Original German WWII EM 34 Range Finder Found at Aberdeen Proving Ground Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is a World War Two German Entfernungsmesser 34 (range finder 34 or EM 34), finished in a textured grey paint. This example was reportedly found at the Aberdeen Proving Ground in the 1970s after it had been tested and forgotten. It was exposed to moisture and shows rust and staining. The optics show light but are not clear, this is probably due to the fact that one cover is closed so only one side is allowing in light. 

This type of EM 34 range finder was used by German machine gun, mortar and some artillery units during the Second World War. It could also be used for reconnaissance purposes. The range finder is fitted internally with a series of prisms, beam splitters and mirrors, which divide the viewed image into two halves. When focused into one image, the range finder provides a calculated distance or altitude to the target.

APG is the U.S. Army’s oldest active proving ground, established on 20 October 1917, six months after the U.S. entered World War I. The planning and construction were overseen by Brigadier General Colden Ruggles, who later served as the Army’s Chief of Ordnance. Its location allowed design and testing of ordnance materiel to take place near contemporary industrial and shipping centers. The proving ground was created as a successor to the Sandy Hook Proving Ground, which was too small for some of the larger weapons being tested. At the peak of World War II, APG had billeting space for 2,348 officers and 24,189 enlisted personnel.