Role of the Artillerie messtrupp?

Rangefinding?

Maybe there will be something on this in Johan's next book!
 
Tony without Kaiser said:
I believe Chip Minx wrote a short article on these
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Now that would be handy!

Gustaf said:
I would bet there are over a hundred of your photos in it!
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[-( I will take you up on that - and add that I would be surprised that any more than just one make the final cut :-s
 
Wish I could get my hands on the rifle sling of his; looks authentic!

Is that a wrist watch on his left arm? Were these common back then?
 
drakegoodman said:
Gustaf said:
I would bet there are over a hundred of your photos in it!
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[-( I will take you up on that - and add that I would be surprised that any more than just one make the final cut :-s
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This is like shooting monkeys in a barrel, you decide how much you want to bet, then send me the money. I counted 12 photos in the gas section alone.
Best
gus

PS I think you really underestimate the quality of your photo collection!
 
RON said:
Wish I could get my hands on the rifle sling of his; looks authentic!

Is that a wrist watch on his left arm? Were these common back then?
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Hey Ron,
You see that type of wrist band in many photos, especially among technical troops, which leads me to think that Mess has nothing to do with mess, but measure. This wrist band converted a pocket watch to a wrist watch.
Best
Gus
 
Gustaf said:
This is like shooting monkeys in a barrel, you decide how much you want to bet, then send me the money. I counted 12 photos in the gas section alone. Best gus

PS I think you really underestimate the quality of your photo collection!
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:o This is genuinely news to me. I was of the opinion that just one had made the cut, my studio portrait of a Garde-Kürassier, and I only learned that after Marshall enquired if there was anything on the reverse of that card to establish if he was GK and not a regular Kürassier outfit (given he was writing the blurb for it).

Thanks for the heads up mate :D

- Brett

P.S. Thanks for your kind words, but I have seen snippets from other (private) collections and I know exactly where I stand in the pecking order and it's waaaaay down south :oops: . Side by side with the first tier pictures I have been privileged to see, most of my pics fade into the background. I cannot wait to see this book :D
 
Yes, they were bulky, but having it on your wrist made it easy to check the time, I think this may have been a driving force in making wrist watches popular. I can remember when the expensive watches were the smallest ones, now some people pay big money for the heaviest and ugliest chunks of metal, and then the probably check their iphone for the time.
Best
Gsu
 
For anyone else interested, I found the answer. These fellows were used in artillery and artillery support units to detect enemy batteries by sound or light.
 
So my assumption of rangefinding was not too far off:)
Are you going to send this to Johan?
Best
gus
 
Sorry Brett, I got lazy was hoping Chip would post an article he wrote on these troops.

Die Artillerie-Meßformationen (AM) were Fußartillerie Foot Artillery "measuring formations" for "flash and bang" counter-battery fire.

They later branches out into seperate skillsets:

LM - Lichtmeßtruppe (Light measuring) for flash counterbattery fire
SM - Schallmeßung (Sound measuring) for "bang" counterbattery fire
PK - Park-Kompanien- ( Fußartillerie depot company) storage and retrofit for cannons
MF - Mastfernrohrtrupps- (Fußartillerie mast telescope troops) A tall mast that an observer climbed up on for artillerie spotting. Good write up HERE.

Last in the photo, a very rare Bavarian Lichtmeßtruppe

Messtruppen.jpg
 
drakegoodman said:
Gustaf said:
So my assumption of rangefinding was not too far off:)
Are you going to send this to Johan?
Best
gus
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Sure - if you think he might be interested :-k
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You never know, but with the information, it makes the possibility of another chapter:)
 
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