Rbl. F. 16 Artillery Dial Sight (Germany)

The Rbl.F. 16 is a panorama sight (Rundblickfernrohr ) which consists of a short telescope bent at right angles and surmounted by a moveable head. The head is fixed on a horizontal graduated table and is capable of being turned in any direction by a knurled thumb screw. The object-glass was in the vertical tube and the light is reflected to the eye by two prisms or mirrors inclined in the moveable head and in the angle of the telescope.

An inscription on top of the upper prism reads: Carl Zeiss Jena Rundblick-Fernrohr Nr. 7817 D.R.P. Nr. 156039. The latter number appears to be common across manufacturers and is possibly a patent number.

On the side of the upper optical element is inscribed: Gesichtsfeld 10 (field of view 10 degrees) Vergr 4' (abbreviation of 'Vergrosserung' - magnification x 4).

The sight has a largely black finish, with adjustment screws in uncoated brass.

Above the goniometer the sight is painted in bright red. This appears to have been done to make the sight more visible from a distance, when used in combination with an aiming circle.

This was an artillery sight issued to the German Army during the First World War for employment with light field guns and howitzers. In firing, the panorama sight was firmly fixed into a tubular sight clamp. It could be easily adjusted to most kinds of artillery piece It served both as an ordinary telescopic sight and as a dial sight for laying at an reference point.

It allowed the gun layer to see over the top of the gun-shield without exposing himself, and gave a high line of sight, enabling the gun to be kept under cover.