The German military 6 x 30 binocular. Excerpts from sections 2; 2.3.4.1; 2.3.4.2; 2.5; 2.6; 4; 4.3; of: Hans Seeger. Militaerische Fernglaeser und Fernrohre in Heer, Luftwaffe, und Marine. Hamburg: Seeger, 1996. 2 Between the wars, military personnel could buy their own service glasses, as noted in Army regulations of July 15 1929: 'Price for Personal Field glasses. The price for a Doppelfernrohr 6 x 30 with accessories is fixed on July 1, 1929 at 115.50 marks according to the order of March 7, 1925, No 2882/2 Wa 4 IV (concerning the purchase of private binoculars for members of the military). This situation did not last. During the Second World War, sales to private individuals were at first restricted, then outlawed, and at last permitted to heavily wounded war veterans under certain conditions. 2.3.4.1 Among all military binoculars after the end of the first World War, the 6 x 30 service glass became predominant in both the Navy and the Army, and it remained the Army’s most used binocular for decades. From the Army regulations for 1927 and 1940: 'As a standard double telescope for all branches of the Army of the Reich, the double telescope 6 x 30 with normal reticle..... and a field of view of 150m at 1000m distance.' In terms of its importance and the quantities produced, the D.F. 6 x 30 was increasingly important after W.W.I. was produced in larger quantities than any other. In the Army Regulations of November 29, 1919, after the end of the First World War, an inventory was ordered of the quantity of optical instruments in the infantry, because of new regulations on equipping the troops with optical instruments, and only the Fernglaeser 03, 08, 6 x 30, and 10 x 50 are listed as hand held binoculars. In a March 1939 paper regarding the height calibrations of reticles, only the 6 x 30 and 10 x 50 are mentioned; and in an Army technical regulation of June 1944 concerning the carrying strap for the Doppelfernrohre 6 x 30 and 10 x 50. The design of the common D.F. 6 x 30 is similar to the equally common Zeiss Silvamar, with only minor differences.. Fig 52 is a facsimile print of the Army regulations H.Dv. 448/1, for the D.F. 6 x 30; the markings used there are mostly used in this book. Fig. 53 shows several 6 x 30s. [page 95] In the 'Basismodell' 6x30 are found many developments which appear later in other models of binoculars: brass housing covers, originally used in more expensive models, were replaced by zinc; and leather or hard rubber covers were replaced by black lacquered cardboard or just lacquer, during the first World War in Germany. For further details see note in 4.3.1. In the thirties, for the great majority of German field glasses, nearly all metal parts of the service glasses were made of aluminum, to save valuable brass and to reduce weight. However, at least until the beginning of the war, German military outfits could order models with some brass parts. Two other measures led to further weight reduction: In Germany field glasses with 'Elektron' metal housings were built, (the corresponding civilian Zeiss field glasses were called 'Federleicht' [Featherweight]). The bulk of the materials was reduced, and the weight of models of the same design and classification, was reduced. (see Seeger, 'Feldstecher', page 80). From 1940-41, service glasses in Germany were not marked with the manufacturer’s imprint, but instead with the so- called production imprint, consisting of three lower case letters (see paragraph 2.3.4.-VI). Models which were produced towards the end of the war, occasionally had neither the company name nor the code imprint, see fig. 53. That is also an indication of wartime production, where unnecessary finishing measures were often (but not always) omitted. During WWII, a black lacquer replaced the cover material on field glass housings for the German models. The particular consistency was achieved by adding cork meal. [page 98] At the war’s end, even black pigments were hard to get, and a sandcolored lacquer was used for some optics and other equipment (even vehicles). This was originally planned for the Africa Corps and received the name: 'standard camouflage paint Europe'. But, this color is not the rule for optics; since, except for some military Dialyte 6 x 30 military glasses (fig. 63), and ‘Winkelfernrohre’ [‘angle telescopes’, trench binoculars] (fig. 122), the author doesn’t know of any sand colored military field glasses. Some further details on the accessories of the German Army 'Grundmodelle' [basic model]: The Army regulation news of August 1934 says under 'binocular 6 x 30': 'The carrying case for the 6 x 30 delivered by Zeiss is to be changed in the following ways: a) Cloth cover for the holding blocks instead of leather. b) holding blocks to be fastened to the case by wooden screws. c) Artificial leather cover to be removed from the lid and a new leather cover to be glued in...' These regulations can help when pinpointing the age of Zeiss field glass cases. The following news from the 'General Army news' of Oct. 7, 1939 is important because it contains serial numbers and indirectly points to the introduction of bakelite field glass cases: 'Binocular 6 x 30 Cases. The 6 x 30 binoculars of G. Rodenstock, Munich, up to production number 203501 of M. Hensoldt and Sons, Wetzlar, to production number 383621 and Oigee, Berlin-Schoeneberg to production number 21651 are possibly to be stored in the case for the binocular 6 x 30 made of leather, since they can only with difficulty be stored in the cases of bakelite.' The regulations of Sept. 1942, are known to collectors and allow them to maintain the authenticity of their field glass cases when they lack the case carrying strap: 'Binoculars 6 x 30 and 8 x 30... 1. In the future only 50% of the binoculars 6 x 30 and 8 x 30 are to be equipped with carrying straps. 2. Army and Army Reserve shall receive only D.F. 6 x 30 and D.F. 8 x 30 without carrying strap as replacements until further notice. Carrying straps which are missing according to 1. have to be specially requested.' Concerning the field glass strap, the Army Regulations from June 15, 1944 report: 'Binoculars 6 x 30 and 10 x 50 Binocular carrying strap The carrying straps for binoculars DF 6 x 30 and 10 x 50 are provided with 5 button holes from now on, so that they can be adjusted. The binocular carrying straps at hand can be changed by the armourer according to the enclosed drawing. The Busch 'Bakelitglas' is not a cheap model; it is of good optical quality, and has specifications which cannot be found in other service glasses. There are eccentric steel inserts in the screwholes of the joint to preadjust the two halves (parallel positioning), and the two prisms in each side are different sizes for the changing direction of light in the housing (adjusting to the ray passage) [the cone of light from the objective requires a larger ‘first’ prism than the following prism], and finally an especially shock resistant mounting of the prisms. (*This design, with prisms of different height, was tried before, for example circa 1916 in the Voigtlaender Service Glass.) This unusual service glass was produced with the idea in mind, to produce a robust service glass without using expensive materials. Consequently, the glass consisted of 200 grams of bakelite, 140 grams of glass (lenses and prisms), and of 200 grams of steel and zinc or zinc alloy. The serial numbers of these 'Bakelitglaesern' which are known to the author, are between 407,000 and 426,000. This range of numbers includes the serial numbers of no other Busch models that are known (to the author). We can therefore suppose that perhaps 19,000 of these 'Bakelitglaesern' were manufactured. Before and during WW II, lens coatings were (probably) not put on the optics of the German 6 x 30 Service models, for the 'Grundmodell' [basic model] was probably not considered worthy of this expensive process. An exception was a later Zeiss 6 x 30 navy model (marked with an M). Using special ‘gas mask oculars’, some of these 6 x 30s were used with gas masks, which was considered an important application, see fig. 55. 2.3.4.2 The D.F. 6 x 30 was probably developed along with the Zeiss 6 x 30. The corresponding civilian version was first introduced in the 1907 brochure T 74. These binoculars have the modern form with straight housing covers with a rim that is bent over the housing, see figures 52, 53, and 57. General Army communications of February 1940: Instead of 11 binoculars 6 x 30 for the photometer batteries, there will be in the future 11 binoculars 10 x 50. 4 In about 1902, Goerz, Berlin built the first 6 x 30 model, the ‘Marineglas Pernox’. The 6 x 30 specifications proved to be a useful combination of magnification and objective diameter, and 6 x 30 models are popular to this day, see fig. 193. The Pernox, also called the Jagdglas Pernox [hunting glass], and available with center focus, included an important innovation, no lower prism housing cover, eliminating a source of leakage. The body was extended downward & cast of aluminum, the prototype for later marine glasses (see figures 30, 255, and 257). There is no proof that the Pernox was actually used in the Imperial Navy, though the early Pernox models were of a design that would have been especially desirable for the Navy. There are no known examples with the Naval 'M' or crown, but probably Pernox binoculars were privately bought by navy personnel, with official blessing. A Goerz brochure of Dec. 1907 described the 'New light gathering special marine glass, extra bright. Recommended to the officers and cadets of the Imperial Navy for purchase at discount according to the bulletin of the Imperial Navy office of Sept. 27, 1907.' The first Zeiss 6 x 30 model, ‘Marineglas’, appeared shortly after the Pernox, and featured the Zeiss patent increased distance between the objectives. This was later named the Silvamar (IF) and Silvarem (CF), available after about 1910. After the expiration of the Zeiss patent, the Goerz ‘Marine-Trieder’ and the ‘Marinefernglas 09’ were brought to the market, see fig. 195. [page 285] There are no essential differences between these and the Zeiss marine models with the same magnification. A paper from February 1908 described some early Zeiss models: 'Your Honor. We present to you with polite reference to the repeated recommendations concerning the Marine-Model of the Zeiss binocular on the part of the state secretary of the Marine Office (for example, on the 27th of September 1907); enclosed, a prospectus and order form apropos the military models of the Zeiss field glass. We take the liberty to point out that the two military models: D.F. 6 x 21 and D.F. 6 x 30 are officially introduced to the German Navy, and show the D.F. 6 x 21 for the Naval-Infantry (with W. IIb 12649 of March 28, 1907), and the D.F. 6 x 30, for use on board (with W IIb 9602 of July 22 07 and H. IIa 8453 of September 27, 1907). Furthermore, you might be interested in the fact that we have, since beginning production of our field glass, or about 14 years, sold so far more than 130,000 at a steadily increasing rate. Sincerely, Carl Zeiss, Jena. February 1908' Well into the second World War, the Germans used Naval marked 6 x 30 glasses, engraved 'M' (Marine) and with the eagle & swastika. But after the first World War, the 6 x 30 models were less import to the Navy. home page: http://www.europa.com/~telscope/binotele.htm