Quote:
Originally Posted by TRDG
I saw this one on that other site, so please forgive, but this was a pretty good pic here!!! Do any of you guys have any other pics from the sight optics of any nation?  If so, please post here if ya want. 
Cheers, by the way, my 1000th post, so I hope you guys like it!!
TRDG
Tom
So, this is supposed to be the optic gunsight for a Ferdinand or an Elephant somewhere in Russia. The burning tank is supposed to be a T-34, but others have debated this as to if this is actually true or not, what do you guys think?
Some even say it is a German tank, but it was "touched up" later, any ideas? The caption has the range at 2000 meters for this kill, sounds reasonable for the vehicle here I think. |
Not sure, as I can't see your photo here, as yet, but from your description it sounds like the pair of shots taken through the SflZF1a and featured in Karlheinz Munch's "The Combat History of German Heavy Anti-Tank Unit 653 in World War II". I discussed these photographs with a colleague on the Red Orchestra forums and they appear to be authentic. Could you please repost this image so I can read the caption as well? I've never heard of anyone challenging whether these photos were "touched up", but I suppose there's always controversy being stirred up whenever we discuss photographic evidence. There was a similar version of the photo that appeared on Ebay that seemed to have been doctored, but that was in regards to the aiming marks on the gunsight itself. Can you point me as to the discussion of this photo being retouched, I'd be interested in reading it. As far as the "2000 meters" in the caption, I would tend to believe that the photo was more likely taken as the photographer's Elefant or Stug drew closer to the burning tank before then snapping the shutter. The SflZF1a sight had a magnification of 5, then according to the picture's caption, it would make the photographer's vehicle approximately 10000 m from the T-34 when the photo was snapped. Which book did your photo come from? I don't remember Heinz's book mentioning of any distance IRT this photo. But without seeing the picture you had posted, I don't want to jump the conclusion.
The other photo from Karl's book shows another similar shot, yet from a different variant of the SflZF, this time of a burning KV.
But yes, if this is the photo I think you're describing, it IS a Sfl.Z.F.1a that went to a number of German AFVs, including the Elefant, Stug series, and Hetzer.
You have to pardon us optical equipment geeks, we get very excitable over things like this.
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