Skip to main content
Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Tags
Related Content
Topic
  • Planning and Strategy
Document Type
  • Artifact
Wars & Conflicts
  • World War II 1939-1945
File Formats
  • Image (gif, jpg, tiff)
Location of Archival Materials

Pocket Transit Compass, M2 


M2 Compass

Title: Compass, Pocket, M2
Accession #: NHHC 2011-184-4
Circa: Mid/Late 1900's
Size: 4 x 1.5"
Medium: Plastic, Metal, Glass
Location: Headquarters Artifact Collection, Naval History and Heritage Command 

The M2 compass consists of a magnetic compass with a rear sight mounted to the case and an azimuth scale, elevation scale, and a circular level on the face of the compass. The azimuth scale is graduated in both mils and degrees. The interior of hinged lid of the compass has a mirror with a vertical line drawn down the center. A front sight is mounted at the top of the line. This compass has the serial number 69735. It is housed in an olive drab case with serial number 10543560. 

The M2 compass provides a high degree of accuracy for obtaining measurements of slope, angle of site, and azimuth. The graduation of the azimuth scale in both degrees and mils makes the M2 more accurate than the M1 because it does not require conversion from degrees to mils. First used in WWII, compasses like this are still in use today. They are used for geological surveys and artillery range finding and sighting.

Published: Mon Mar 30 10:00:21 EDT 2020