A Leigh Light fitted under the wing of a Consolidated Liberator aircraft of the Royal Air Force Coastal Command, 26 February 1944
The Leigh Light (L/L) was a British World War II era anti-submarine device used in the Battle of the Atlantic. It was a powerful (22 million candela) carbon arc searchlight of 24 inches (610 mm) diameter fitted to a number of the British Royal Air Force's Coastal Command patrol bombers to help them spot surfaced German U-boats at night.[1]
Early night operations with the new Air-to-Surface Vessel radar (ASV) demonstrated that the radar's minimum range of about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) meant that the target was still invisible when it disappeared off the radar display. Efforts to reduce this minimum were not successful, so Wing Commander Humphrey de Verd Leigh hit upon the idea of using a searchlight that would be switched on just when the target was about to disappear on radar. The U-boat had insufficient time to dive and the bombardier had a clear view of the target. Introduced in June 1942, it was so successful that for a time German submarines were forced to switch to charging their batteries during the daytime, when they could at least see aircraft approaching.[2]
Germany introduced the Metox radar warning receiver in an effort to counter the combination of ASV and Leigh Light. Metox provided the submarine crew with early warning that an aircraft using radar was approaching.[3] Because the radar warning receiver could detect radar emissions at a greater range than the radar could detect vessels, this often gave the U-boat enough warning to dive. Having expected this, the Allies introduced the centimetric ASV Mk. III radar, regaining control of the battle. Although the German Naxos countered these radars, by this time the U-boat force was already damaged beyond repair.
^Peter Clare (22 July 2009). "Leigh Light Operation". rafb24.com. Archived from the original on 11 November 2009.
^Bowman, Marin (2014). Deep Sea Hunters: RAF Coastal Command and the War Against the U-Boats and the German Navy 1939-1945. Pen and Sword. pp. 61–79. ISBN 978-1-78383-196-8.
^Owen, David (2007). Anti-Submarine Warfare: An Illustrated History. Seaforth Publishing. p. 111. ISBN 978-1-78346-897-3.
The LeighLight (L/L) was a British World War II era anti-submarine device used in the Battle of the Atlantic. It was a powerful (22 million candela)...
was well into a crash dive. Wing Commander Humphry de Verde Leigh developed the Leighlight, a powerful floodlight steered by the ASV radar, allowing aircraft...
gave adequate warning for evasive manoeuvres. The introduction of the LeighLight by the British in January 1942 solved the second problem, thereby becoming...
the surface, charging their batteries. A large searchlight called a Leighlight was suspended from the bottom of the wing or fuselage, and would be used...
coast. For the development of what became the Leighlight, squadron leader Leigh fitted a 24-inch search light in the 'dustbin' turret of a DWI Wellington...
the Leighlight was introduced, allowing the U-boat to be picked up visually after it passed off the radar display. With the introduction of the Leigh light...
LeighLight. Humphrey de Verd Leigh was born at Aldershot, Hampshire on 26 July 1897, the son of Agnes Mary Leigh (1859–1944) and John de Verd Leigh (1861–1947)...
his only prior experience being with light training aircraft. Humphrey de Verd Leigh – inventor of the Leighlight which was developed to spotlight U-boats...
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during the day or night (at night using radar to detect the target and a Leighlight to illuminate it immediately before attacking), then quickly attacking...
at Cavalry Tank Museum, Ahmednagar in India. Camp Bouse US test site. LeighLight List of U.S. military vehicles by supply catalog designation SNL G-193...
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