Beobachtungsfernrohr 12x60 RLN (Carl Zeiss), Flak Afrika, circa 1944

Binoculars 12x60 “RLN” , encrypted name of the manufacturer Carl Zeiss Jena, used starting from November 1944 (at the disposal of the Oberkommando der Wehrmacht), with 60° inclined eyepieces and installed on stereoscopic R40 rangefinders (equipped with 3 identical binoculars).

This is the number "2" and is therefore identified as the second of the series of 3. Used for the first aerial sighting, they were also mounted on other models of rangefinders and pointing devices and are found with variations in color (grey-blue or dak).

All 12x60 binoculars inclined at 60° had optics treated for anti-reflection (this system was developed and patented on 1 November 1935 by Aleksander Smakula, member of the Zeiss staff in Jena since 1934). These binoculars have some unusual and interesting features: the interpupillary distance is adjusted by moving a lever under the left eyepiece assembly (same as the 25x100 Zeiss) which eccentrically rotates the assembly itself. Prisms have a system of two light-reflecting surfaces to have a brighter image.

You can select two filters (one light gray and one dark) by turning a small knob with "farbgläser" written on it.

There is a rubber mask (which can be raised, lowered and folded) to facilitate and improve vision while also being more comfortable and more stabilized, having the forehead supported. A large knob on the front/top operates and tightens a clamp on the bottom for attachment to the rangefinder.

The sun filter can be disengaged by rotating the lever located on the upper front part. The Bakelite eyepiece cover is attached to the binoculars via a rope strap with button.

The lenses and the blue anti-reflective treatment are spectacular. The view is amazing, clear, collimated and very bright.

Carl Zeiss takes its name from its founder, Carl Zeiss, who on November 17, 1846 chose the small town of Jena, in Thuringia, as the location for his precision optical equipment factory. Thanks to the severe quality control that Carl Zeiss imposed on his products, going so far as to personally destroy the microscopes that did not pass the tests, the newly formed Zeiss became the official supplier of the University of Jena and received the gold medal of the industrial exhibition in 1861 of Thuringia as the best research instrument produced in Germany, awarded to the Stand I microscope of 1857.

In 1866 the thousandth microscope was produced and the name Zeiss became known throughout European scientific circles. Thanks to studies on the Porro prism, in 1893 Abbe patented double prism binoculars, which accentuated the perception of depth. The mass production of Zeiss binoculars began in 1894, already at the beginning of the twentieth century more than 30,000 were made, at the beginning of the First World War the quota had risen to 500,000 and, at the end of the Second World War, as many as 2,260,000 were produced binoculars for the civil and military market. Models were made starting from 4x11 mm to 12x40 mm, up to real giants such as the 80 mm and 100 mm. Thanks to studies conducted on the perception of light in low light situations, it was demonstrated that the average dilation of the pupil in an adult is approximately 7 mm. For this reason, the 7x50 mm model was introduced in 1910 and remained on the market until 1917 with few changes to the materials used.

In 1926, following the post-war crisis of the First World War with the Treaty of Versailles which bankrupted many important German companies, Zeiss purchased "C.P. GOERZ" and founded Zeiss Ikon in 1926. In 1937 Zeiss had commercial contacts and factories in more than 29 countries around the world. From '33 Zeiss acquired interest from the Nazi regime, which balanced production towards military instruments. It successfully produced binoculars with wide-angle optics for military use, pressure-resistant optical systems for U-boats, periscope binoculars for targeting tanks. Furthermore, Zeiss cameras were mounted on the V2s for remote sensing operations of the English coasts.

On 1 November 1935, Zeiss, in the figure of Alexander Smakula, patented a process for the treatment of optical glass with extraordinary results in terms of light transmission. Remained a military secret until 1939, it was adopted on binoculars to reduce ghost images and internal reflections.

During the Second World War, there were numerous bombings against the Zeiss factories. Jena was bombed several times by the Allies starting in 1944. Stuttgart was razed to the ground, although the Contessa-Nettel factory suffered little damage. The bombing of Dresden, in addition to devastating the city, also caused considerable damage to the Zeiss Ikon headquarters.

On April 13, 1945, American military forces entered Jena, surprising themselves that the bombing had not caused any significant damage. The main planetarium was in ruins, while the factories remained operational.