[ARC5] German throat mics - mystery almost solved

[Hubert Miller]

I'm going thru my stuff and picking out downsizing candidates, and found a German

'throat microphone', but with a 5 pin connector, so not Panzer. The strap has only

the number L38114, so on a lark, I decided to try to look this up. Lo and behold, an

"Online Throat Microphone Museum",

http://beatboxmics.com/#!/pages/museum

Who would have thought?



[L 38114 (German)]



I learned this:

"Abfragegarnitur L38 - Luftwaffe headset with throat microphone and single receiver.

All parts have special codes starting with "L38". Throat microphone L 38114 is exactly the same

as Kmf.b tank throat microphone. Luftwaffe production control marks are all around

(BAL = Bau Aufsicht Luftfahrt). The 5-pin connector is of the type widely used by German

Wehrmacht for telephone equipment. Maybe such "L38" headsets were in use at

Luftwaffe telephone switchboards."



That seems likely. Anyway, the mystery of what this item was, is solved.  Also I had looked

at German tubes for many years and never knew what "BAL" referred to. How about that !



I have a Swedish "Ericsson" throat mic this museum doesn't know about. I wonder if it was

supplied to the German Luftwaffe during WW2 or just prior to the war. Sweden did trade

with Germany until the point they saw Germany was on its last legs and no longer presented

a threat of taking their country.

-Hue Miller


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