BACKGROUND: The German armed forces used a wide variety of optical enhancement items with the 6 x 30 power, (6 power magnification with a 30mm diameter objective lens), binoculars being the standard issue optics utilized by all branches of service. Although the 6 x 30 power binoculars were the standard issue, specialized personnel such as Artillery observers, Reconnaissance personnel, Searchlight personnel, etc., required stronger optics and assorted larger power binoculars were issued to these specialized personnel on a limited basis. The Observers "Rabbit Ear" field glasses were designed for stationary use by observers, and artillery commanders and were issued with a mounting tripod, carrying case and assorted accessories. Although intended for observers and artillery commanders these type of field glasses also saw limited use by other stationary personnel.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: 10 x 50 power, (10 power magnification with a 50mm diameter objective lens), tooled steel and alloy construction field glasses consist of two, roughly, 14 1/2" tall, vertical lens bodies joined by a central, horizontal, circular joining bracket with a swivel, width adjustment dial and a tripod attachment port positioned on the bottom. The lens bodies have a rounded top edge and horizontal objective lenses. The protective objective lens covers are absent. The lenses stand up perpendicular from the horizontal eye sockets, and the central joining bracket can be adjusted so the lens bodies can be folded down into a horizontal position for a wider range of vision. The top edge of the extended, horizontal eye sockets have a sliding, field of vision adjustment bar with a small, slotted, light attachment window for the addition of a light source for night usage. The optics are still quite crisp and clear with minimal fungal spotting. The right side lens has an internal, repeating, square grid reticle pattern with numerical markings consisting of four plus and minus twenty degrees markings. Both the eye socket focus adjustments still function but the socket covers are absent. The bottom edge of the glasses have horizontal, adjustment bar with a tightening/loosening key for mounting the glasses on a tripod. The bottom left side panel is well marked with the impressed designation abbreviation, "S F 14 Z G", indicating, Scherenfernrohr 14 Zielen Gitter, (Stereo telescope 14 {with} Sighting Grid), the grid-scale designation, "H/6400", the serial number, "14946" and the manufacturers three letter code "dhq" indicating manufacture by J. D. Moeller of Wedel. The lens bodies have been post-war over-painted in olive drab and black paints which are retain about 90% with un-painted spots revealing the original ordnance tan paint. The glasses come with a wooden, tooled alloy and magnetic sheet metal construction tripod. The tripod consists of three roughly, 17 1/4" tall, three piece legs. Each of the legs features an additional roughly, 17 1/4" extendable, wooden section and a roughly, 17 3/4" extendable, tubular sheet metal section with pointed tipped, "feet", allowing the tripod to be set at a total height of roughly, 52 1/2" tall. Each of the extendable sections have corresponding tightening/loosening wing-nuts enabling each leg to be set at a different height for use on uneven terrain. One of the main legs has a riveted on, horizontal, blackened leather strap with a pronged, steel, roller buckle and six corresponding buckle eyelets. The strap was designed to fit around all three legs to secure them in place for ease of storage and transportation. One of the main legs also has two small extended alloy loops which secure a thick, pebbled brown leather carrying strap with a sliding, steel length adjustment buckle. The carrying strap shows light to moderate surface cracking and is fairly dry. The top of the tripod has a tooled alloy bracket which attaches the three main legs and the extendable sections with a corresponding alloy tightening/loosening lever to each and a vertically extended steel rod for securing the glasses base plate to the tripod. The tripod’s vertical rod has a separate, removable, tooled steel and alloy base plate with an additional vertically extended steel rod for securing the glasses to the tripod. The separate base plate has two turn-able dials that are utilized to adjust the field of vision by turning the glasses either to the left or right with a corresponding numerical grid running from "0" to "360" degrees to one dial and a corresponding numerical grid running from "0" to "10" degrees to the other dial. The base plate is well marked with the impressed manufacturers name and location, "Carl Zeiss Jena", a serial number, "129689", the designation, "Am 17" with serial number, "Nr. 988", indicating, Auswanderunsmesser 17, (Range Corrector 17), and an eagle over, "M", indicating Kriegsmarine issue. The tripod has also been post-war over-painted in olive drab (Norwegian Army) paint with spots of wear to the underlying natural wood and a flat matte grey paint. The separate base plate was not over-painted and retains about 30% of its original flat matte grey paint. All the dials, and wing-nuts still function. Scarce Kriegsmarine issue optics.

GRADE ***                             PRICE $1,055.00