world war ii german binoculars - manufacturer codes 1939-45 World War II German binoculars - manufacturer codes 1939-45

[Eddieq]

Picked up these beauties last week.

Zeiss binoculars whose serial number comes back to Uboat issue.

Does anyone know if there is any more specific databases that can pinpoint the exact issue I.e. which U-boat?

E

[Kenny Andrew]

Nice bino's Eddie, as far as I'm aware you can't trace the ship, however you might be able to trace the fleet. Are there any details under the rubber armour?   

[Eddieq]

Hi Kenny 

Yes there is, there’s the three letter code for Zeiss (blc), the magnification (7x50) and the serial number which is 63708.

[Kenny Andrew]

Hi Eddie, I'm afraid the serial number is just a batch number so would not identify the U boat. Sometimes you will find the letter N which would identify them as belonging to the German Navy North Sea Fleet.  Sorry can't help much more. Here is a list of the makers codes but no list of serial numbers as far as I'm aware.

b e h ERNST LEITZ. WETZLAR GERMANY
b e k HENSOLDT WERK FUR OPTIK UND MECHANIK HERBORN GERMANY
b l c CARL ZEISS, MILITARABTEILUNG JENA JENA GERMANY
b m h JIRASEK (not in Walter) PRAGUE CZECH
b m j M. HENSOLDT & SOHNE, A.G. WETZLAR GERMANY
b m t C. A. STEINHEIL SOHNE, GmbH MUNICH GERMANY
b p d C. P. GOERZ, GmbH VIENNA AUSTRIA
b v f C. REICHERT VIENNA AUSTRIA
b y g JOH. WYKSEN, K.G. KATTOWITZ POLAND
b z z I.G.-FARBENINDUSTRIE, CAMERAWERK MUNICH GERMANY
c a d KARL KAHLES (telescopic sights) VIENNA AUSTRIA
c a g D. SWAROVSKI WATTENS/TIROL AUSTRIA
c a u KODAK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT, DR. NAGEL WERK STUTTGART GERMANY
c c x OPTISCHE UND FEINMECHANISCHE WERKE, HUGO MEYER & CO. GOERLITZ GERMANY
c l b DR. F. A. WOHLER KASSEL GERMANY
c l n ED. SPRENGER BERLIN GERMANY
c r h FRANZ SCHMIDT & HAENSCH BERLIN GERMANY
c r n HANSEATISCHE WERKSTATTEN FUR FEINMECHANIK UND OPTIK, FRIEDRICHS & Co. HAMBURG GERMANY
c r o R. FUESS, formerly J. G. GREINER & GEISSLER BERLIN GERMANY
c x n EMIL BUSCH, A.G. RATHENOW GERMANY
d d v OCULUS (optometrist equipment, possibly gunsights) BERLIN GERMANY
d d x VOIGTLAENDER & SOHN, A.G. BRAUNSCHWEIG GERMANY
d k l JOSEF SCHNEIDER KREUZNACH GERMANY
d o q DEUTSCHE SPIEGELGLAS A.G. (telescopes, lenses) LEINE GERMANY
d o w WAFFENWERKE BRUNN A.G. (1943-OPTICOTECHNA GmbH) PRERAU CZECH.
d p g ADOX KAMERAWERK GmbH (cameras) WIESBADEN GERMANY
d p v ZEISS IKON A.G. DRESDEN GERMANY
d p w ZEISS IKON A.G. GOERZWERK BERLIN GERMANY
d p x ZEISS IKON A.G., CONTESSAWERK STUTTGART GERMANY
d y m RUNGE & KAULFUSS RATHENOW GERMANY
d y s HEINRICH ZEISS, UNIONZEISS K.G. ('apparently optical' BERLIN GERMANY
d z l OPTISCHE ANSTALT OIGEE GmbH BERLIN GERMANY
e a f MECHANOPTIK GESELLSCHAFT FUR PRAZISIONSTECHNIK, AUDE & REIPERT BABELSBERG GERMANY
e a w R. WINKEL GmbH GOETTINGEN GERMANY
e e d KURBI & NIGGELOH (photographic equipment) RADEVORMWALD GERMANY
e s o G. RODENSTOCK MUNICH GERMANY
e s u STEINHEIL SOHNE GmbH (telescopes & optics) MUNICH GERMANY
e u g OPTISCHE PRAZISIONS WERKE GmbH WARSAW POLAND
f c o SENDLINGER OPTISCHE GLASWERKE GmbH BERLIN GERMANY
f j t PHOTOGRAMMETRIE GmbH (aerial recon. cameras) MUNICH GERMANY
f l n FRANZ RAPSCH A.G. (sights, often subcontractor to Busch) RATHENOW GERMANY
f v s SPINDLER & HOYER K.G. GOTTINGEN GERMANY
f v x BECK & SOHNE KASSEL GERMANY
f w r OPTISCHE ANSTALT SAALFELD GmbH SAALFELD GERMANY
f x p HANS KOLLMORGEN GmbH BERLIN GERMANY
g a g F. MOLLENKOPF STUTTGART GERMANY
g k p RUF & Co., formerly CARL SCHUTZ KASSEL GERMANY
g u g UNGARNISCHE OPTISCHE WERKE A.G. BUDAPEST HUNGARY
g u j WERNER D. KUEHN BERLIN GERMANY
g w v ERNST PLANK NURNBERG GERMANY
g x l FRANKE & HEIDECKE (photographic equipment) BRAUNSCHWEIG GERMANY
g x p HOMRICH & SOHN (photographic equipment)
h d v OPTISCHE WERK OSTERODE GmbH OSTERODE GERMANY
h f o VALENTIN LINHOF OHG (photographic equipment) MUNICH GERMANY
h k m CARL BRAUN KG NURNBERG GERMANY
h n a KORELLE WERKE, G.H. BRANDTMANN & Co. (photographic) DRESDEN GERMANY
h r w HOH & HAHNE (photographic reproduction equipment) LEIPZIG GERMANY
h w t IHAGEE KAMERAWERK, STEENBERGEN & Co. (cameras) DRESDEN GERMANY
h x h A. KRUSS HAMBURG GERMANY
j f n TETENAL PHOTOWERK, Dr. TRIEPEL, K.G. (photographic equipment) BERLIN GERMANY
j f p DR. CARL LEISS BERLIN GERMANY
j n h F. TUTEMANN (lens holders & optical equipment) LUDENSCHEID GERMANY
j o n VOIGTLANDER-GEVAERT (cameras) BERLIN GERMANY
j u x NEDINSCO, NEDERLANDSCHE INSTRUMENTEN, (vehicle & aircraft instruments?) VENLO NETHERLANDS
j v e ERNST LUDWIG WEIXDORF GERMANY
j x n HELMUT KORTH BERLIN GERMANY
k h c OTTO HIMMLER (microscopes, optical equipment) BERLIN GERMANY
k l n ERNST & WILHELM BERTRAM (photographic equipment) MUNICH GERMANY
k n a DER ROBOT, BERNING & Co., K.G. (photographic equipment) DUSSELDORF GERMANY
k q c JOS. SCHNEIDER & Co., K.G. GOETTINGEN GERMANY
k r q EMIL BUSCH A.G. (assembled from foreign components) RATHENOW GERMANY
k w c GAMMA FEINMECHANISCHE & OPTISCHE WERKE BUDAPEST HUNGARY
k x v A. JACKENROLL GmbH BERLIN GERMANY
l a e HEINRICH ZEISS, UNION ZEISS K.G. GOSTINGEN
l f n REFLEKTA-KAMERAFABRIK, C. RICHTER (cameras) THARANDT GERMANY
l m q CARL ZEISS (assembled from foreign components) JENA GERMANY
l w g OPTISCHE WERKE OSTERODE GmbH (assembled from foreign components) OSTERODE GERMANY
l w w HUET ET CIE PARIS FRANCE
l w x OPTIQUE ET PRECISION DE LEVALLOIS, PARIS LEVALLOIS-PERRET FRANCE
l w y SOCIETE OPTIQUE ET MECANIQUE DE HAUTE PRECISION PARIS FRANCE
m b v I.G. FARBENINDUSTRIE, A.G.; AGFA (cameras) BERLIN GERMANY
m c a FOTOWERK, Dr. C. SCHLEUSSNER, GmbH (photographic equipment) FRANKFURT GERMANY
m t q PHOTOCHEMISCHE FABRIK ROLAND RISSE GmbH (photographic equipment) FLORSHEIM GERMANY
m t r VOIGTLANDER & SOHN, A.G. (cameras) BERLIN GERMANY
m t u A. LORENZ (MTU also used for AEG electrical equipment) GUTENFELD
m t v A. LORENZ DRESDEN GERMANY
n m s RICHARD HOLZ BERLIN GERMANY
n x t S.A.I. OTTICO MECCANICA E RILEVAMENTI AEROFOTOGRAMMETRICI
(stereoscopic aerial photography equipment) ROME ITALY
o c p AKTOPHOT GmbH (photographic equipment) PRAG-SABECHTLITZ
o c v W. KLAZAR (precision engineering; reportedly photographic equipment) PRAG
o k c HAUFF A.G. (photographic equipment) STUTTGART GERMANY
p v f C. REICHERT VIENNA AUSTRIA
r l n CARL ZEISS JENA GERMANY

A.G. = AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT; JOINT STOCK COMPANY
GmbH = GESELLSCHAFT MIT BESCHRANKTER HAFTUNG; LIMITED COMPANY
I.G. = INTERRESENGEMEINSCHAFT; UNION OF INTERESTS
K.G. = KOMMANDITGESELLSCHAFT; LIMITED PARTNERSHIP
OHG = OFFENE HANDELSGESELLSCHAFT; PRIVATE FIRM (literally, 'open trading company')