MEOPTA OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS PLANT IN BRATISLAVA

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 12
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 6, 2010
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: February 11, 1957
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
(t% C="r
11~~gji 1111111
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
This material contains information affecting the National Defense of the United States within the meaning of the Sepionage Laws, Title
18, U.S.C. Secs. 793 and 794, the transmission or revelation of which in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.
Meopta 0ptip$l Instruments Plant in DATE DISTR.
Bratislava
11 February 1957
REQUIREMENT
DATE OF
INFO.
PLACE &
DATE ACQ.
r, W-,*, r~eollllnv
(report on the Meopta optical instruments plant
in Bratislava, which is described as producing mainly optical devices for the
armed forces. The report includes a description and sketch of the plant layout,
a description of management, production, and raw materials used, and a description
of the products. A sketch with legend shows an electric control device called a
K device which is used for firing machine guns from aircraft.
STATE X ARMY X NAVY X IAIR
X FBI I AEC
LI
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
E ET
"MEOPTA" WORKS AT BRATISLAVA, CZECHOSLAVAKIA
Location
The "Meopta" mechanical engineering plant in Bratislava is located
north of Marsala Malinvskeho Ulica and Palarkova Ulica, between Karpatska
Ulica and Jelenia Ulica.
Plant Buildings
1. Building 2-6 -- A one-story masonry structure, (OX)o meters in
size, which houses the following things: gatekeeper's quarters, women's
wash room, menu wash room, storeroom for precious metals, metal plates,
steel, etc., and inspection department for finished products where Zeiss
brand equipment is inspected.
2. Masonry building which constitutes a single block together with
buildings 7-12. The entire block is one story high, except for building
7, which is three stories high and is 70X)0 meters in size. At the center
of this block of buildings there is a courtyard (9) which is accessible by
an underpass (11).
3. Building 7 -- This building- houses the optical instruments produc-
tion department. The assembly room for all finished products is located
on the ground floor. The department employs 25 persons working in two
daily shifts. Its machinery consists of the following items:
Two mechanical milling cutters for presicion gears.
Six mechanical lathes (one Volman and five Boley).
One old table-type boring machine.
One hand-operated assembly press.
Vices
Assembly work benches.
4. Building 10 -- Precision parts for assembly are produced in this
building, where about 30 persons work in two daily shifts. It has not been
ALfi. i
A
H
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
ascertained whether this department has any machinery besides drawing
tables. In this building, are made the necessary designs and sketches,
which subsequently are sent to the materials departments in buildings 17
and 18.
5.
Building 14 -- Kitchen and canteen.
E.
Building 15 -- Dwellings for 10 families of plant employees.
7.
Building 16 -- Medical office and infirmary
P.
Buildings 17-18 -- Materials departments.
They also house
the offices which prepare purchase orders for the materials needed for the
plant's production activities.
Ministerial Jurisdiction and Personnel
The plant is under the direction ,;urisdiction of the Ministry of
Heavy Industry in Prague, and under the direct and continuing control
of the Ministry of Defense.
Plant manager is Kovacik, Czech; security officer, Motovsky, Czech;
assembly department head, Lukac, Slovak; in char,-e of storage facilities,
Halmo, Hungarian; manufacturing department head, engineer Pekete, Hungarian;
chairman of the borad (consisting of six members), Knier, Slovak.
The plant employs 700 persons, 20 percent of whom are women, working
in three daily shifts.
Production
The "Meopta" plant is engaged for the most part in armament production.
It is inspected weekly by Czechoslovak Army officers. The plant contains
the following administrative departments:
1. Optical department.
2. Machine shops department.
3. Processing sheds department.
L. Manufacturing department.
5. Assembly department.
Thefblling items are produced:
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
L s r ~ : L1Y i
SECRET
1. K Devices
These are electric control-devices for firing machineguns from air-
craft. They are manufactured exclusively on ox'ders from the "Lenin"
plants at Pilsen and Dubnica nad Vahom. The designs for their manufacture
are brought to the plant by armed forces personnel, who deliver them
from the abovementioned "Lenin" plants. The finished items are likewise
delivered by armed forces personnel, who come to the plant to receive them,
once per month. Until May 19514, the plant produced ' such devices per
week. Since then, it has had to raise this output to 15 units per week.
At the plant these devices undergo only waterproof and resistance tests.
They are given the heat test subsequently by military personnel at special
plants.
A major portion of the component parts of these devices were copied
from similar German devices. Their mechanical parts are of recent make.
In general, the K device may be described as follows: the container
is 1a5X30 centimeters, is made of steel, and is waterproof (see attached
sketch No. 2).
Before the device can be put into operation, it is necessary to raise
it. This is done by giving it, by hand, a complete 3'O-degree turn. As
the device is raised, the control mechanism is inserted. Following this,
the stop mechanism of the upper rotating disk lifts automatically and causes
the current to pass through. The traction spring, by which the rotating
disc is caused to go into a rotating motion, guided by a double cord of
catgut, also pulls the contact gear which, by means of its 32 contacts,
emits impulses of current which are carried by a cable to the trigger
mechanism of the machine guns. All the electric wires of the device are
insulated, of different colors, and numbered. The rate of firing is
regulated by an electromagnetic mechanism in such a way that not less
than 4 and not more than l' rounds per second may be fired.
#tC II
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
Upon completion, the K devices are tested at the plant itself by
being connected to a switchboard with 32 incandescent lamps which represents
the trigger mechanism of the machine guns. The voltage of the current is
about 3.5 volts.
Production of the K device requires the following raw materials:
tombac contacts; silver steel; steel for springs; steel for screws; al-
uminum; copper; "gumoit" fabirc; ordinary steel; insulated copper wire;
insulating material.
The K device consists of the following components:
a. Control mechanism, consisting of 30 component parts.
b. Contact gear for activating the trigger mechanism; has 32 silver-
plated contacts. A 0.2-mm copper wire is attached to each of these contacts.
According to their function, these wires are covered with insulating
material of three different colors (yellow, red, and green). The gear
consists of two rings, each 0 millimeters in diameter and a millimeters
thick. These rings are made of "gumoit," a product of the "Gumon" plant,
located in Bratislava. Around these rings there is an aluminum toothed
rim. At the center of the contact gear there is a copper ring.
c. The magnet is fixed onto a steel plant by three 6-mm screws.
The magnet is 60X1j0X20 millimeters. Between its two poles there is a
bobbin at the center of which there is an open g containing a needle that
is held in place by magnetic force. The bobbin completes 1,200 revolutions
per minute. The needle is connected to the lower section of the magnet
so as to be able to cause a large number of revolutions.
2. Apparatus for the Reproduction of Microfilms
Such apparatus are produced at the rate of 30 units per month. They
are produced only in sufficient quantity to satisfy national demand.
3. Optical and Measuring Instruments for Cannon
Production of new instruments is limited. To some extent, only repair
'?nork is done on old instruments which are brought to the plant by military
personnel belonging to the Bratislava garrison. About an average of 300
of these instruments are repaired each month.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
4. Field Glasses
The plant manufactures 6X30 field glasses, almost exclusively for the
armed forces.
5. Opitcal Lenses
The plant produces about 400 such lenses per month. It has not been
possible to obtain further data on this subject.
6. Compasses
The compasses produced by the plant are almost exclusively for the
armed forces. Immediately upon completion, they are picked up by military
personnel belonging to the Bratislava garrison.
7. Photographic Apparatus
Such apparatus are produced as the need arises and only as samples.
q. Automatic Apparatus for the Production of Incandescent Lamps
Such apparatus are given the designations T-28 and NZ-24. They are
copied from automatic apparatus made by The
apparatus produced by "Meopta" are exclusively for Czechoslovak consumption
and are supplied to the firm "Tesla." They are produced at the rate of
only one unit every 2 months. This slow rate of production is to be
attributed to poor designs and errors in computation.
Procurement of Raw Materials
The followin- raw materials are used at the plant:
1. Anticorrosive [? "anticoro"] steel for the production of the
various component parts; supplied by the "Poldi" steel plant.
2. Special steel the containers of K devices; supplied by the "Poldi"
steel plant.
3. Insulating material; supplied by the "Gumon" plantof Bratislava.
4. Ball bearings; old stocks of bearings have been used
until now.
5. Bronze for bearings, silver and tombac for contacts, aluminum
and special steel for special -ears, and insulated wires; supplied by
Czechoslovak firms.
SE3, R#1
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
6. Electric power; supplied by the Tarnava power plants in Western
Slovakia.
7. Gas; supplied by the cas storage installation in Bratislava.
Protection and Security
The "Meopta" plant has only 2R 'uards, under the command of plant
militia commander Strakos, a Slovak. The guards are armed with N-9?
carabines and caliber 9 pistols. They enmat-;e every 2 weeks in target
practice at the Ivanka-Bratislava airfield.
Legend for Sketch No. 1 ("Meopta" Plant)
1. Main entrance
2. Gatekeeper's quarters
3. Women's wash room
!;. Men's wash room
5. Storeroom for materials
6. Finished products inspection department
Assembly department and assembly department for optical apparatus
R. Machine shops
9. Courtyard
10. Workshops department
11. Underpass
12. Offices
13. Production preparation department
1)4. Kitchen and mess hall
15. Employees' dwellings
i(. Medical office and infirmary
17 and V. Materials department
19. Flower harden
20. Courtyard
21 and 22. Entrances for motor vehicles
23. Hydrant
SECR Fr
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
Le-,end for Sketch No 2 (K Device)
1. Opening mechanism
2. Contact near -- It consists of two alumimum sprocket wheels
insulated from top to bottom by insulating rings made of "gumoit" fabric.
The lower sprocket wheel has 32 silver-plated contacts fixed by copper
rivets. The upper sprocket wheel carries the current and has a brass ring
which rotates fully and acts as a contact.
14.
Electromagnetic braking mechanism.
Switch mechanism
Cable connected to the container by means of metal brackets. The
cable is insulated by a special insulating mass.
6. Regulating segment for the magnetic needle.
7. Copper guide rolls.
3. Traction spring.
9. Contacts. The contacts are made of tombac; the bridge is made
of "gumoit" fabric. The bridge is fixed onto the container by means of
four M-4 screws. The ends are equipped with silver-plated, riveted contacts.
10. Magnetic needle.
11. Switch. The entire switch mechanism is fixed onto a [-mm plate
by means of two M-5 screws. The switch consists of a silver-steel axle
onto which is fixes. an eccentric made or ordinary steel. Another component
of the switch mechanism is the stop spring, made with 1-millimeter thick
steel for springs. On-the quadrangular extension of the axle there are
two eccentrics mounted outside the insulating mass, which ser-,re respectively
for a change of connection (switching). The stop spring is held in place
by two MM1-4 screws. The entire switch mechanism is installed in a small
steel box.
A. Alumimum sprocket wheel
B. Siver-plated contacts
C. "Gumoit" ring
D. Copper ring
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
?MEOPTA -BRATISLAVA
SECRET
/9
23
~'9L'gRlK~VA
U~ MAR SAL
i r
~INO~SK~No
M A
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
!B
BESKYDSKA
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
SECRET
MEOPTA" BRA 71511- A VA.
C5Z- 3, X77 /z7
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246A032500700001-3
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3
25X1
4e
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/05/06: CIA-RDP80T00246AO32500700001-3