Domed covers on funnel searchlights

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 9:35 pm

Hi All,

Does anyone know why the two forward searchlights on the funnel had these covers and all the others didn't, even the ones mounted in a similar position aft on the funnel ?

Thanks for any replies.

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:40 am

http://tinyurl.com/2ah77w

Bgile · Post by **Bgile** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 1:56 am

The only thing I can think of is weight. They compromised and protected two of them instead of none.

It could also have been experimental and they wanted to compare to see if the protection was worth having.

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 2:46 am

Thanks Bgile

Protecting a seachlight seems a bit strange. (fully enclosing - you can't use it)

Bgile · Post by **Bgile** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 4:52 am

30knots wrote:Thanks Bgile

Protecting a seachlight seems a bit strange. (fully enclosing - you can't use it)

You keep it protected while it is not in use. For example, in daylight or at night when using the unprotected ones. If a shell lands nearby, or aircraft strafe, etc then maybe there is enough protection to save the covered searchlight.

I don't know if that's the reason ... I'm just hypothesizing.

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:14 pm

mmmmm

no definative reasons yet. Someone must know ?

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 6:29 pm

The more i think about this the stranger it gets.

Looking at archive photos the domed cover even has a 'ribbed' effect.Why is this? Is it just strengthening?

Why bother to protect a searchlight in the first place ?

hellomartin · Post by **hellomartin** » Sun Feb 03, 2008 4:37 pm

Yes it is very strange. Why protect some search lights and not others? Why have we not seen a similar feature (to my knowledge) on other WWII surface ships?

What could the cover protect the lights from? Clearly not from direct shell damage, or wave damage. One would have thought that glass and bulbs could easily be replaced in the event of bullet or indirect shrapnel damage.

Given the supreme German practicality of the rest of the vessel, there has got to be a good reason.....

RF · Post by RF » Mon Feb 04, 2008 1:22 pm

Is there anything in the original or later design plans of Bismarck on this subject?

Were these type of searchlights used on Tirpitz?

hellomartin · Post by **hellomartin** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 6:47 pm

Were these search lights or signal lights? If they were search lights, what would they have been used for that could have made it so important to put them in a protective cover?

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Tue Feb 05, 2008 10:28 pm

mmmm....

Interesting point Martin. Signal lights as opposed to seachlights. Might be onto something here. Although, the actual 'lantern' parts do seem to all look the same. Could a seachlight and a signal light be one and the same thing, simply with the addition of some mechanical 'slatters' to the front.

The same 'mysterious' domed covers can be seen on photos of the Tirpitz.

What does everyone reckon (long shot here) about it to do with always having a 'clean' pair immediately available to signal port or starboard (i.e. black soot from the funnel and other general grime on the lenses of the others) ?

As a side point, were all the search and/or signal lights manual control only, or were any remote control ?

Thanks for any replies.

Bgile · Post by **Bgile** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 4:57 am

I believe signal lights and search lights were completely different. For a signal light you need a relatively small light because it only needs to be seen from another ship.

A searchlight requires a very bright light that can illuminate something a long ways away. Much higher power requirements.

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Thu Feb 07, 2008 10:23 am

All the main searchlights seem to have these louvres on the front of the lenses. If not used for signalling, i guess they just protected the lenses when closed and the searchlight was not in use.

If signal lights are much smaller, that blows my 'clean signal light immediately available' theory away about the purpose of the domed covers.

hellomartin · Post by **hellomartin** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 5:35 pm

Have been thinking/guessing.....

By their position they could have been the main searchlight used to spot and keep in sight the ship's seaplanes landing in the sea at night. Hence their large size....as the planes would have to land and then the ship manoevre some distance while the plane was held in the light. Although the Avro planes proved disappointing, their role was designed as a major one.

And/or they were the main signal lights to communicate with other capital ships (there were plans at one stage to have Bismarck sail with Tirpiz and Prinz Eugen. With the ships possibly sailing at a distance from each other in fog or rain, large lights would have been necessary and form a vital communication link, especially in battle.

In both instances, the lights would have been pretty important. However, it is a bit of a mystery as to how effective the covers would have been as protection, and from what.....smoke dust from the funnel? (unlikey), battle damage (probably not very effective),

Any guesses what the covers were made from?

Martin

30knots · Post by **30knots** » Fri Feb 08, 2008 7:33 pm

Strangely enough,

i'm sure i've seen that 'ribbed' effect before on items made from plastic.

I'm thinking of those wheelbarrows with spheres at the front instead of a conventional wheel, and i'm sure i've seen it somewhere else too.

In fact, would it not be pretty difficult to make that hemi-sphere shape from steel?

From the photo on the second post, it doesn't look that thick, about 10-20mm.