WW2 Tank Optics - Near Cold Lake
 

No relation to seller. Not sure of the authenticity of this but someone may know? Pretty pricey :eek: It's possible as I've heard rumour of two Sherman's being up on the weapons range.

https://www.infomall.ca/viewpics.php?1246780

I don't think these are tank optics and somehow they have a Germanic look about them

Here's the ad: https://www.infomall.ca/tradingpost.php?ad=1246780293

A quick bit of googlefoo shows them as WW2 German binoculars. See this link: https://www.cloudynights.com/article...inoculars-r193

I believe they are referred to as WW2 Flak binoculars, used for aircraft spotting.
They went on a stand to read off bearing and angle from site. I think they carried on making them in the USSR after the war.

Good catch folks! Too good to be true :giveup. Although I remember the Borden Museum restored some type of German AA carrier recently; would make a nice addition to that.

Speaking to the comment about Shermans on the Primrose Lake Air Weapons Range (also called Cold Lake Air Weapons Range), the answer is probably not any more. The stories are told that yes Shermans and trucks were driven and towed out into the impact areas as hard targets. Yes, the Strathconas recovered their Catherine from Cold Lake. But, that patch of sweet bugger all forest and muskeg is as hard to drive out of, as it is to drive into. There are roads that service the large numbers of target sites, and more than a few observation and telemetry installation. However, in the summer the roads are not very strong (no real need) and in winter they aren't well maintained.

Correct Terry. I personally hauled a number of 50's era 5-ton gas 6x6's up there in 1992 from Calgary to be used as targets when I was in 1 Svc Bn. When posted to 4 Wing, Cold Lake during the winter of 05/06, we had the task of dropping stripped down M113's along with clapped out MLVW's and even some retired school busses (no touchy targets) out to remote points on the range. This was to help make mock hides, mock convoys and mock town settings using ATCO trailers with vehicles placed around them. We had to be completely chained up to navigate the sketchy ice roads which were just cut lines cleared with a cat. And as you stated, I'm afraid the muskeg would make short work of swallowing up the heavy APC's. What a shame leaving them out there.

It is worth reminding readers that the fliers are not actually trying to bomb the targets. That would be too much work for the ground crews. They drop concrete-filled containers that behave like bombs on the rails and in the sky, but don't explode. The telemetry records hits and misses, with a requisite off-set and that is how they keep score. However, from time to time the Forces gets called back to clear iron bomb range scrap. My unit helped with maps for a local labour project in the Goose Bay impact area. The biggest threat there (besides lightplane-size mosquitos) were herds of curious black bears.