Binoculars V.B. 6x30 Voigtländer Braunschweig Labyrinth, circa 1939
Voigtländer V.B. binoculars 6x30 Mod. Labyrinth, produced by Voigtländer Braunschweig around 1939, intended for military use.
The peculiarity of this model is that in addition to the military acronym "V.B." has the brand shown in full.
2 versions were produced in the colors "Black" and "Military Green", both made of 2 pieces of die-cast aluminium. The construction and assembly technique of the 2 parts forms a watertight seal that prevents dust and water from penetrating.
It has a field of view of 150m/1000m.
It comes complete with its original case with carrying strap, binoculars shoulder strap and bezel.
This exact model is worn in a period photo which immortalizes the captain of the Bersaglieri Paride Mori, of the "Mussolini Battalion", who died on 10 February 1944, deployed with the Salò departments on the border between Friuli and Slovenia to whom it was granted the Silver Medal for Military Valor.
History of San Giorgio:
The San Giorgio – Genova company was founded in 1905 in Genova Sestri Ponente as San Giorgio, an anonymous company for the construction of land and sea automobiles. The automotive industry is in its infancy in Italy and attracts the interest of several entrepreneurs. Attilio Odero, owner of an important shipyard and majority shareholder of Terni, participated in the establishment of the new Genoese company, while Arturo Bocciardo has been its CEO since 1907.
Precisely in that year, coinciding with a crisis (of growth) in the car sector, San Giorgio abandoned this production to focus on the repair and construction of railway carriages (in the Pistoia workshop) and on various mechanical works in Genova, where the production of electrical equipment for ships began in 1911-1912. The orders from the Navy are important, guaranteeing work for the workshops.
The First World War brought about strong growth for the company, which specialized in the production of rangefinders and aiming instruments for artillery. Taking advantage of the disappearance of fierce German competitors from the Italian market, San Giorgio acquired considerable technological knowledge; its workers stand out for their high professionalism.
After the conflict it was necessary to carry out the conversion from war work to civilian production: San Giorgio carried out this successfully, then taking over, in 1923, the electromechanical workshops of Rivarolo (Genova) from the Piaggio group, which became a shareholder of San Giorgio.
In the 1920s, production was qualified and diversified: machinery for power plants, optical and measuring instruments left the company's factories. This represents a strength but also a weakness for the company, which is not able to achieve the appropriate economies of scale. The effects of the 1929 crisis also affected San Giorgio: although it did not end up under direct public control, since 1934 the company had IRI among its shareholders, alongside private Genoese entrepreneurs. In the second half of the 1930s military production resumed and with them the growth of the company: in 1937 there were 5,100 employees, in 1942 their number rose to 12,000.
War has catastrophic outcomes; in June 1944, 700 Genoese workers were deported by the Germans to Germany.