WWII Navy Battle Lantern

Larry1582

Enlightened
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Aug 10, 2002
Messages
302
Just aquired one of the grey WWII Navy Battle Lanterns. Does anyone know what type batteries they used and the voltage? Looks like from the connectors inside that the batteries had screw posts on them.
 
Larry1582,
These lights used the #6 battery. It's the tall, round, 1.5 volt kind with the screw terminals. Used to use them to start gas-powered model airplanes. Radio Shack can special order the old-style carbon-zinc kind for about $15 each, I believe. You'll need 2 of them plus the jumper wire to connect them in series. Or you can try www.ralphselectronics.com for Eveready EN6 (the alkaline version). They are about $13 each, plus freight. These have a 46,000 mAh capacity which will power your lantern for about 2 days straight.
Kirk
 
anyone know the bulb number?
there is no number on the bulb in mine.
i dont think mine ever saw duty as it looks like new and the battery retainer is wrapped in early 40's dayton newspaper.made by grether mfg dayton oh.
 
The one I bought has the jumper wire and the battery nuts. This one has a bulb, but I can't read a number. I would assume that it is a 3 volt bulb? Thanks Kirk!
 
Larry1582,
That is weird. Most of these "emergency" lights used bayonet style bulbs because they won't loosen with vibration. Check with Topbulb. They have a pretty good C/S. Give them dimensions (my bulb has a round globe about 1" in diameter) and what base yours is--miniature screw base, candelabra screw base, single or dual contact base, etc. Good luck.
Kirk
 
This bulb is a single contact minature screw bulb with round globe. This light does not say navy on it. It is the big grey klunky looking light with a toggle switch in the front above the glass lens. It is sealed with the gaskets around the lens and the top cover. The lens cover and top cover are held on with screws and the square bolts. The only markings on it are U.M.P.C.I.
 
I have a grey Navy Battle Lantern. USN is on the front in raised letters. It has a sealed beam. Toggle switch on top. Mounting bracket attached to the back. I have tried putting in two 6 volt regular lantern batteries. They do not fit. Too tall. The top part of the battery compartment has two brass strips where it appears the battery contacts touch. Does anyone have an idea of what type of battery this lantern uses? Any help will be appreciated.
 
I have a grey Navy Battle Lantern. USN is on the front in raised letters. It has a sealed beam. Toggle switch on top. Mounting bracket attached to the back. I have tried putting in two 6 volt regular lantern batteries. They do not fit. Too tall. The top part of the battery compartment has two brass strips where it appears the battery contacts touch. Does anyone have an idea of what type of battery this lantern uses? Any help will be appreciated.

I would expect it to be a single 8F lantern battery, like Eveready 731 or 1231.

But there are others - how big is the sealed beam glass 4.5"? 5.75"? Is the toggle switch on top of the lamp housing or on top of the battery box?

Does it, in fact, look like any of these?
 
Here's one style of Navy Battle Lantern. You can still buy these new:

navylite.jpg


navylite2.jpg


These came in (at least) two configurations. They all had bulkhead brackets on the back, and one style was wired into the ship's system to keep the cells charged, while the other carried non-rechargeable cells.

The best way to ID them is to follow the Mil-F number and NSN # which will be somewhere on the case, or on a label inside.
 
I was an electrician in the Navy. I served on a ship that was built during WWII. All the battle lanterns had been replaced with the style that donn has a picture of. We replaced them fairly often as they seemed to grow feet and walk away from the mounting brackets. I remember they had the 6 Volt batteries. We would get cases of batteries and lanterns.
 
I was an electrician in the Navy. I served on a ship that was built during WWII. All the battle lanterns had been replaced with the style that donn has a picture of. We replaced them fairly often as they seemed to grow feet and walk away from the mounting brackets. I remember they had the 6 Volt batteries. We would get cases of batteries and lanterns.

Yes, one or two of them seemed to walk my way. I need a replacement headlight for one of them. Does anybody know where I could find a 6-volt, 4-inch diameter sealed beam to fit these lanterns?
 
The one out in my garage didn't walk away, my dad outright stole it :crackup: when he was on the LEX. You know those Navy guys you can trust them as about as far as you can throw them!

There is a company that makes led conversions for them. And rechargeable at that. No idea what it costs (probably an arm a leg and your first born)
http://www.navylanterns.com/sym 100.3.htm
 
Donn,
I have a few of these newer lights (made by Roflan) and one was factory-made as a "power failure" light. It has power cord that plugs into a regular household receptacle. There is a relay inside so when the mains power fails, the light goes on. It still uses regular old 6V lantern batteries that are not rechargeable. There is a push-to-test button and a volt meter mounted in front of the handle above the sealed beam to test the voltage of the batteries.

Two of my lanterns came with "flood" lamps (they look like small car headlights) and another has a clear sealed bulb which has a pretty decent beam.

EIKO, www.eiko-ltd.com , carries bulbs for these; part numbers are 4546 (clear lens, 4.7 volts, .50 Amps) or 4547 (clear lens, 4.75 volts, 1.25 Amps). I don't know if they sell to regular folks; my company buys from them for resale, so I just added on to a P.O. and paid the company back. Or you could google for PAR 36 lamps.

I have seen these lanterns in yellow, gray, and a light, pastel green.

Kirk
 
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