Imperial OPTICAL Equipment (excl bino's)

[MG1918]

Driven by the range of optical accessories there are relating to the German WWI MG or trench use I thought it might be useful to start this. There already exists a thread on WWI binoculars. Trench items, MG and even artillery sights incl rangefinders could be interesting.

First One the Enfernungsmesser 14 The EM14 MG range finder. Who has one!!!!!! :>) Lots of different accessories to this too.

 

[Snaffles]

First One the Enfernungsmesser 14 The EM14 MG range finder. Who has one!!!!!! :>)

I do! I will try and post some photos later.
Great idea for a topic.
All the best
Michael

 

[Snaffles]

I can’t take any photos today, so am attaching a couple of photos taken in the 80’s - apologies for the lack of quality! I bought the rangefinder when I was a student. Will post some better photos when I can.

Alll the best
Michael

 

[Snaffles]

Finally got some time to get the range finder out of its case. It must be a few years since I last had it on display.


The tripod -


The range finder -




“Justierelatte” -

 

[Snaffles]

……. and finally, a photo showing the larger tripod in use -

 

[Tony without Kaiser]

Love it. What a great piece.

 

[J.LeBrasseur]

Very cool piece!

James

 

[cptbob]

Awesome. Are the optics still clear?

 

[gino1]

They also used this rangefinder in WWII, the difference is that the WWII had 3 German letters of the maker, see photo

 

[Snaffles]

Awesome. Are the optics still clear?

Yes, they are still clear.

 

[John Josef]

Very cool pieces thanks for sharing

 

[MG1918]

For SNAFFLES - Sir a great piece. I would be very much interested now in the details as I have seen many RFs brought into Swiss service and modified, or I guess from the Swiss perspective modernised. I am also finding too, not just RFs but the SF taken into Finnish service post WWI and WWII. Originally German but with small modifications. Yours is lovely and now I will have to try and look at it in detail, but without much reference material.
Thanks for posting.
Mark

 

[MG1918]

Some images taken from MG postcards. Typical German ingenuity to fit the smaller tripod into the longer wooden legs. Such a great idea!

 

[MG1918]

They also used this rangefinder in WWII, the difference is that the WWII had 3 German letters of the maker, see photo
View attachment 59276

Probably an EM34 which is indeed similar but all the RF accessories are different to the WWI issue pieces. The other challenge is differentiating between WWI Issue tripods and WWII issue....the big ones as in your image.