Description
Own a strong piece of post-World War II U.S. Army fire-control history with this Technical Manual TM 9-575 for Auxiliary Sighting and Fire Control Equipment. Dated October 1948, this Department of the Army manual belongs to the early Cold War period, when the U.S. military was updating wartime equipment references for continued service use. Museum and catalog records identify this title as Auxiliary Sighting and Fire Control Equipment, October 1948, published as a Department of the Army Technical Manual.
This is a great reference for collectors who like the technical side of ordnance. It covers the tools and instruments behind aiming, observation, angle measurement, and battlefield fire control. These were the items that helped crews lay weapons, observe targets, measure direction, and support accurate fire.
Historical Significance
The TM 9-575 manual family traces back to World War II fire-control instrument documentation. An earlier 1942 War Department TM 9-575 covered auxiliary fire-control instruments such as field glasses, eyeglasses, telescopes, time interval recorders, and watches. The manual stated that it was published for using arms and services and included technical information for the identification, use, and care of the materiel.
The October 1948 edition represents the postwar continuation of that subject. By this period, the Army was no longer simply fighting World War II. It was reorganizing, standardizing, and preparing for the early Cold War. Sighting and fire-control equipment remained essential for artillery, armored vehicles, recoilless rifles, mortars, and field observation.
A later Army compass manual confirms that portions of TM 9-575, dated 20 October 1948, covered the Compass M2, showing that this edition remained part of the technical documentation trail for important fire-control and sighting instruments.
What This Manual Covers
As a manual for Auxiliary Sighting and Fire Control Equipment, TM 9-575 is especially relevant to the support equipment used around artillery, armor, and field weapons.
This manual is especially useful for:
- auxiliary sighting equipment reference
- fire-control instrument research
- field observation and optical equipment collections
- Compass M2 documentation history
- artillery and ordnance support displays
- Cold War technical manual collections
- museum and archival reference libraries
- collectors of U.S. Army field equipment manuals
Later U.S. Army field artillery publications continued to list TM 9-575 Auxiliary Sighting and Fire Control Equipment as a reference, showing its continued value as a support manual for sighting and fire-control subjects.
Key Features
- Technical Manual TM 9-575
- Covers Auxiliary Sighting and Fire Control Equipment
- Dated October 1948
- Department of the Army technical manual
- Early Cold War / post-World War II publication
- Connected to U.S. Army optical, sighting, and fire-control instruments
- Known later reference connection to Compass M2
- Strong companion manual for artillery, armor, ordnance, and fire-control collections
- Excellent fit for museum, archive, and technical manual libraries
Why This Collectible Stands Out
This manual has strong collector appeal because it covers the equipment behind the shot. Fire-control and sighting instruments were not as dramatic as the guns themselves, but they were critical to making those weapons effective.
For collectors, this is the kind of manual that adds depth to a military library. It fits well beside artillery manuals, tank gun references, rangefinder manuals, binocular manuals, aiming circle documentation, and compass-related technical publications.
The October 1948 date also gives it a great place in history. It sits between World War II and Korea, when older wartime systems were still in use and the Army was building the technical foundation for Cold War service.
About This Manual
This listing is for Technical Manual TM 9-575 for Auxiliary Sighting and Fire Control Equipment, dated October 1948.
This listing is for the manual only unless otherwise stated. No sighting instrument, compass, binoculars, telescope, fire-control equipment, case, tools, parts, or additional accessories are included unless specifically shown or noted.
Ideal For
This manual is a strong fit for:
- U.S. Army technical manual collections
- post-World War II and early Cold War military paper collections
- artillery and fire-control reference libraries
- optical instrument and field equipment displays
- Compass M2 and auxiliary sighting equipment research
- ordnance support equipment collections
- museum and archival reference collections
Approx length 9", Approx width 6", Approx height .5", Approx weight 1lbs.
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