C.Plath Kriegsmarine Sold KM2 libellen sextant
Kriegsmarine Sold KM2 bubble sextant Obtained from the US.
Product details: C.Plath Kriegsmarine Sold KM2 libellen sextant | C. Plath | Octant | Navigation |
I have two sextants that make me slightly uncomfortable due to their markings and their (potential history). Whereas the other is a standard C. Plath sextant, this is a special one as it is a marine sextant with an artificial bubble horizon. It is not a sextant but an octant and the name is formally 'level octant' in German. A very similar one was used in aircraft by the Luftwaffe (airfoce) of which I also have one in my collection, but the Kriegsmarine version seems much rarer. The navy version was probably used on fast boats and submarines (U-boats). As with the other Plath sextants, this one was also later copied by the Soviet regime for use in aircraft and submarines.
There are some differences between the Kriegsmarine KM2 which are the handle and lighting controls (the KM2 has a straight handle with separate rheostat on the front of the instrument); the KM2 is only battery operated and the bubble horizon is of a different (smaller) type. All in all the Kriegsmarine version seems redesigned (or possibly the other way around?
I have no futher information or provenance about this instrument. Also the box that belongs to it is lacking, so I guess this is another example of war booty. The original telescope is missing; shown in the pictures is the telescope of the Luftwaffe SOLD also in my collection.
More information / other collections (all Luftwaffe versions):
Sold KM2
Data sheet
- Year
- 1940-1945
- Serialnumber
- 3625
- Type of use
- Navigation
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Kriegsmarine Sold KM2 bubble sextant Obtained from the US.
Product details: C.Plath Kriegsmarine Sold KM2 libellen sextant | C. Plath | Octant | Navigation |