Author Topic: Kriegsmarine Inspection Offices  (Read 4650 times)

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Warbird

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Kriegsmarine Inspection Offices
« on: July 09, 2019, 12:15:39 PM »
During World War II, the German Wartime Navy or Kriegsmarine typically stamped an Eagle/M Property Mark on most items that were used in the naval service. In addition, Acceptance Marks were applied to military equipment by inspection offices, known as Marine Abnahme Kommando, located at various manufacturing facilities (similar to those of the Heereswaffenamt).

As background, the Marinewaffenamt (MWa) or Naval Weapons Office had oversight responsibility for purchased military equipment. It consisted of five Departments:
 MWa I – (Berlin) Cannons over 37mm or 1½”
 MWa II – (Magdeburg and Kiel) Ship’s Artillery
 MWa III – (Düsseldorf) Pistols, Flare Pistols, Spare Parts, Ammunition
 MWa IV – (Nuremberg) Optics
 MWa V – (Vienna and Brünn) Precision Engineering, Navigational Instruments

From those Departments, our research has identified the following inspection offices through their Acceptance Marks:
 Eagle/M III/2 – Gerbrüder Thiel Artillary Illumination Shell Timer Fuse
 Eagle/M III/3 – Walther Flare Pistols
 Eagle/M III/8 – Mauser HSc Pistols (December, 1940 to November, 1944)
 Eagle/M IV/1 – Zeiss Binoculars, Telescopes
 Eagle/M IV/5 – Unknown Manufacturer of Wood Box from U-Boat (for Optics Storage?)
 Eagle/M IV/8 – Nederlandse Instrumenten Compagnie (Nedinsco/Zeiss) Rangefinder
 Eagle/M V/2 – Unknown Manufacturer of Pivoting Handle (for Instrument Adjustment?)

From the data, it is obvious that many of the inspection offices have not been identified but the basic structure of the Marinewaffenamt is evident.  A typical HSc Property Mark engraved on the frontstrap of the grip and an Acceptance Mark stamped on the left side of an HSc trigger guard web are shown below.
« Last Edit: July 10, 2019, 03:55:25 PM by Warbird »

jcorl

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Re: Kriegsmarine Inspection Offices
« Reply #1 on: July 11, 2019, 03:45:11 PM »
What an interesting piece of information.  And I passed on a Zeiss optic device at my last gunshow with a stamp that I questioned.  Thank you for the good information.


Jim
« Last Edit: July 11, 2019, 06:10:46 PM by jcorl »
Jim