Accession Number | OL00665.002 |
---|---|
Collection type | Technology |
Object type | Technology |
Maker |
Siemens Schuckert |
Place made | Germany |
Date made | c 1914-1918 |
Conflict |
First World War, 1914-1918 |
120 cm Scheinwerfer Flak G.110/17 searchlight
120 cm diameter Siemens-Schuckert anti aircraft Searchlight. The light is metal bodied, gimbal-mounted on two box section supporting arms, and is equipped with two dished removable protective plates, which fasten onto both front and rear of the light. Both plates bear the Siemans Schukert logo. The searchlight retains its original glass lens, which is fabricated from a number of 100 mm wide glass strips, mounted in a vertical orientation, with the side of one bar butting directly onto its neighbour. This is presumably to allow for expansion and contraction due to the intense heat produced by the searchlight beam. Behind the glass is mounted a metal iris, similar to that found on camera lenses. The iris is controlled by a handwheel on the right side of the light. Also on the right hand side is a rudimentary aiming sight. This sight is designed to unlock and rotate upwards for travel. At some stage in its life, this sight mounted a pin-like foresight (now missing). This foresight at some stage punched a hole through the body of the searchlight. The light is missing its mirror, and carbon element.
The body of the light has been overpainted post-capture with a dark grey paint. Elements of the original German paint remain untouched on some of the support structures.
Thought to have been captured by Australians near Roy, Belgium (possibly the 14th battalion). It would have been used for anti-aircraft defence at night. A similar or identical Siemens-Schukert large searchlight captured by the 31st Battalion (Alberta) during the Amiens Offensive, but this light was described as having not been brought in, and does not seem to have ever been recovered by a Canadian unit.