Why Zeiss produced wartime LTM lenses?

[S.H.]

It is perhaps a strange question, but I just don't get it. Why were some Zeiss Jena lenses, normally in Contax mount, produced in LTM mount mount during WWII. For example, Thiele's books shows that in 1943, 2000 Biogon 3.5cm were produced, among them 400 in LTM. But why ? 😕 Leitz and Zeiss were competitors, AFAIK they never cooperated before (I'm not speaking of the very small batches of 2 - 20 lenses of the 30s). 400 is too small to be a commercial cooperation, too large to be prototypes.

Is there any known / documented reason why they produced such lenses in LTM before 1945? Also, were they re-barreled by a (military) subcontractor to be used on existing military Leica, such as IIIcK? A military order could oblige competitors to work together...

(looking at dates / numbers, lots of "original" or "converted" LTM Jena lenses are post WWII : as Leica bodies were cheaper / more available, it makes sense that lenses were sold to raise cash or to follow US/soviet commands.)

 

[Rangefinderfreak]

I think the reason was Zeiss had superior lenses because of the T* coating. Army wanted "the best" . You can read a bit here:

http://www.cameraquest.com/zeiss852.htm

 

[johannielscom]

IIRC the man overseeing production of optical (and other?) equipment in the Third Reich was a business man who came from Carl Zeiss / Contax. He ordered to fit the in-demand Leicas with Zeiss lenses, so that his own company would at least make some money on the lenses.

Leicas were also used to create 'leverage' in trading with foreign nations during the war. Although there was an embargo on trade with Germany, the Nazi's did business with Sweden for iron ore and with Switzerland for banking and finance. Leicas were sometimes included with the deal because they still were in high demand abroad but were included in the embargo as well. The English Army and Navy requested people to sell their privately-owned camera's to them, and during the war started to plan for the creation of Reid camera's, who created Leica copies.

I'm doing all this from memory, anyone that can supply links to this internet-spawned information?

 

[S.H.]

To add some info, in Marc James Small's book about LTM lenses :

The "Precision and Critical Tools Committee" allocated resources and work between the entire German optical industry. It was chaired first by Dr Todt, then Dr Kotthaus and finally Dr Heinz Küppenbender. This last man, a Zeiss engineer, has a very interesting history :
http://www.zeisshistorica.org/Keup.html

Exporting optical goods : According to Small, Carl Zeiss Jena was to export 19% of its production, only 2/5 of these goods were military. So around 8% of CZJ output should have been civilian optical goods bound to be exported. One can think that Leica, Rollei, ... were also able to export goods too. Note that production of such civilian goods apparently did not stop before 1945, and resumed quickly after the fall of the IIIrd Reich.

My reference : Marc James Small, Non Leitz LEICA Thread-Mount Lenses, Wittig Books, 1997 (perhaps is there something more up to date?)

However, I still can't understand why CZJ bothered producing LTM lenses. Even the military Leica (IIIc with obvious military marking) were delivered with Leitz lenses... And a production run of a mere 400 Biogon probably did not raise much cash.