Late War WW2 German K.12M Kollimator Field Optic beh Ernst Leitz

[komet45]

I picked up this Kollimator several years ago in one of my favorite local pawn shops. It had been gathering dust for some time unnoticed in a dark corner and was tagged as a "Military Microscope." A truly lucky find...and a reason to always stop by! The "Panzer Tan" paint would suggest Late War production (1943-45) and it is clearly stamped with the code "beh," which denotes production by Ernst Leitz GmbH. The tan paint also has tiny spots of a dark red shade found all over, almost appearing to be overspray. I have read the "Blue Triangle" symbol indicates the piece of equipment was suitable for use in cold weather and had special lubricants for this purpose, does the "Blue Plus" have a similar meaning? Both lenses are reasonably clear and the top eyepiece does have a reticle present. The lower lens has three color filters that can be selected by rotating the black knob, with settings for "Tag," "Nacht" and "Nebel." All other hardware appears to be mostly functional, though the attachment bolt at the base has been bent.

The thing I find most interesting about this piece is the condition I found it in, as you see here in the photographs. There is a strong layer of "grime" present and small clumps of sandy, tan soil on the inside of the main optic cover. As the overall condition of the piece is generally good, it does not appear to have been stored outside and I can't honestly think of many practical purposes it could be used for if brought home as a souvenir. I elected not to clean this piece beyond a gentle dusting as it strongly appears to be in "battlefield pickup" condition, as the patina rich and consistent with handling.

In the time that I have owned this Kollimator I have made numerous attempts to learn more about it's use in the field, all of which came up fruitless. I would greatly appreciate any insight that members here could offer and I very much look forward to learning more about this piece!

[BlackCat1982]

Very nice find. I found this online, a description for one sold online:

The Richtkreis K 12M (RKr. K 12M) aiming scope was developed for MG, Artillery, and Rocket units, and was used for measuring horizontal and vertical angles. It was an important instrument for initially sighting heavy guns prior to firing.
These were used in conjunction with the Rundblickfernrohr 36 (Rbl.F) telescope models and higher which featured a long line of letters and numbers on a horizontal line on the reticle that went from left to right and were just above the "V" on the reticle that is identical to what you seen in the MGZ40 and 34s. The RblF 36 and above were manipulated by the artillery gunner to point directly into the opening of the K12 from a distance. The K12 would be aimed at a distant target (like a church steeple) to get an estimated height angle combined with the properly surveyed angle to the strike area. Once the proper height and angle called in by the observers were calibrated in the K12, the distant gunner would rotate the head of the RblF and point it into the direction of the external objective of the K12 so that in his view, he could see his horizontal line of data superimposed perfectly and magnified properly in the "projected" beam of data coming from the K12. Once the gun was elevated properly so that the RblF was collimated against the K12's showing the magnified letters in his scope coming from the K12, he knew his angle of his gun was properly aligned for height and angle.
These K12s were used (along with the RblFs) to align V2 rockets for launch angles. The RblF was pointed at the K12 as above from the V2's tail assembly and the rocket was adjusted in this way just before launching.

[komet45]

Thanks BlackCat1982, appreciate your reply and your leg-work! I came across what might be the same listing recently and was convinced the "case was closed" but upon closer investigation I noticed the optic described in the listing is subtly different. One difference I noted was the need for a power supply, as the seller noted it was missing a cable to power the internal light grid. The base of the optic appears to be where the power supply is connected and is slightly different from the base on mine. There is also a different apparatus on the right, front-facing side with a separate eyepiece and what appears to be a water level. The other major difference I could spot is the nomenclature on the lens hood, reading "R.K. 12m" and with a "E. LEITZ WETZLAR" commercial style stamp. The lens hood on my example reads only "K. 12m" and uses Leitz's Wartime code "beh." It does appear that the "R.K. 12m" is slightly different than the "K. 12m," though maybe they had similar roles. I have found specific mention of the "Richtkreiskollimatoren 12 m" in an A4/ V2 "primer" instructional pamphlet from 1944, it can be viewed at this link, check out pages 16-20:

https://stephentaylorhistorian.files...-v2-rocket.pdf

Perhaps the "K. 12m" was a Late War, simplified production version of the "R.K. 12m?"

[BlackCat1982]

Thanks BlackCat1982, appreciate your reply and your leg-work! I came across what might be the same listing recently and was convinced the "case was closed" but upon closer investigation I noticed the optic described in the listing is subtly different. One difference I noted was the need for a power supply, as the seller noted it was missing a cable to power the internal light grid. The base of the optic appears to be where the power supply is connected and is slightly different from the base on mine. There is also a different apparatus on the right, front-facing side with a separate eyepiece and what appears to be a water level. The other major difference I could spot is the nomenclature on the lens hood, reading "R.K. 12m" and with a "E. LEITZ WETZLAR" commercial style stamp. The lens hood on my example reads only "K. 12m" and uses Leitz's Wartime code "beh." It does appear that the "R.K. 12m" is slightly different than the "K. 12m," though maybe they had similar roles. I have found specific mention of the "Richtkreiskollimatoren 12 m" in an A4/ V2 "primer" instructional pamphlet from 1944, it can be viewed at this link, check out pages 16-20:

https://stephentaylorhistorian.files...-v2-rocket.pdf

Perhaps the "K. 12m" was a Late War, simplified production version of the "R.K. 12m?"

Don't honestly know what the differences might imply, both do the same job just on different equipment. There may be someone else among the forum who can advise or perhaps even has another example with documentation to add. A pity you have no other information as to where it came from, but sadly this is often the case.