze, now unpainted bronze, hinged flip up rubber lens fittings, left prism cover marked “U.D.F. 7×50” over “345935” over “blc”, right prism cover blankThis binocular formed part of the “UZO” (Unterwasserzieloptik) mounted on a rotatable pedestal in a forward position on the open U-boat bridge. There was a degree-marked ring on the pedestal for direct reading of a surface target’s bearing and a mechanical link to the U-Boat’s Vorhaltrechner (analogue attack computer). A reticle in the form of a single black vertical line in the right prism was aligned to the target bearing.The binoculars themselves are of massively strong construction, although they are not much larger in size than the standard 7×50 Dienstglas, overall length 20 cms/8 inches. They were designed to be left on deck when the U-boat dived, and were guaranteed watertight to a depth of at least 100 metres/330 feet. They are made of cast bronze, and weigh approximately 6kgs/13lbs.Focus is fixed at the factory and is not adjustable, designed to resist the crushing water pressure at those depths that could distort less robust optics. Original finish was sea-blue paint, traces of which remain within the objective lens shrouds and in certain other small areas. There is a lever on right prism housing marked “hell” (light) / “dunkel” (dark) for reticle illumination. | 19xx | |
| 41442 | + | Black rice body, aluminum fittings, left prism cover blank, right prism cover marked “Dienstglas 7×50 41442 blc +” (in blue), black leather case | 19xx |
| ok | |||
bmk (Srb u. Stys, Fabrik praeziser Messinstrumente, Prague, Czechoslovakia) |
|||
| S/N | C/R Mark | Identifying Features | Mfg / Maintenance |
| 94691 | O | Black rice body, aluminum fittings, left prism cover marked “bmk O” (in blue), right prism cover marked “Dienstglas 7×50 94691”, brown leather strap, brown leather case | 19xx / 1942 |
| 152357 | Δ | Black rice body, brass fittings, hinged flip up lens caps, left side blank, right side marked “Dienstglas 7×50 152357 bmk Δ” (in blue), black leather strap, brown leather case | 19xx / 1943-1944 |
| 153775 | Δ | Black rice body, aluminum fittings, hinged flip up lens caps, left side blank, right side marked “Dienstglas 7×50 153775 bmk Δ” (in blue) and a large “T” to the right (for coated lenses), black leather strap, black okularshutz cap for rear lenses | 19xx / 1943-1944 |
| 159875 | Δ | Black rice body, brass fittings, left side marked “SERB A STYS PRAHA” logo, right side marked “Dienstglas 7×50 159875 bmk Δ” (in blue), also “MIROHLED” – Czech arsenal recondition mark ?, black leather strap | 19xx / 1943-1944 |
| ok | |||
rln (Carl Zeiss, Jena, Deutschland) |
|||
| S/N | C/R Mark | Identifying Features | Mfg / Maintenance |
| 67712 | Black rice body, hinged eye cups | 1940-1941 / 1942 | |
| 70110 | Black rice body, gasmask occulars | 1942 | |
| 70183 | Black rice body, gasmask occulars, case marked prn 44 | 1942 | |
| ok | |||
xxxxxxxxxx