This volume in the Camera On series of MMP books is number 31 and, like the previous volumes, is written by Alan Ranger.
This book is the first in a series dedicated to Luftwaffe search lights and range finding equipment. It is a softcover edition in A4 portrait format, with 80 pages printed on glossy paper.
As the author explains in the preface, this is not a technical study but a collection of photographs related to the subject of the book. Nevertheless, each chapter begins with an introduction to the equipment, briefly describing its development, characteristics and use.
The photographs are generally clear and occupy just under half a page each, although some are full-page. All have detailed captions, sometimes several lines long, with all the known facts about their circumstances.
The main part of the book deals with the anti-aircraft searchlights used by the Luftwaffe during the Second World War.
The first searchlight in the book is the Flakscheinwerfergerät sw36 model, with a diameter of 60 centimetres. There are 15 pages of photos in different situations, in training, in transport, installed or damaged. As a curiosity, there are two photos of the infrared version installed on the Sd.Kfz. 251.
150 cm. The next section is also dedicated to searchlights, but in this case with a diameter of 150 cm. The models sw34 and 37 are again covered with 27 pages of photos in different situations.
200 cm. The last searchlight in the book is the sw43 with a diameter of two metres. There are only three pages and five photos of this one, although the accompanying text is equally interesting.
The last four chapters are shorter and devoted to optical equipment:
- Entfernungsmesser EM 34-36 1 Meter Range finder
- Binocular scissor scope
- Doppelfernrohr 10x80 Flakfernrohr
- Kinotheodolite
For each, a brief history, description and use is given, accompanied by several photos, many of them full-page.
Conclusion
An interesting photo collection focusing on a rare subject, anti-aircraft searchlights. The text is concise, but sufficient to give a general idea, and the captions are very detailed. The photos are generally of good quality, allowing details to be appreciated, and are printed in a good size. There is also a wide variety of situations, both in terms of locations and transport.
A good reference for these specialised equipment.