World War II German binoculars - manufacturer codes 1939-45
World War II German binoculars were marked 'Dienstglas' meaning service glass. Pre-war glasses used by the German military had the maker's name. Often it was Zeiss.
From 1939/1940 onwards they used a code to identify the maker. The code usually appeared on the back of one of the prisms.
There were a huge number of manufacturers that made glasses for the German military. Some were in occupied countries. Look down the list to see Paris and Warsaw-based businesses.
There were also well known German manufaturers, Zeiss and Leitz, which had several different factories.
| Code | Manufacturer |
|---|---|
| beh | Ernst Leitz GmbH, Wetzlar |
| bek | Hensoldt Werk fur Optic u. Michanik, Herborn |
| blc | Carl Zeiss, Jena |
| bmj | Hensoldt & Sohne, M. Optische Werk A G Wetzlar |
| bmt | Steinheill & Sohne, Munich |
| bpd | Optische Anstalt CP Goerz, Vienna |
| byg | J OH. Wyksen, Optische & Feinmaschin, Katowitz |
| ccx | Optisch u. Feinmechanishe Werke Hugo Meyer & Co, Gorlitz |
| cro | R Fuess Optische Industrie, Steglitz, Berlin |
| ctn | Hanseatische Werkstatten fur Feinmechanik u. Optick Freidricks & Co |
| cxn | Emil Busch AG Optische Industrie Rathenow |
| czn | Emil Busch AG Optische Industrie Rathenow |
| dkl | Joseph Schneider, Kreutznach |
| ddx. | Voighlander & Sons, Brunswick |
| dow | Zeiss Ikon, Goerzwerke, Zellendorf, Berlin |
| dpw | Zeiss Ikon AG, Stuttgart |
| dyn | Runge & Kaulfuss, Rathenow |
| dzl | Optische Anstalt Oigee, Berlin |
| eaf | Mechanoptick Gesellschaft fur Prazasions - tecknik, Aude and Reipe Optische Industrie, Babelsberg |
| eaw | R Winkel, Gottingen |
| esu | Steinheill & Sohne, Munich |
| eso | Optische Werke G Rodenstock, Munich |
| eug | Optische Prisions Werke GmbH, Warsaw |
| fco | Sendlinger Optische Glaswerke GmbH Zehlendorf, Berlin |
| fwr | Optische Anstalt Saalfeld GmbH, Saafeld |
| fzp | H Kollmorgan GmbH, Berlin |
| ghp | Rufs Co, Kassell |
| gug | Ungarische Optische Werke AG Budapest |
| guj | Werner D Huehn Optical Industrie, Steglitz, Berlin |
| hdv | Optische Werk Osterode GmbH, Osterode, Harz |
| hkm | Carl Braun AG Optische Industrie Nunberg |
| jfp | Dr Carl Leiss, Optische Mechanische Instrumente, Steglitz Berlin |
| jve | Optisches Werk Ernst Ludwig, Weixdorf |
| krg | Emil Busch AG Optische Industrie, Rathenow |
| kwe | Gamma Feinmaschin u. Optische Werke, Budapest |
| lmg | Carl Zeiss, Jena |
| lwg | Optische Werke Osterode GmbH, Freiheit bei Osterode (Harz) |
| lww | Huet et Cei (Het & Co), Paris |
| lwx | OPL (Optique et Precision de Levallois), Levallois, Paris |
| lwy | Societe Optique et Mechanique de Haute Precision, Paris |
| pvf | Optische Werk C Reichert, Vienna |
| cag | Swarovski, Tyrol |
| emq | Karl Zeiss, Jena |
| jnh | Hensoldt |
| lae | Heinrich Zeiss, Gastingen |
| rln | Carl Zeiss, Jena |
| jux | Nedinsco (Zeiss affiliate), Venlo |
The table was compiled mainly from a J A Davis catalogue from 1959, together with some information from Binoculars, opera glasses and field glasses by Fred Watson.
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Comments
Hi seen a 6x30 set code FVS"KF"thought i'd ask as nothing listed here,maybe produced in Poland or france maybe,thank you in advance.
Hi. I have binoculars, but the markings on them seem different to any others I've seen so far. On the left it says D.F.03 6fach . UF, with the second row sayingDIENSTGLAS No 4398.
The right says Emil Busch. A - G. Rathenow. They are brass. Hope you can help.
romar germany 44703 is all that is on it.
We have a ww2 German range finder marked Em 1.25m R(L), the marker code is fwq not be able to find info on this. Thanks
D.F. 10X80. O dkl X. What does these figures mean?