Japanese 70 cm Base Line Range Finder

Japanese 70 cm base line range finder. Manufactured for the Japanese by the German Carl Zeiss Company, Jena. Overall length 83cm. The instrument consists of a long tube with two circular openings cut into each end at approximately 70cm from one another. These openings are fitted with two objective lens which can be viewed by a monocular eyepiece which is positioned in the center of the tube. This range finder has a magnification of 11 x power. The relative angle is adjusted with a knob and the range is then read off a scale. Instrument includes 2 baffle tubes for the lenses, an eyepiece filter and a leather carry strap. The body of the instrument is camouflaged in dark green, dark brown and light yellow colours.

Markings: Translation of impressed Japanese characters on the tube read "RANGE FINDER CALIBRATED/ BASE LINE 0.70m. MAGNIFICATION 11x/ No. 138". Aluminium tag also located on the tube reads "CARL ZEISS/ JENA/ 56122". Other characters read "DISTANCE ADJUSTMENT and 1/2 DISTANCE ADJUSTMENT". Condition very good, but no longer adjustable.

This item was acquired by Sub Lieutenant Colin Trumble, RANVR, when his ship HMAS Cootamundra visited Halmahera Island to deliver the surrender proclamation to a number of small Japanese Garrisons. This relic was part of the equipment surrendered on the shore of one of the nearby islands.