Manufacturing History of the Compass, Magnetic
From the 1950's into the 21st Century, the Lensatic Compass was procured in large numbers for the U.S. military ground forces, and other related uses. During that period a number of manufacturers were contracted to build the units and small variations in design were made. This chart summarizes some of the particulars of that history.
Year Manufacturer Nomenclature/Markings
1951 Lee and Stemwedel Inc. U.S. stamped, no other model id. Date 11-1951
1953 Marine Compass Co., Pembridge, MA U.S. stamped, no other model id. Date 2-1953
1960 Waltham Precision Instruments Dates 3-60 and 5-60. Radioactive warning label.
1964-1968 Union Instrument Corp., Plainfield, NJ U.S. Compass, Magnetic FSN 6605-846-7618, DA23-195-AMC-00906(T) 9-1966. Radioisotope H3 A.E.C. License No. 8-5970-9 Contains 75mc. Radioactive H3. Do not open. Dispose of per Busanda Inst. 5101.3. If found return to Military Authority. Other dates 1-64, 1-1967, 1-1968, 9-1968.
1966 Jay Bee Corp., a subsidiary of Stocker & Yale Inc. Compass, Magnetic FSN 6605-846-7618. Other dates 1-1970.
1975 Stocker & Yale Inc., Beverly, MA MAGNETIC COMPASS, NSN 6605-00-151-5337, 7 MAR 75, DA AK01-75-0-2147
1979 Stocker & Yale Inc., Beverly, MA U.S. Compass, Magnetic NSN 6605-00-151-5337 DAAJ09-79--0-5176 2 SEP 79. H3 content with AEC warning, DISPOSE AS RAD WASTE
1981 Stocker & Yale, Inc., Beverly, MA U.S. Army Compass, Magnetic, NSN 6605-00-151-5337, DAAJ09-82-C-A358, 15 DEC 81.
1989 Stocker & Yale, Inc., Beverly, MA US Compass, Magnetic NSN 5505-01-196-6971,, DAAK01-89-C-0125 3 Aug 89. SandY 183, 120mC1 3H. Controlled Disposal Required
1991 Stocker & Yale, Inc., Beverly, MA U.S. Compass, Magnetic, NSN: 6605-01-196-6971 3/91
1992 Cammenga Compass, magnetic, unmounted, lensatic, luminous, M2. Tritium Lensatic Compass. NSN: 6605-01-196-6971. Mil Spec: MIL-PRF-10436N.
Compass NSN 6605-00-151-5337 is deemed "operationally unserviceable" and compass 6605-00-846-7618 was condemned in 1978 for safety reasons and was not authorized for use thereafter. Both of these should have been replaced in military inventory with NSN 6605-01-196-6971