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A Rare Kriegsmarine Signal Book, German, 1940-1944, image 1
A Rare Kriegsmarine Signal Book, German, 1940-1944, image 2
A Rare Kriegsmarine Signal Book, German, 1940-1944, image 3
Various Properties
Lot 37•

A Rare Kriegsmarine Signal Book,
German, 1940-1944,

Instruments of Science and Technology
15 September 2021, 14:00 BST
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £22,750 inc. premium

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A Rare Kriegsmarine Signal Book, German, 1940-1944,

Signalbuch der Kriegsmarine, Berlin: Oberkommando der Kriegsmarine, 1940, Third Reich Naval High Command BOUND WITH Marineliste 1944 (Kriegsliste) zum Signalbuch, Aufgestellt im Juli, 1944. Folio (315 x 240 pp); 117 pp; containing hundreds of hand-coloured signals and flags in text, numerous annotations, manuscript and paper corrections throughout. Laminated tabs in first work; some sections printed on pink paper. Some soiling to tabs of second work, commensurate with use. Original black leather over thick boards with metal studs and corners on both covers, spine title Signalbuch 1940 Nr. 2598.

Footnotes

Used widely within the German Kriegsmarine and during WWII, these Codebooks were used aboard submersible boats to communicate with surface vessels and their shore bases. Common phrases can be substituted by a series of number or letter codes which were then transmitted via Morse Code. The present codebook was used aboard an S-212 Schnellboot, a fast attack craft with torpedo-firing capabilities referred to by Western Allies as an E-boat. The accompanying Marineliste is attached to the rest of the book with string, and would have been replaced with updated codes each year from 1940 onwards. The Allies were eventually able to locate E-boats by triangulating their signals, aided by numerous captured codebooks of this kind that would have been studied and used at Bletchley Park.

Additional information

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Original Superman 'Flying Costume' from the 1978 film 'Superman: The Movie', worn by American actor Christopher Reeve (1952-2004) in the flying scenes of the motion picture. Consisting of red wool cape with sewn-on logo, blue nylon top with sewn-on logo, blue nylon pants, yellow plastic belt and red leather boots. Also included is documentation regarding ownership history, unopened copy of the film (DVD), CD-ROM with catalogue material from Christie's, New York, July 2001, where the costume was last sold, and a color photograph of Christopher Reeve in one of the film's flying scenes. Zip waistband with the costume workshop's handwritten name, 'Nathans-Bermans CR [Christopher Reeve] Fly' ('Bermans & Nathans Ltd', London). The inside of the boots are labelled in pen, 'CR R 4' and 'CR L 4' for Christopher Reeve respectively. Both boot shafts also have remnants of sewn-on fabric labels on the inside. (14 items in total).

DKK800,000 - DKK1,000,000