Hi all, Recently I found this old warhorse. I don’t know much about it other than it was mainly complete; I had to use a NOS HASAG needle with the original jet—the original needle was present, but without pricker. It was pretty gunked up, but underneath all that ‘patina’ of 80+ years, it was more or less unmarred. I used a NOS HASAG 300 mantle — this generator needs to be kept very hot to perform well, and the long ‘sock’ shape of the NOS mantle works where, say, a modern HK ‘golf ball’ will not. I’d like to learn more about this lantern, and I’ll see what else is here on the forum, but any insight you may have as to date and any other details will be appreciated! Ulf.
Hi @Ulf , nice item that you have there! The shape of the generator and the paper handwheel makes me think that it was made after the war, but the generator can be a replacement though. From my knowledge the pre-war versions had a "yarn spool" shaped generator head and a Bakelite handwheel. Fact is that the production of this model 351L already started before the 2nd world war. During the war almost no lanterns were produced by Hasag because they were mostly involved in ammonition and other war goods production. Shortly after the war some lanterns were built (however, mostly as reparation items)*, and it could well be that yours is one of them. In 1945-1946 the old production sites were completely dismantled/destroyed by the Russians, and needed to be re-established. Production of metal goods (but no lanterns) re-started in 1947 at another site (former Atlas-Werke), but burnt down in February 1948. In the second half of 1949 the production of lanterns re-started at the former buildings of company Mansfeld under the name MEWA Leipziger Werke VEB. You can find a short summary by Jörg Wekenmann (in German) here . *This is very similar to the olive tank / black frame painted Petromax 2827 steel versions, which were mostly produced shortly after the war in the former Graetz-Werke in Berlin, re-named in 1948 as VEB Graetz-Werk and from 1950 as VEB Fernmeldewerk Treptow (RFT).
This is an operating manual for a Hasag 351L from March 1943.Couldn't Ulf's Hasag come from that time ? The carburetor had already the same shape.
My experience with HASAG is limited to the 12 or so examples in my collection, covering the mid-1930s to the 1950s. This generator/carburetor certainly looks like those equipped on my pre-war models--though I claim no expertise that could match Martin's or Reinhard's (and only rudimentary knowledge of German). One of these days I'll photograph the whole HASAG collection together and you fellows can advise on what belongs to what period. I have only a sketchy idea. I will say this--I've fired this one up three times today, and it runs very smoothly and quietly--as quiet as a Primus and equally bright. It came to me from Germany, and the previous owner claimed it was a Wehrmacht lantern. But you know that people love to 'sell a story' and so I wouldn't believe such a thing without better proof. By the way, I am usually able to coax an ancient NRV out of its cave, but not this time. Remarkably, the lantern holds pressure with the old NRV still installed. Thanks! All suggestions and thoughts are very welcome! Ulf.
You are correct: The ones that I have here with the grey or olive-green lacquered tank all have the "mushroom" shaped top of the generator (rather than the "yarn-spool" shaped one), HASAG-decals on the tank and the HASAG stamped baseplates with riveted badges "HASAG-Leipzig" and "HASAG No. 351L". Three of them have the paper handwheel, whereas another has the Bakelite handwheel. So the "mushroom" generator and the paper handwheel could well have been introduced already before/during the war.
