The "why?"

The Lafette 34 was fielded in 1936 to fulfill the

MG34's role as a heavy machine gun (SMG). The Lafette enabled the gunner to engage targets and lay fire with accuracy at medium and long ranges. The open metal sights were sufficient at short and medium range to deliver the needed accuracy. At long ranges the naked eye would have trouble spotting the targets, and an optical sight was needed to help the gunner to engage them. The optical MG scope was not a "part" of the Lafette, but all Lafette had a scope carrier to accept one. On the Lafette the scope carrier was attached to the outer cradle, which had the advantage of being stationary during firing.

Function

The scope carrier for the Lafette only had one function, to hold the MG scope steady and aligned with the line of fire / line of sight. In order to achieve this, it was adjustable along two axis. The scope carrier would accept both the MGz and MGz40 scopes. During the initial Lafette production there was a shortage of MGz scopes.

Construction

The upper mount consists of the cradle, the recoiling frame with the weapon mounts and the recuperator assembly. The scope carrier is mounted on the left rear side of the cradle.


The attachment for the telescopic sight mount bracket (Zielfernrohrträger) E8 is welded to the outside of the rear of the left rail. On top of it two U-shaped brackets, each with 2 holes, have been welded in position to hold the scope mount assembly. The D-shaped holes are included to allow the nuts E13 to be fitted.


The three layers of the scope carrier. At the bottom the bracket E8, permanently attached to the Lafette cradle.

It is held in place at the front by the standard bolt E10 and at the rear by the eccentric bolt E11 with locking plates E12 and nuts E13.
The bridge serves two purposes; it holds the guiding block (which in turn holds the scope), and it is adjustable in height.


The front bolt will fit tightly through the holes in the bridge walls and the U-brackets on the sight mount bracket. This bolt acts as a hinge.
The rear bolt is eccentric. The hole in the bridge wall on the left side is slightly larger, as is the collar on the bolt just inside of the hexagonal head. The threaded part is concentric with the bolt head and the collar, while the length of the bolt (that will be inside the U-shaped bracket) is eccentric.

The two crossbolts each has a bushing E8a to maximize the stability and the friction when the nuts E13 are tightened. In the picture above a loose scope carrier is placed above a mounted one, to show the function of the bushing.


The last part of the height adjustment are the four locking plates E12 (Sicherungsblech zum Zielfernrohrhalter). Although the parts list identifies them as the same part, they are not. One of them has a larger hole to accept the eccentric bolt with the bigger collar. They all have a cut-off edge at their lower position, and a bent tab that has been cut in a specific position. This tab will fit into a corresponding hole drilled in the bridge. When fitted correctly, this tab will prevent the locking plate from rotating. Once the zeroing of the height has been achieved, all locking plates should have one side bent up so that it corresponds with one of the sides of the hexagonal nut heads. This will ensure that the bolts stay locked in place. The two forward locking plates protrude forward of the bridge as a sharp edge, which is why they have often been bent inwards to avoid injury. This bend serves no other purpose than that, and is not part of the zeroing of the scope carrier.


If the washers lie flat without any sign of ever having had a bent side it is a sure sign that the scope carrier has never been zeroed since it left the factory.


 The guide piece is riveted to the bridge at the front by the pivot bolt E18, with the rivet washer E19 under the bridge.

At the rear, the guide piece is secured to the bridge by the eccentric bolt E15 with locking plate E16 and nut E17. The lateral adjustment is achieved by turning the eccentric bolt E15, the head of which has two bores for the adjusting pin. A milled recess at the rear makes it easy to adjust, once the locking plate has been flattened and the nut loosened (removed for clarity in the picture above!)



The guide piece has a milled recess on the right side that holds the head of the clamping bolt E 20 and a milled recess on the left for the clamping jaw E 21. The clamping jaw is pressed against the inserted optical MG scope by tightening the wing nut E 22 with washer E 22a on the clamping bolt. At the end of the bolt the round nut E 23 has been secured by punches. This ensures that the wing nut and clamping jaw stays on the bolt an doesn't get lost in the heat of the battle.

Comparison photos of the early and late model. Note that late model is shown without the locking plates present. The steel wing nut is a wartime replacement.


The thin walls of the steel version are clearly visible from the end, but its structure is rather more complex than it appears at first glance.


The guiding piece has three pressed out areas underneath, one of which is visible from beneath the rear eccentric bolt. The other two are spot-welded to the top for stability, with the middle section forming a channel for the clamping bolt.

The wing nut came in several varieties, but the one pictured here is the most frequently encountered version. Larger than the Düralumin version, and with a recess for the round stop-nut E23.


Several examples of the stamped steel version have been found with the Düralumin wing nut. This may be due to field repairs by the Waffenmeister, who carried a box of spare parts for the Lafette, some of which may have been for the earlier version. The example above right is clearly in "as-found" condition, and features a smaller steel version of the wing nut. Note that the round nut at the end of the clamping bolt is missing. The end appears to have been slightly hammered in order to flare the end to prevent the loss of the wing nut.


From the Warschau uprising. The steel version with the large nut visible. No need for an optical sight during street fighting.

Markings & color
The scope carrier was marked with one or more WaA-stamps to show that it had passed the quality inspections at the factory. The scope carrier was a factory-installed part of the Lafette, and it was rarely marked with the maker's code, but always a WaA or more. 


1942 dated Lafette from Fouquet & Franz AG, Rottenburg Neckar (ecy).
The Zielfernrohrträger was welded to the left rail. In most of the instances, the top plate has been marked with a WaA sometime after it was welded in. I theorize that this was added afterwards as an approval once the orientation of the Zielfernrohrträger had been checked, based on the fact that it would be impossible to zero the optical scope if this bracket wasn't fitted correctly.
The

picture above shows the applied WaA199 and the painted-on load limit.


This dar Lafette from 1943 was postwar repainted green but roughly cleaned again leaving an ink stamp. If real, it would indicate that the welding of this Zielfernrohrträger was approved post paint application.


The actual guiding piece (first model in Düralumin) was always WaA-approved at the left rear square, with a single WaA. In this case WaA495, although with a sloppy strike.

Observed WaA numbers with the associated Lafette maker (not a complete list):

Green. WaA200 fsu
Green. WaA495 fsu
Toxic Green.  WaA199 ecy
Golden brown. WaA427 fsu

Golden brown. WaA79 dar
Golden brown. WaA727 btm


As an oddity; the rear of the scope carrier shown above has received an additional WaA stamp. Possibly because the one on the front was poorly struck?


This is an anomaly, and until now only observed on Hülsbeck & Fürst, Schloßfabrik (btm) made guiding blocks. This guiding block has not received a WaA approval stamp at all. Instead, it has received a three-letter manufacturer's code. The reasoning behind this is unknown. 


On the steel model the marking was placed on the lowered part of the top. Again, a single WaA was the only marking.

Another anomaly is this guide piece which has received the normal WaA approval stamp but in addition has also received the S323-triangle of Excelsior, Brandenburger Fahrrad und Motorradwerk (fsu) on the other "square". Most likely, this is another part from the Waffenmeister spare parts box, used on a Lafette with a broken or missing assembly.


The Düralumin wing nut will always have a raised letter "M" on one wing, the meaning of which has been lost in time. It could be a company trade mark, or it could be M for "Metric". On the early examples a WaA-approval has been stamped on the other wing. On a very few the bolt head (on the opposite end) has an additional WaA.


(Picture courtesy of Ed M.)
A 1945 dated Lafette made by Hülsbeck & Fürst, Schloßfabrik (btm). The only observed specimen with a maker's code applied to the bridge (inverted). Also of note are the untouched locking plates (indicating that the scope carrier has never been zeroed after it left the factory), the welding seams on the guiding piece, and the standard large wing nut with the recessed round nut staked in position.

 The

Maintenance of the scope carrier was very limited. Primarily, ensuring functionality and replacing any loose or broken parts. Along with keeping it free from dust and debris with a dry cloth. Aside from a thin film of oil on the clamping bolt threads to ensure functionality, no other lubrication was necessary

The contents of the MG gunner's tool pouch. Note 15K: 

Simple maintenance included tightening the bolts that hold the rear cover and the trigger level arm, which are all 11 mm.

toolbox, the "Kleiner Waffenmeisterwerkzeugkasten für MG und Handwaffen", together with a punch that would double as an adjusting pin.

A complete SMG (heavy machine gun) set up consists of three main components:
-machine gun
-Lafette (tripod)
-Lafette scope
All of these components can be calibrated to one another, to function as one unit. Once each component is calibrated, the manuals emphasize the need to keep the three components together. For the Ersatzheer (Reserve Army) it was ordered that the Lafette and sight should both be marked with the Machine Gun's serial number once the mating/zeroing had been done. For the Feldheer (combat army) a system of color markings using paint was described.

We must assume that the machine gun and the Lafette scope (MGz or MGz40) have their basic calibrationzeroing intact. This article will only describe how to adjust and zero the Lafette (scope carrier).


The armorer (Waffenmeister) had a special "toolkit" to enable him to perform this task. The "Visierlinienprüfer 36 für Kal. 7.9mm" for the MG34 (and MG13) and the

. The main difference between the two kits was the longer optical boresight needed for the MG42 and the MG42 adjustment plate (Richttafel). If this kit was unavailable, a description of a makeshift solution was provided.

        
The left picture above shows the Richttafel für MG34 as issued in the

"Visierlinienprüfer 36 für Kal. 7.9mm" (painted on a foldable steel plate). The picture to the right shows the Richttafel für MG42 as a makeshift solution, printed in a MG42 manual. The printed version has measurements, enabling the Waffenmeister to make their own copy. This board was placed at a distance of 50 meters if the boresight was available, and at 20 meters if the boresight had to be improvised. It was adjusted vertically with a plumb line, included in the kit above.
-"ZE" (Large T) Aiming point for the MGz.
-"L" or "Lot" (long vertical thin line). Used to check for deviations when moving the gun on the Lafette up or down.
-"S" (round circle). Aiming point for boresight.
-"V" (thick black vertical line). Visier (mechanical sights of the weapon)


The Plumb line is simply a weight on a piece of string. The example pictured above is from a German WW2 Theodolite, a land survey instrument. I have never seen the one made specifically for the Visierlinienprüfer 36 kit, but it would function and look the same.


The borescope enabled the Waffenmeister to observe where the centerline of the barrel (inserted in the MG34 barrel shroud) pointed, aiming the weapon through the bore. As a makeshift solution an empty cartridge could be drilled out with a 2 mm hole through the primer and a crosshair made of threads applied to the muzzle. (See Sight alignment and zeroing for the Panzerschreck). With today's technology a modern laser bore sight for 8 mm would make it all easier!


How to setup the components for adjustment? With the flash suppressor removed, a "straight barrel" inserted has been pulled through to remove oil, borescope installed and all unnecessary parts removed. MGz must already be "zeroed"; lateral position 6400 or 0 (micrometer scale to "0"), height "300" (red number, set the micrometer scale to "o"). Install the MGz in the Zielfernrohrhalter.


First step of the process is to level the machine gun (not the Lafette!) on both axes. A spirit level was included as part of the

Visierlinienprüfer 36, and probably the first item to be "repurposed" postwar. But good old Stanley will do the trick. It has been placed on the machined top-surface of the receiver to identify any inclination.


To adjust for inclination a simple wedge made of wood can be placed under the Lafette "foot".
The Waffenmeister was issued drawings that enabled him to manufacture a set of adjustable extensions for the legs. These made it easier to adjust the legs. The drawings were first published in "Von der Front, für die Front", and later also in the MG42 repair handbook H. Dv. 181/7.
Once any inclination has been eliminated the spirit level should be turned 90 degrees, running along the axis of the barrel, repeat the process until the gun is level.


With the help of an assistant place the adjustment plate at the correct distance from the sights (20 meters with a makeshift solution using an empty cartridge as a boresight, and 50 meters if an optical borescope is available). A piece of cord with the correct lengths is provided in the Visierlinienprüfer 36 kit. The adjustment plate must be vertical, ensured by using the plumb line, and "on target" both laterally and vertically. The Waffenmeister would aim with the boresight, whilst the assistant would move the adjustment plate until the black circle "S" was in the crosshair of the borescope.


The reticle of the MGz.

The first control step of the optical sighting line is to ensure that the Lafette is functioning as it should. Move the upper Lafette sideways until the vertical axis of the reticle is placed over the long thin line "L" (or "Lot"). By moving the gun up and down through the height adjustment wheel on the Lafette, the line on the reticle should not deviate from the one on the adjustment plate. If this is not the case, the error can be located and corrected at the cradle's pivot point.

A correctly aligned MGz should look like the picture above (color of the "T" has been changed to red for clarity).


The distance to the adjustment plate is short, so the "wandering" of the eye across the viewing lens will cause a parallax (deviation from the center). To avoid this a cardboard disc with a smaller hole is placed in front of the viewing lens, held in place by the rubber eye. The manual does not specify the size of the hole, but I assume that it is a case of "the smaller the better"!

If the optical sight doesn't align as in the above image the fault must be identified. First step is to determine if it is the MGz that is damaged by using an MGZ from another MG mount for comparison. If the same misalignment is still present, then the cause lies with the Zielfernrohrträger.

To zero the Zielfernrohrträger follow these simple steps:
For lateral adjustment, bend the locking plate situated under the rear end of the bridge free, loosen the hexagonal nut, and use a pin to turn the eccentric bolt until the error is corrected.
Tighten and secure the nut, then check again.
For elevation adjustment, bend both side locking plates free, loosen the hexagonal nuts, and turn the eccentric bolt until the elevation is correct.
Tighten and secure the nuts, then check again.

Postwar copies

The postwar production of the scope carrier is rather limited. The only known "full copy" is the one listed at MG34.com as "out of stock". It has a "squarer" feel to it than the original, and deviates in several aspects. It has no markings at all, the color is odd, the nuts and bolts do not look like the real deal, the wing nut has a different shape and there are no holes drilled in the bridge for the securing tabs on the locking plates (which are missing altogether). It's impossible to discern from the available photos, but I suspect that the adjustment bolts haven't been machined eccentric.


The scope carrier most often confused with the originals is the example manufactured for the Yugoslavian Lafette M53. It is a "reengineered" copy, identical in (almost) all aspects aside from the markings and color. The wing nut will always be manufactured in steel on these.
The color of the Yugoslavian guiding piece is anodized black. This can also fade to "white", but appears to be more stable than the German anodizing. Those who "doctor" fakes and forgeries will often sand off the black finish to try to pass them as originals.
The markings will of course never be the same. The guiding piece has no WaA, and the wing nut has no raised "M".


The Yugoslavian scope carrier has been proofed with a circle marking containing a symbol/letter over two numbers, located in the bed of the mount.


The "doctors" may also try to mark them with a WaA. Original to the left compared with a sanded and remarked Yugoslavian scope carrier to the right above. The guiding piece was anodized post marking on the original, leaving the impressed part anodized, not white!


Another poor attempt at faking. The whole scope carrier has been sanded down and then repainted, including the bridge, but not the bolts. Obviously not a factory finish, or a field-repaint! In order to make it look "used" the edges and bottom of the aluminum guide piece have been sanded. The problem is that the wear pattern is all wrong as this scope base has a "ridge" running along both sides at the bottom that the scope will push down on (between the red arrows) which does not show wear, whilst the lower area that will not be in contact with the scope has been sanded!

With this in mind, the Yugoslavians would repaint the scope carrier black or green when it faded to white, but they would also do the same to those original scope carriers still present on the Lafette 34 that they had rebuilt to accept the MG M53. The paint may cover both original scope carriers and M53 scope carriers.


It's difficult to tell what this is without inspecting the markings. The wing nut appears to be Düralumin, but the end nut is not original, so it has been tampered with anyway.

No sight extension for the Lafette is known to exist. Several sight extension bars do exist, but they are all made for the RA35 - RA39 series of sights for mortars of different types. The mortar sights all have the same dimensions on their swallow tails as the MGz sights, but none of these extension bars will allow the sight to point in the right direction.
It's worth mentioning that one of these bars actually sports a purpose-built guiding block of the same type used on the Lafette.


It was manufactured by Metallindustrie Schönebeck A.G. and marked with their early S652 code inside a triangle (later code dar).


It was clearly manufactured for a special order, and not constructed from a box of spares. The wing nut has special scallops cut out to allow the nut to turn with the RA35 mounted. The cut-outs are also anodized, and the WaA-approval stamp on the wing nut is placed at an angle to avoid the cut-out.


Let's grab the Lafette and move on! Note the second edition scope carrier with large wing nut.