December 14-17, 2021 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/15/2021
The 10 x 50 Dienstglas were one of the most popular binoculars that were issued to German soldiers throughout World War II. They were also popular amongst American soldiers who commonly collected the binoculars as war trophies. This pair is no exception and in not an ordinary pair of Dienstglas binoculars, as this pair was captured by then Lieutenant Colonel Theodore Mataxis who would later retire from the Unites States Army as a Brigadier General. The pair of binoculars is special, not just because they are a war trophy, but because they are accompanied by a case which reveals their story. The case is identified to Lt. Col. Mataxis, as he wrote his name, unit information, where, and when these binoculars were captured. During World War II, Mataxis was the commander of the 2nd Battalion, 276th Infantry Regiment from 1943-1945 and fought with the unit during the infamous winter of 1944-45. He wrote on the inside flap that the binoculars were captured during Operation Nordwind from the 6th SS Nord Division during the winter of 1944. Operation Nordwind was the last major German offensive of World War II on the Western Front which began on December 31, 1944 and ended on January 25, 1945. Mataxis obviously treasured these binoculars, as he carried these throughout his military career and listed all of the countries he traveled to with these binoculars on the interior flap and the front of the case. The binoculars are marked "Dienstglas / 10x50 / 18506 / blc +" They are complete with the leather strap and leather lens cover. The cover is faintly marked "Lt. Col. Theo C. Mataxis / Jan 1945 / 6 SS Nord Division". There is a US Army Corps of Engineers compass secured to the neck strap. As mentioned, the case is wonderfully marked in ink with all of the locations Mataxis traveled throughout the war and also locations that Mataxis traveled throughout his service during the Korean War. Finally, the binoculars are accompanied by a copy of a wartime photograph of Lt. Col. Mataxis with the binoculars around his neck. CONDITION: The optics remain clear and focus properly. The binoculars exhibit typical wear from field use. The case remains pliable exhibiting various blemishes, the only flaw is the broken case strap. This is a nice pair of binoculars with an even better story that are attributed to a significant US military figure. Overall very good. JLD
Paperwork
Photograph of LTC. Mataxis with binoculars