COMPASSIPEDIA
The Online
Compass Museum
The Online
Compass Museum
(Click on picture for enlarged view)  |
 This compass bears the logo consisting of three intermingled triangles representing the three "A"s of the company's name "AskAniA" (right). In the lid is the plant's name BODENSEEWERK (Lake Constance facilities) engraved. Belgium's compass : 
(Click on picture for detailed view) |
The company's
name with three upper case "A"s (AskAniA) on a Dutch Army compass.
Placed above an elongated oval, it looks like a crown.
(Click on picture for enlarged view) Picture Ted Brink / LINKS, Military compasses Technical Data - Dimensions (folded): 70 x 70 x 18 mm - Weight: 140 gr - Ruler: 100 mm - Divisions (Germany): 6400 mils - East-West stripe like on the Bézard compasses. On Warsaw Pact compasses (see FPM), this stripe is always oriented along the North-South axis. |
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 The value of the magnetic deviation at this time (9 degrees West) was taken into account by glueing the paper pointer onto the magnetised metal plate askew by this angle. The paper pointers and the pointer frame under the crystal were covered with a luminescent paint |
Technical
Data - Diameter: 46 mm - Weight: 35 g Materials: - case: wood - lid: aluminium - bezel: nickel (?) |
| Advertisement (1915) found in the VONIN papers (Click on picture for enlarged view)  |
The box' lid with the flags of the allied countries
(before the U.S. declared the war to Germany): France, Great-Britain,
Belgium, Holland, Luxemburg and Russia |
User's Instructions (copies can be ordered)  (click to view page 2) |
(...) |
Three sights |
Level function (Click on drawings for enlarged views) |
This
compass was based on the Modèle 1922 with
transparent capsule but it featured in addition a downward
hinged
mirror that automatically came to rest at an angle
of 45° like the one made by the Swiss RECTA system.
This patent was completed (no. 62.195 issued on
Decembre 29, 1954) by a system that allowed the measurement of
slope angles (level). This project was apparently not successful. About
at the same time, the French Army commissioned the German compass Bézard. Its special
version called BUK (Bézard- Universalkompass)
had already been offering these functionalities since the
1930's. This decision may have been one of the reasons for the decline
of the French compass industry. It is possible that the German industry
offered this product at very low price after WWII. |
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Technical
Data - Dimensions (w/o pouch): 74 x 50 x 18 mm - Weight: 65 gr - Material: . Case: Acrylic . Pouch and lanyard: leather - Sighting: trough a square-shaped opening and a metallic mirror inside the lid - Highly luminescent film inside the pouch below the compass. NOTE: Handling the acrylic compass body outside the pouch is risky when wearing woollen clothes because it gets very quickly a strong static charge and the needle sticks thus on the capsule ground, placing the instrument out of function for a long time... |
 Model Mk 1 |
  Model DICI featuring the Arabic letter "Jayish" within a triangle, the symbol used by the Iraqi military during the 1970's |
|
 Model M-73 |
 Model M-88 |
Technical data ... Users instructions: free download from the website www.trademarklondon.com Compare with the G-150 compass made by STANLEY |
| The (original)
Bézard compasses were built by the German company LUFFT.
They are described in a specific chapter (see THE
BÉZARD COMPASS) Right: a typical Bézard compass with its leather pouch |
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PROFILE
- German compass manufacturer (for more information click HERE)
  Military marching compass Brass model |
User's manual (1940, unchanged reprint of the 1928)  This was the typical marching compass of the Wehrmacht soldiers until 1945. There were several models: most probably, they were first entirely made of brass (case and lid) and the folding ruler measured only 50 mm. Because of lack of material during WW II the products were changed to aluminium. On the other side, the ruler became longer: 60 mm. All compasses featured 6400 mils divisions, counterclockwise. Numerous other details differ (see technical data). |
Lid shapes Technical Data - Diameter: 54 mm - Depth: 17 mm - Weight: 130 g - Case: brass - Lid: brass (narrow nose), hinge with 3 rivets - Ring: nickel - Folding ruler: 50 mm |
 Military marching compass Aluminium model |
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Technical Data - Diameter: 54 mm - Depth: 17 mm - Weight: 60 g - Case: nickel - Lid: aluminium (broad nose), hinge with 4 rivets - Ring: brass - Folding ruler: 60 mm |
 This model features the same case and lid shapes as the BUSCH "Jungendienst-Kompass" which was also manufactured by several other companies. |
 Stamp of the official material control on obverse: letters M P for Material-Prüfungsamt the letters S and OW (meaning bakelite and the supplier's code). For more information click HERE. |
Technical Data - Divisions : counter clockwise - Dimensions: 75 x 55 x 20 mm - Weight: 110 g - Case: bakelite - Lid: brass (?), black rough paint The company name appears in the left corner near the mirror hinge (BREITHAUPT or clk) |
 The lid with a big upper case A appears from 1944 on. The notice to infantry-men (Heeresmitteilung, June 5, 1944) indicates how to use the new A-marked compass with clockwise divisions |
User's manual (January 10, 1945) |
Technical Data - Divisions : clockwise Comment: on this model, the needle axis is concealed behind a black patch with a white (previously luminous?) bar. This design is also to be found on the F58 and F52 compasses later manufactured by East-German Freiberger Präzisionsmechanik (FPM). Modern versions in Polish and Russian language also exist. |
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 Comment: this compass (called COKIL) was and still is being manufactured in China. Different versions were isssued to the Vietcong troops during the US vs. Vietnam war and to the People's Republic of China's Army (see CHINA, models 5-1 and 6-2). |
 Technical Data - Serial-No. (hidden): 65142 - Diameter: 60 mm - Depth: 20 mm - Weight: 150 g - Case: Aluminium - Ruler (open): 10 cm - Clinometer in degrees - Map reader: 4 scales - Paint: Wehrmacht verdigris |
 On the dial is the registered trade mark abbreviation for the IIIrd Reich (DRGM) but the cardinal point for EAST is indicated with two letters: OE, the O being for the German OST and the E for EAST which would have been unthinkable before 1945. |
On the exterior
faces is a scale for slopes which is also to be seen on the French
PEIGNÉ Geological and Artillery compasses (s. this category). (Pictures by courtesy of Peter Spielberg). |
Marching compass
(late 40's) This type had a transparent capsule and a bubble level. Technical Data (same as above) It has at both ends of the 10 cm ruler a red and a black sighting device for elevation angle measures. The magnetic needle locking system was a dedicated lever near the compass rose. |
 Model CONAT Fluid damped compass of the German Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Germany (Bundeswehr) since the early 1970's. The patent (no. 1730856 - 1956) described a mirror with automatic locking at 45 degrees. Patent, Abb. 1-4  |
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Markings in the lid: The Company's logo, the NATO Stock Number and BUNDESWEHR  Technical Data (see this company's website) - Paint: NATO green |
 (Click for enlarged view) |
Standard
M-1950 lensatic compass
of the U.S. Army. Almost identical with the instruments made
by Cammenga, Stocker & Yale (SandY) etc. These compasses contain (self luminscent Tritium paint (H3) and are weakly radioactive. (For more pictures of M-1950 go to CAMMENGA ??? |
Technical
Data - Dimensions: 75 x 57 x 23 mm - Weight: 140 g - Date: 12/62 |
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 Click on the pictures for an enlarged view. |
Technical Data - Dimensions: 92 x 65 x 18 mm - Weight: 130 g - Double distance scale: 1:50.000 / 1:100.000 |
 NIEDERMANN's Patent: Fig. 1 on page 3 |
PROFILE
- Former French manufacturer of instruments for hikers
(altimeters, podometers, etc.). His shop was located 89, rue
d'Hauteville - 75010 Paris. The company was created in 1958 and closed
on June 4, 1998.  (Click on picture for enlarged view)  |
Advertisement
for BURNAT instruments in the Club Alpin Français magazine  Measuring a vertical angle (Click on picture for detail view of clinometer dial) |
Technical
Data - Dimensions: 85 x 68 x 20 mm - Weight: 90 g - Double face mirror for compass and clinometer reading - Ruler: 50 mm on hinge - Clinometer in grade and percent. To measure a vertical angle, one uses the gun-type sights on the lid consisting of white paint and a 2 mm pinl) - Liquid damped compass card with two luminous points at North. The capsule could be refilled via a special opening (screw on left side). - Three luminous points were painted on the capsule: one in the sighting axis, two at 60 deg. on each side.  (Photos - private coll.) |
PROFILE - Former German company located in Rathenow (north-west of
Berlin).  Compass for the paramilitary youth organisation Jungendienst (see MISCELLANEOUS/Terminology) Model X (without mirror) (see catalogue below and MISCELLANEOUS/Terminology)  |
 Jungendienst compass model XI (with mirror) This case's besic design was used for many compasses made by PASTO, WILKIE and FPM after WWII.  The compass pouch was made of brown fabric (like the famous shirts). |
 Technical data - Dimensions: 70 x 55 x 18 mm - Weight: 67 g - Case: bakelite - Pouch: fabric  BUSCH was deeply involved in equipping the youth organisation JUNGENDIENST, that replaced the boy scouts (Pfadfinder) organisation and provided a paramilitary training although politically differing from the Hitler-Jugend. In this organisation's manual ("DEUTSCHER JUNGENDIENST", 1933) it is said that the Jungendienst ompass was especially developed for the organisation. (Compare with the official Boy and Girl Scouts compasses made by Taylor and U.S. Gauge) |
 BUSCH catalogue and user's guide, c. 1935  (Click to vew page 2) |
This case design was also common:
the BREITHAUPT with map reader and clinometer used it and many China
made products also. The first FPM compass used by the East-German
police had the same form. Marschkompass II (marching compass) (Click on the picture for an enlarged view of logo and leather pouch) |
The same case but with a fluid capsule Technical data - Dimensions: 65 x 57 x 16 mm - Weight: 70 g - Case: bakelite - Lubberline : East-West - Pouch: leather |
 Marschkompass I (military marching compass) This is BUSCH's military compass. Two different versions existed: a dry one (center picture) and one with a fluid capsule (at right) . |
 Technical data - Dimensions: 68 x 55 x 18 mm - Weight: 130 g - Case: brass - Ring: nickel - Folding ruler: 50 mm (Click on the picture: compass open) |
 Technical data - Dimensions: 68 x 55 x 18 mm - Weight: 75 g - Case: aluminium with fluid capsule - Folding ruler: 60 mm - Lubberline : North-South (Click on the picture: compass open and parts) |
 (Detailed
view: click on the picture at right)
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Busch-Göttingen
developed for the Bundeswehr (Bw) a marching compass made of plexiglas
with a transparent capsule and height symbols (building, truck, man
standing) for distance assessment on its casing right side. In addition
it had an adjustable declination mark, rubber feet for better stability
on the map and a slot in the mirror for easier sighting at high
elevation angles. It was probably produced is small quantities at the moment of the Bw creation (1956). Its NATO Stock No. was 6605-12-120-1507. COMMENT: most probably this instrument would have been very sensitive to static charge like the BARIGO (see above). |