The Australian War Memorial Collection. Test site
The object is set in a grey-green wooden box with a black painted metal front that has a circular hole cut in it to show the “compass” dial. The box is 150 mm square and 95 mm deep. Two metal straps are attached to the bottom of the box by two screws and run front to rear. The straps are approx 12 mm wide and 135 mm long. They project approx 20 mm from the front and rear of the box. Each strap has a hole at the ends where it could be attached to an airframe. The holes are approx 58 mm centre to centre.
On the LHS of the box, approx 45 mm from the top and approx 50 mm from the rear face, is a winding handle with a circular tube wooden grip approx 40 mm long. This attaches to a metal arm. When rotated the projections from each side of the box also rotate as does the circular “compass” dial.
On each side of the box at the bottom front corner approx 35 mm from the base and 20 mm from the front face is a metal tube (approx 18 mm diameter and approx 35 mm long) that is threaded at its outer end and where it appears a cable could be attached. A hexagonal nut (20 mm wide) is applied to the threaded ends.
The 4 mm thick metal face is attached by eight screws. One at each corner and one in the middle of each side. The hole in the centre of the metal face is approx 120 mm dia. The edge of the hole tapers inward possibly to hold a glass front to the dial.
At the top LH corner is impressed “BERLIN FRIEDENAU”in a gradual arc. Similarly, on the top RH corner is “CARL BAMBERG”. The letters are upside down when viewed from the front. At the bottom RH corner is impressed H.B.18. This reads correctly from the front.
The “compass” dial is white with black figures and lines with the exception of the North point which is red. At the centre of the dial is a plain circle with the four cardinal points marked as triangles with their base on the circle’s circumference. The triangles are marked “N”. “O”, “S’, and “W” in white. Between these are the four intermediate points marked by smaller solid colour black triangles. There are screws in the central circle, one opposite each of the intermediate points. The outer edge is marked in 5° units with the 10s marked by the unit, e.g. 10, 20. At each 30° position the degrees are marked inward so as to form a second dial. O 30, 60, 90, 120, 150, 180, 210, 240, 270, 300, 330 are so marked.
At the N position on each side of the North triangle is “19 18” under which is “Kalserl Marine”. At the base on each side of the S position is “Carl Bamberg Berlin-Friedenau”
There is evidence of a packing material between the metal face of the box and the instrument inside. It would seem that a glass face was installed.
SEE RELAWM08125.001.
The course setter was used by a pilot to set a desired course. The card of the course setter and the compass body was rotated to a desired course underneath the pointer. Every deflection of the pointer informed the pilot of the extent to which he was off course.
underneath This Carl Bamberg (1847-1892) studied at the Universities of Jena and Berlin and served an apprenticeship with Carl Zeiss at Jena before establishing his own works at Friedenau, a suburb of Berlin in 1871. After his death his wife and then his son ran the business. They produced liquid compasses and surveying instruments.The firm survived under its own name until 1921 when it merged with the Centralwekstatte Dessau to form Askania Werke.
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