Navy Searchlight?

CPF'ers,

I was hoping someone could lend their expertise on an object of which I cannot find ANYTHING about via Google or any search engine. I got this from a military collector that got it in a trade. He didn't know anything about it so I bought it from him.

As far as I can tell from the ID tag on it...it states that it was manuf. by the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard in Portsmouth, NH for the Bureau of Ships in 1949.

The condition of this is A+++ and could pass as being manufactured just last week. It must of been locked away in some crate for the last 57 years. Anyways, as you can see from the pictures it uses a GE bulb, comes with 3 different types of lenses (1 clear, a diffuser, and unknown since it is still wrapped in package).

The battery looks similar to a automobile battery, but smaller. It looks like you have to add water to it, but this was never done and battery looks brand new. There are 3 little windows on outside of unit with floater balls inside to indicate water levels.

The whole unit weighs approx. 30-40lbs and has a built in level on the head of the bulb unit. It has an On/Off rubber switch and a "momentary" button as well.

I would be stoked if someone could tell me a little about this light. I can't seem to figure out how it is charged because there are no external or internal connectors of any kind. Could it be possible that it runs by some sort of reaction when H2O is added to the battery?

Here are some pics:







Regards,
Flavio
BugOutGearUSA.com

Flavio

You might try contacting the Naval Shipyard in PortsMouth. They might be able to give you information based on the Project Order #.

The metal in the battery may be silver and zinc...common for salt-water batteries.
http://home.howstuffworks.com/battery.htm

I looked up "beachmarker" and oddly enough, it is defined by the DoD as "...A sign or device used to identify a beach or certain activities thereon for incoming waterborne traffic. Markers may be panels, lights, buoys, or electronic devices."
http://usmilitary.about.com/od/glossarytermsb/g/beachmarker.htm

So...maybe it was a light used for beach operations? Hopefully, someone else will have more definitive info...

JM-99

When I was in the Navy, we had similar lights in the repair lockers for use during shipboard casualties. Ours were gray, and had the lead acid cells in them. They were designed to to set up and light an area when firefighting, rigging casualty power, etc.

I'll post this thing in another website I hang in, goatlocker.org. and see what turns up?

Sorry that I cannot add any info but that is a heck of a light...

Stuart

Actually those little float balls are not necessarily to indicate water level, they are little hydrometer balls, which indicate the battery's state of charge based on the electrolyte's specific gravity. (I suspect that when all three balls float it's fully charged. The green ball will be the first to sink, then the yellow, and by the time the red sinks the battery might be toast.)

Jumpmaster might know more about the battery's electrolyte but I think it's more likely to be common battery acid rather than salt water. Either way... I'm extremely jealous of your great find!!

scott.cr said:

Jumpmaster might know more about the battery's electrolyte but I think it's more likely to be common battery acid rather than salt water. Either way... I'm extremely jealous of your great find!!

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Oh, I was just inferring from the nomenclature on the light..."beachmarker" Would make sense to use such a battery. Just a theory though...I know the military had a tendency to use such batteries in years past...

Do let us know if you hear anything definitive about it though...

JM-99

It looks like something you would use during amphibious operations, like landing assaults. Probably used by the shore teams to light up landing lanes for the craft to drop troops and supplies. The battery would be water activated and the entire unit was probably an expendable piece of equipment. You might want to contact someone from the Marine Corps or Navy museums. I'll bet they could tell you exactly how it was used and by whom. It is cool that it is in pristine condition. It is also amazing how much military gear we squirrel away for decades that never gets used. There is probably a warehouse somewhere with floor to ceiling boxes of muskets and sabers.


Very cool find!

Okay, here's the straight gouge....this is an infra-red signaling light used to mark landing zones for LCAC amphib craft, signaling to ships or landing craft in infra-red, or even nighttime maintenance wearing infra-red goggles. A unit called the Beachmasters use them, as their function is to establish the LZ and direct traffic once craft cross the waterline. They are rechargeable.

RadarGreg said:

It is also amazing how much military gear we squirrel away for decades that never gets used. There is probably a warehouse somewhere with floor to ceiling boxes of muskets and sabers.
Very cool find!

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You're so right, I was in Navy supply, there are still stock numbers in the system for Colt 45LC Single action Army revolvers (cowboy guns), WWI 1917 Colt and Smith& Wesson 45ACP Revolvers and other various firearms that haven't been used in years. I have some information from a contact still active duty that there is a warehouse full of gunsand equipment still packed up in cosmoline and brown paper. Can't say any more than that .

Thanks for all the helpful info. The only question I have is could it be IR if it was manufactured in 1949? I don't believe they had IR technology back then, but I could be wrong. I'll try posting some pics of the inside later tonight.

Regards,
Flavio

depusm12 said:

You're so right, I was in Navy supply, there are still stock numbers in the system for Colt 45LC Single action Army revolvers (cowboy guns), WWI 1917 Colt and Smith& Wesson 45ACP Revolvers and other various firearms that haven't been used in years. I have some information from a contact still active duty that there is a warehouse full of gunsand equipment still packed up in cosmoline and brown paper. Can't say any more than that .

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This is true...in 1983 we totally offloaded USS Nimitz so she could go into drydock. In one of the cargo storerooms waaaaay down below we found a wooden crate with a Hamilton Standard propellor in it. No big deal, since they make the props for E2C and C-2 aircraft. But when we ran the FSN on it, it came back to a Corsair.....the prop Corsair. Someone saw it and figured since we supported Corsairs...the A-7 type, this must be for it. What a great antique find......

infrared searchlights were used by the US UK Germany in the later stages of the war(ww2),i believe the us navy was the first to use it in action on destroyers and corvettes in ASW , Germany fielded a few ir equipped armored units, ther is mention of infared devices in germany surrender documents that they were orderd to turn over. here is a ir equiped panther

BugOutGear_USA said:

Thanks for all the helpful info. The only question I have is could it be IR if it was manufactured in 1949? I don't believe they had IR technology back then, but I could be wrong. I'll try posting some pics of the inside later tonight.

Regards,
Flavio

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I'd guess a flashing beacon since the bulb markings say "Flashing Signal". My guess is that the light is a "portable lighthouse". Perhaps used by advance forces to establish a reference point for shelling by naval ships.

PhillyRube - This light was manufacturered in 1949 - there were no infrared goggles or cameras back then.

That's a beautiful example of a Naval landing marker light. Night ops crews would place it on the beach, turn it on, and the wide-angle beam would be visible for miles. Landing vehicles could easily navigate directly to the light.

Greg