[GreenKeys] ID this Model 15 ? for me ...

[NNN7DXB at aol.com]

Pete and Group:

I was not able to pull up the photo of the LO-15. For whatever
reason, it would not come up for me.....so, based on the
comments and descriptions of others, I submit the following:

FWIW, several of these machines were in use by the US Army in 
Germany in the 1960s. They were license-built German variations
of the US Model 15, except that these models had German-style
tape gear installed. The keys were white, plastic. The colors
were light green metallic on their cases, and these machines, 
unlike their Model 15 cousins, were very, very quiet when running.
Like the Model 15s, they were very reliable. We ran them at 60
wpm, 24/7 mostly on KW-7 secured circuits, half duplex. (KW-7
was crypto gear).

There were two (2) different versions of the LO-15s that we had:

a. the first was as described above, probably later models, much
improved cosmetically over the earlier models. These ran alongside
Siemens T-100s which we also used in greater numbers.

b. the second variations that we had were some former German
Army (Wehrmacht era) LO-15s. These were much more like our
Model 15s - but were installed in a desk-like wooden cabinet that
had a pull-down lid or dust cover that came down when the machine
was not in use. The US Army often discarded the wooden desk/dust
cover and simply set the machine (basically a "guts") on a table
and this is how it was used. As such, it was a noisy, clanky monster,
but it did work. It was used in the same manner as the LO-15s above.

By late 1967, most of these older machines were replaced by (U.S.) 
Kleinschmidt AN/FGC-25Xs that we got from the CommCenters
when US Army Signal operations in France were closed down. The
replacement program was part of an initiative by the US Army
Strategic Communications Command (USASTRATCOM) to standardize
the teletype gear then in use by most Army fixed station CommCenters,
and eliminate the hodge-podge of assorted, non-standard equipment
then in use. This had much to do with teletype repairman training
in MOS 31J20 and the parts supply chain then in use in the Army.

Hope this helps,

Dave
CommCenter Group