Original Item: Only One Available. The most commonly used antiaircraft (AA) gun on Japanese naval vessels during the Second World War was the 25mm Type 96 machine cannon, which was commonly used in single, double, and triple mounts. The gun was an adaptation of a French Hotchkiss. Larger ships, such as carriers and battleships, mounted many of these guns in all three configurations.
The Type 96 Double Gun Mount was equipped with optical sights, one on each side of the mount. IMA has obtained a complete set of these optical sights, complete with accessories in the original wooden case. The case features the original brass data plate, covered with celluloid. Its characters translate as follows:
Telescopic Sight for 25 mm Automatic Gun
Housing and Basket*
No. 2839
Weight 3.20 Kilograms
Showa 19, 8th Month
Tokyo Optical Instrument Company Manufacturer
Fitted Case
This manufacturer was a branch of the famous Nippon Kogaku (Nikon) company.
On the objective end of each unit is the company logo, 3.5 X 20, indicating 3.5 power magnification and a field of view of 20. Below this line is NO. 2839, the serial number, followed by a character for either RIGHT or LEFT. Each eyepiece is adjustable for focus, and one of the eyepieces still retains its fabric and rubber eye cushion. The fitted case has three eyepiece filters; it originally had four. These look like neutral density filters to reduce light intensity, like sunglasses.