help with a scope?

[Major Tom]

sup guys
i bought this off ebay a couple weeks ago
its a 1942 m-40 scope
this confuses me becasue i cnat find anything saying the m40 was made in '42
it has the number 5 cast into the side
serial numbers are C80748 on the bottom of the scope and NO. 53018 on the top

the other thing that confuses me are the numbers are back to front in the magnifying end and the only way to see the numbers the right way around is through looking through it "backwards(?)" to witch t says
--- ( : ) ---
___1
--,--2
__.__
--|-- 3
37MM - M51
so the only way to see through this scope correctly is reversed and so the feet are on the left side looking through the small aperture
I'veno idea how the scope sits in the tank as all that comes up when i type in 1942 m40 scope is star wars stuff
any info you guys can shed on this would be awesome
the other thing i forgot to mention is the screws in the base aren't in line they're kinda angled off a bit rather than being in a straight line
it came with the base if that could help

 

[jkno]

Two things that might help a bit

 

[Marv]

Nice not seen that second picture before. I've got a boxed M38 but it doesn't have instructions like that.

 

[Major Tom]

so it does sit on its side
huh
but what end do you look through? D: