Hansel & Gretel and the Cyclops: Early Infrared Weapon Sights in the Dutch Army, 1946-1951

Abstract

Conventional wisdom in the Netherlands holds that the Dutch military began developing night vision accessories for firearms in 1949. However, a discovery of technical drawings in the Dutch Nationaal Militair Museum (NMM) collection has recently revealed that a series of experiments were conducted with infrared viewers for firearms earlier in the 1940s. This discovery, as well as the Museum’s recent acquisition of a Dutch carbine fitted with a first-generation infrared telescopic sight, has spurred this author’s investigation into the history of infrared rifle sight development in the Netherlands. With evocative code names like ‘Hansel & Gretel’ and ‘Cyclops’, Dutch military development of infrared weapon sights included some novel approaches. A wealth of new material, recently rediscovered in Dutch archives, underpins the findings presented herein.