Month: June 2024

World War II-era German service watches, known for their historical significance and distinctive markings, are a topic of fascination for collectors and history enthusiasts. Among the notable features of these watches are the “DH,” “D,” “DU,” and the rarer “DIH” stamps on their casebacks. Special Kriegsmarine watches also exist with only a serial number on the caseback, but a “KM” mark on the dial. These watches were often painted with radium, which gave them a glow-in-the-dark capability. However, there are … Continue reading “The Safety of WWII German Service Watches: Separating Fact from Fiction”

The rln 8×30 Dienstglas binoculars made by Carl Zeiss, are a fascinating piece of military history, their existence is quite mysterious and marked by conflicting details about their production. These binoculars, bearing the factory code “rln,” were purportedly manufactured in 1942, yet several characteristics suggest a later production date. In this post I will try to shine some light on these contradictions.  The Carl Zeiss Factory Codes   During World War II, German manufacturers were assigned secret factory codes to … Continue reading “The Mystery of the rln 8×30 Dienstglas Binoculars”

In this blog post, I want to explain the different markings found on German Dienstglasses. These binoculars were a crucial tool for the German military, offering rangefinding capability and durability in various conditions, from the cold of the east front to the heat of the africa dessert. Let’s take a closer look at the details and significance of the engravings found on these historical optics and what they mean. For IVR2021’s selection of Dienstglasses and accesories available; click here.  Pre-War Models … Continue reading “Engravings on German 6×30 Dienstglas Binoculars”

What does H/6400 mean?  This is a designation of the underlying math of how the rangefinder works. If you extrapolate the points in the rangefinder all around you, they will form a complete circle around the viewer. For this circle a radius of 1km was assumed, making the circumference 6283m which rounded up makes 6400, a number easily dividable by 4. This rounding up was found to barely change the distance outcome but makes it drastically easier to calculate distance. … Continue reading “How to use the H/6400 Dienstglas Rangefinder”