New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Hello everybody!

After a long time of work my book "Deutsche Fertigungskennzeichen bis 1945" about the secret German manufacturer codes up to 1945 is finished.
Maybe someone is interested in it.

Although this topic has been dealt with before, the extent and utility of previous treatments has not been complete in the existing literature. My new book, resulting from long term research, will serve all collectors and military historians as a primary reference for identifying the manufacturers on weapons, ammunition and every kind of military equipment (clothes, pouches, helmets, medals and so on).

The book has more than 500 pages, is sorted in two ways (after codes and after company-names), contains all military code systems (early abbreviations, number-codes, letter-codes, LDO-numbers for medals & insignias and the RZM-numbers for NSDAP- & SS-equipment). I have also added about three pages with identified codes following "ozz" (like "swj" for Steyr and so on). There are many mistakes in names and addresses in the old lists. I have check EVERY name and address, so I hope to have limited the mistakes to the minimum.

The text-part is written in German and English language.
It's very important to know the background and the development of the code systems. I have found many original documents in archives to reproduce the way of the development step by step.

There is no commercial distribution planned to dealers outside Germany, so if someone might be interested, I can only send books from me. It's not a business, just a hobby.

The price is 30,- EUR in Germany incl. shipping.
In Europe it's 35,- EUR incl. shipping.
To the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan it's 63 USD by airmail incl. shipping.

With best wishes from Germany
Michael Heidler
e-mail: ggbuch@web.de

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Thank you, Michael.



Regards,
Ed

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Dear Ed,
well, it took me seven years with research to finish that book ... and also it took a long time to find a publisher. Now I'm trying to make my book known, because the publisher is not doing any advertisement. I'm not doing it for business and there is no chance to earn money with it, but it's a hobby and good feeling to have an own book http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...t/rolleyes.gif

If someone is interested, I can also sign the books ... (for free of course) http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/fo...ault/laugh.gif

With best wishes from Germany
Michael

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Hello Michael,

Did you include in your book also manufacturers outside the IIIrd Reich? For example, what was the manuf. code for the IAR aircraft factory in Brasov (Kronstadt), Rumania (where the Messerschmit Bf 109G was built in licence)?

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Hello,
I have included ALL codes that were used for the German military weapons and equipment.
Do you mean "nfo" (Industriea Aeronautica Romana) Kronstadt (Brasov) [RO]?

There are also other codes like "kyo" of the Intreprinderile Metalurgie, Dumitru Voina, Societate Anonima Romana or "kyn" of "Astra" Fabrica Romana de Vagoane, Motoane, Armament si Munitiuni and so on and so on ...


With best wishes
Michael

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Apparently, you did a thorough job. Congratulations!

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Thanks!

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

I had purchased this book from Michael in late September and had promised him a review, but got distracted in the meantime. Perhaps it is fortunate, as Michael has well described his book and provided the sample illustrations which I would have had to FTP.

As noted by Michael, the text is written in both German and English. The German sections contain some illustrations not repeated in the English sections. The table of contents for the English sections is as follows:

The evolution and application of production codes 42

The secret armament code letters, code numbers and abbreviations (1925-1940) 46

Encoded years of production 49

The letter code system (1940-1945) 50

Other code systems (54)

Reaction of the Allies (56)

The problems of assignment and localisation 57

Some tips for the reader 59

This, however, just provides an overview of German codes. The meat of the book follows and is in German, but pretty understandable even to the non-German speaker.

Secret armament code letters, code numbers and abbreviations - listed by code - 63

Secret armament code letters, code numbers and abbreviations - listed by company - 265

Markings of the suppliers's Association of German Medal Manufacturers (LDO) 477

Indentity (Identity?) numbers of the Reichzeugmeisterei of the NSDAP (RZM) 481

List of References 504

As Michael has noted, the code listing by company is complete up to code ozz. Apparently after that, the list was not updated and he has had to scrounge for subsequent codes, which he has done on pages 258 to 263. The last code noted is zyf, for J. Kienzle Uhrenfabriken AG/Zünder, Borduhren Luftwaffe of Zentrale Schwenningen/Neckar (BW). Clearly, Michael has discovered why the Germans lost the war when they did - they were running out of available codes!!!

The listing actually starts with number codes on page 64 starting with 1A, and runs up to 999 on page 89. So, here, apparently realizing that the coding system they had picked just wasn't going to hack it, they started over with aaa and, even then, as noted above, they were running out of 3 character designations by the end of the war. Michael cross references the early number codes to the redesignated letter codes where the information is available.

For those wanting to identify the manufacturer of some unearthed part, this book should prove to be invaluable.

Regards,
Richard

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Dear Richard,
many thanks for the book review and the kind words!
Good to hear that it is useful for you.

Many thanks again and all the best from the home-country of codes :-)

Michael

Re: New book about German manufacturer codes of WW2 !!
 

Does this book included any code of the factories from former Yugoslavia?

Kind regards

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