Negretti & Zambra G.S. telescope

[heinbe]

I have a  x 8, 1917, London  no.756. Beautiful instrument, gives an excellent image.

On the tube there is a protrusion pointing to the front lens and covered with a cap. Under this cap is a small tube with two lenses. Looking through these lenses nothing can bee seen.

What is the purpose of this protrusion?
Maybe its purpose has been to allow a second soldier to have a look, but then there should have been a prism or some mirror inside, which is not.

The telescope is quite heavy; it weighes 9 pounds; there is no place it could be mounted on a tripod.
How was it handled?

Regards

heinbe

[MikB]

These are sighting telescopes manufactured by several renowned instrument makers, and I've always assumed these angled tubes were for illumination of a graticule in nighttime use, but I don't know whether the protrusion contained a bulb, battery or both - though I thought batteries small enough to fit in there were much more modern than WW1. Perhaps it was an attachment for a separate illuminator.

[heinbe]

Thanks.

Inside the small tube there are two lenses giving an upside down image. The diameter of the smaller part of this tube is 7.8 mm, too small for a battery. Obviously the cap is meant to protect the upper lens. This small lens system is meant to look through. But to what?

Regards, Hein

[awjdthumper]

I assume this is a gun sighting telescope and my best guess is that the side port was used to illuminate the sighting graticule for when the gun was used for night firing. A battery powered light would have been screwed on to the end of the side tube.

Edited 7 July , 2023 by awjdthumper

[heinbe]

Thanks a lot for your remarks. The two bolts in the slot were broken off and I've replaced them, so the front lens of the ocular system cannot penetrate the graticule any more. I've assembled a new graticule. Many many thanks.

Regards, Hein