Naval Historywith Dr. Alex

Q&A · 2:42:45-2:43:42

When did electric searchlights appear on warships?

Alexandria supplies a clear Royal Navy operational example from 1882, while American fitting experiments appear slightly earlier and the first adopter remains uncertain.

Naval TechnologyRoyal NavySearchlightsUS Navy
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Question

When did electric searchlights begin appearing on warships?

Short answer

Royal Navy operational use is documented at Alexandria in 1882, while the U.S. Navy appears to have experimented with fittings around 1881.

Notes

The Royal Navy used searchlights at Alexandria in 1882 to prevent Egyptian forces from manning artillery batteries. U.S. Navy attempts to fit them appear to date to about the preceding year. British fittings may have been contemporary with those American experiments, so the order of adoption remains uncertain. Searchlights were reportedly also used during the siege of Paris.