Packhow75 Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Some data I picked up a few years back - alas I dont have the whole publication these pages came from...: I have some more pages somewhere as and when I get around to scanning them. Hope it's of interest Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timbo Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 Very interesting! I am sure there has been a thread about these before, but can't find it with a quick search, maybe somebody else will remember it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 2, 2015 Share Posted March 2, 2015 So secret they were nearly not used at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean N Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Weren't these one of those camouflage things that Maskelyne invented? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Farrant Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 There is a CDL equipped Matilda tank in the Tank Museum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RattlesnakeBob Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I may be wrong but ?..... I don't think they were ever used in their designed manner ? I know they were used as simpled floodlights in one operation (possibly the Rhine crossing ?) but I don't recall them being employed for what they were originally intended??? ... Always ready to be corrected though ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Weren't these one of those camouflage things that Maskelyne invented? No , Madskalyne claimed to have invented a number of things when really he was just part of the team. He does claim he worked on a device called Whirling spray that used a similar idea. That was a rotating ring of reflectors on the front of a searchlight designed to disorentate german pilots trying to bomb the Sueaz canal. Though these claims do seem somewhat dubious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 I may be wrong but ?..... I don't think they were ever used in their designed manner ? I know they were used as simpled floodlights in one operation (possibly the Rhine crossing ?) but I don't recall them being employed for what they were originally intended??? ... Always ready to be corrected though ! They were used on the Scheldt crossing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Grundy Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 Were they used just after the war on a feature film ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sean N Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 He does claim he worked on a device called Whirling spray that used a similar idea. That was a rotating ring of reflectors on the front of a searchlight designed to disorentate german pilots trying to bomb the Sueaz canal. Though these claims do seem somewhat dubious. That was the thing I was thinking of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guykay Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 What was the "tactical application" for this infernal device? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony B Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 The intention was that a powerful stobe light diredted at the enemy positions would disorentate the enemy, especially such specalist personnel as Forward Artillery Spotters. The Whirling Spray device mentioned was envisaged for the defence of the Suez Canal. The idea being you couldn't actually hide the thing from German bombers, but if the bomb aimers were confused they couldn't hit the target. Where CDL was used along with sound decption and other deception tactics it was shown that if you didn't effect the individual, it certainly confused the command and control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brooky Posted March 3, 2015 Share Posted March 3, 2015 They were tested in Lowther Park They reckon you could read a newspaper at night in Penrith as the light was so powerful!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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