Feldfernsprecher 33 - Field Telephone 33

[gummipuppe]

Here are a couple of my German field telephones:











Since I still don't have any genuine German telephone cable, I use modern 2-conductor speaker cable to connect them together. Back in the day, the phones operated off of a real odd-ball German battery that is no longer available. It looked like a smaller version of a 6 volt lantern battery. Not sure what the voltage was, but it couldn't have been more than a few volts. My two phones each work off a 1.5 volt "D" battery a clip I bought at Radio Shack. The wires from the clips connect to the battery terminals in the battery compartments.

The phones are fully functional. To make a call, you turn the crank to ring the other phone and then listen. The other party picks up by pressing the talk button on the receiver handle and speaking. When they are done, they release the talk button so your can respond by pressing your talk button, and so on.

Here are some interesting photos from the war:





There are rubber seals on openings on one end of the phone's lid and case. This is so the lid could be closed on the receiver cord and telephone cable to help keep the rain, mud, and snow out of the inner workings when in the battlefield. The phones were typically used there with the lid closed and the receiver laying crosswise on top of the lid. I understand that the phones worked on cables of more than several miles in length.

 

[mrfarb]

Love those! I have a few, one 45 dated one that is very basic construction.

 

[mauser99]

I always wanted a set for the house.. That way I can order dinner when I'm down in my bunker..

 

[gummipuppe]

I love 'em too.

I thought about using them to establish a communications link between the bunker and the kitchen, but my wife would wage blitzkrieg on me if I strung cable along the walls between the two.

Here's an interesting period diagram naming all the parts:

 

[gummipuppe]

FYI, here's a great technical reference if you want to learn more about the Feldfernsprecher 33:

German Field Telephone Equipment Reference - Feldfernsprecher 33​

The reference is a bit dated with regard to prices. I've noticed that the availability of these telephones has decreased and the prices have increased.

Also, here's an interesting video showing the Feldfernsprecher 33 (beginning at 1:12) and various other pieces of German military telephone equipment from WWII, including a switchboard:

 

[gummipuppe]

Here's another video showing the internals:

Near the end of this video, the owner shows how to use the "Prűftaste," or test pushbutton, to test out the ringer. He sticks a pair of scissors between the two phone line terminals to short them out, holds down the white pushbutton, and cranks the magneto.

One of the phones that I have was probably made later in the war because it has no covers on the frame over the internal components. It also has a cheaper magneto with cast white metal ends. Over the last 70+ years, the white metal has become distorted and brittle. The feet broke off where the magneto is screwed into the frame and the gears between the crank shaft and magneto shaft don't mesh properly. It took quite a bit of fiddling to fix those problems. If you can, buy an early production model having a magneto with the stamped brass ends.

 

[usmckippa]

Makes me want to have a set now...

 

[gummipuppe]

Makes me want to have a set now...

Go for it, but be careful. I've seen a lot of junk out there. Look for cracks in the case and receiver and also missing screws. Before buying, test the magneto and ringer with the Prűftaste. Make sure there is a speaker and mic in the receiver. Ideally, put batteries in and connect the phones together to see if they work okay. The bad thing is, I haven't seen anywhere online where you can get spare/replacement parts for these things.

Depending on condition and markings, I wouldn't pay more than $150 to $200 each. You can get repro slings from At The Front.

Also, beware of outfits trying to sell postwar German phones as WWII. There were field telephones made by the Germans, Norwegians, etc., after the war that look similar to the FF 33.

 

[usmckippa]

Thanks for the advice. i will have to start searching.

 

[bjarne]

Feldfernsprecher 33 (einheitsfarbe) 1944 date

Cool thread
Sitting and reading this thread i remember that i own one field phone myself
It was hidding in the attic for five years ore so found it!
To my big surprice i found out it was in tan color weird that i did not notice when i got it
Anyways here are pictures

 

[gummipuppe]

Wow, bjarne! I've never seen a tan frame before. It looks really simplified for late in the war. Is the Prűftaste blanked off?

In general, I notice how the Bakelite cases vary in color from light orange/brown to dark brown/black.

 

[bjarne]

..............................

Wow, bjarne! I've never seen a tan frame before. It looks really simplified for late in the war. Is the Prűftaste blanked off?

In general, I notice how the Bakelite cases vary in color from light orange/brown to dark brown/black.

It looks like its broken off
I think the phone cord is period done,only germans repair like that its well done

 

[gummipuppe]

bjarne, does your phone have a maker's mark inside the lid? Mine were made by F. Merk Telefonebau A.G. and Mix & Genest.

 

[bjarne]

....................................

Cant find others makers mark other than this

 

[gummipuppe]

Free Book: German Field Line Communication Equipment of WW2

I was browsing the internet and came upon this really cool free book that you can download in PDF format:

German Field Line Communication Equipment of WW2

It is fully illustrated and contains everything you ever wanted to know about WW2 German field telephone equipment and operations. It even includes FF 33 variants and manufacturer information as well. Check it out!

 

[bjarne]

..............................

I was browsing the internet and came upon this really cool free book that you can download in PDF format:

German Field Line Communication Equipment of WW2

It is fully illustrated and contains everything you ever wanted to know about WW2 German field telephone equipment and operations. It even includes FF 33 variants and manufacturer information as well. Check it out!

Thanks for the link..everything need to know

 

[gummipuppe]

Thanks for the link..everything need to know

My pleasure. The book even showed the FF 33 with the tan colored frame! Lot's of interesting info on laying the cables too. Next step will be to get a cable layer and spool. Then a switchboard.

 

[gummipuppe]

More interesting photos:

 

[mrfarb]

1945 Field Phone

Finally had some time to do a few photos of my 1945 dated field phone. If you compare this phone to even the tan 1944 phone you can see even more simplification. First, this phone is very basic - missing the Prüftaste button feature. It has the hole, but upon inspection this phone was made without the Prüftaste button ever installed. It also lacks the aluminum spring in the lid that keeps the phone from moving around when closed. I did a photo of the Waffenamt inspection inside the lid to show this is not a postwar assembly. Inside, the guts are very basic and sparse as well. I did some comparison shots with a wartime (42/43) phone for comparison. The handset is dated 44 on this one, I'm pretty sure the cord is a replacement. Notice the crank handle is cast metal with a basic wooden knob.

I've never tested it to see if it works, frankly I'm scared to do it.

 

[gummipuppe]

... Inside, the guts are very basic and sparse as well. I did some comparison shots with a wartime (42/43) phone for comparison. The handset is dated 44 on this one, I'm pretty sure the cord is a replacement. Notice the crank handle is cast metal with a basic wooden knob.

I've never tested it to see if it works, frankly I'm scared to do it.

I notice how the '45 phone has the white metal ends on the magneto like one of mine. Luckily the mounting feet on yours didn't break off like mine did. If you do decide to test it, you may find that the gears don't mesh very well when you turn the crank. If that's the case, the crank shaft bearing hole in the white metal end has probably gotten larger. You may be able to fix that, but it's not easy. Let me know if you need help on that.

Electrically, both phones don't look too bad from what I can see. These phones are very robust in design (except for the white metal in the magneto), so there's a good chance both will work just fine. You should try putting batteries in them, hooking them together, give 'em a crank and test the receivers.

BTW, the microphones in these phones contain powdered carbon. You can typically improve sound quality by taking the microphone element out of the receiver, gently tapping it on a table top, shaking it, then putting it back in the receiver. This frees up carbon that might have compacted in the microphone over the decades.