Rommel's Leitz Scherenfernrohr S.F.14.Z.Gi.
- Oct 28, 2017
- 2 min read
Erwin Johannes Eugen Rommel was one of the most famous German field marshal's of World War II. He was the commander of the "Deutsches Afrika Korps" and went by the nickname “The Desert Fox” (Wüstenfuchs) for his many masterful tactical strategies in North Africa.
This rare "Scherenfernrohr" (See gallery below) in beige/sand finish, engraved 'beh+ 11366 S.F.14 Z. Gi. H/6400', with matching beige/sand tripod, tripod head engraved 'bmj + 553375', tripod engraved 'W a A 195 dac 1038', Reichsadler and Swastika, on the red painted part on the top of the tripod hand-scratched 'ROMMEL'. It was sold in an online acution for €11,000.00.
One of the more unique WWII battlefield optical systems developed by Leitz, manufacturer of the Leica camera. This hybrid between binoculars and a periscope enabled the observer to remain safely concealed with only the objective lens visible to the enemy. The Wehrmacht used it for general observation (in vehicles and on the ground) and for artillery fire observation and direction. According to "Der Artillerist, Der Kanonier (1940) the Scherenfernrohr was to be used for: 1) Observation and reconnaissance 2) Measuring angles of 3) Measuring angles of site and elevation 4) Measuring height of shell bursts 5) Establishing safety zones for advancing friendly troops 6) And to lay field guns.
To aid ground infantry and artillery observers the Scherenfernrohr was used in conjunction with a tripod leg assembly. It normally came with accessories such as the azimuth mount and spirit level, tripod, carrying case, and other items such as a battery powered removable illumination lamp kit and a trench mount (often referred to as a tree screw which was approximate to a sort of cork screw that could allow the mount to be imbedded in wood or the ground).
Oddly the post-war West German Bundeswehr never use the Scherenfernrohr device at all, but East Germany's Nationale Volksarmee and other Warsaw-pact countries including Russia continued to do so long after the war ended.
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