# Red deck lights in warships?



## snooper

One evening last week in Weymouth Bay approx 9pm,I saw a vessel,possibly warship with very unusual lighting.The whole ship,forward,aft,upper decks were completely illuminated in red lights.
Would this be one of our new Type 45 Destroyers,or is it part of night exercise lighting on other RN vessels,very strange looking?


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## Winebuff

Are you sure it was the ship lit up, parts of Weymouth are pretty gaudy this time of year remember Xmas is coming. 
That being said parts of Weymouth are permanently in the Red Light Zone (so I'm told) or is that Portsmouth?


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## wigger

There has been a lot of RN ships in the area recently hasn't there. Did you check on AIS at all? Diamond was around for weeks!


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## Coastie

My colleague, ex RN has said that he doesn't think that that would be an RN vessel.


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## Tmac1720

Coastie said:


> My colleague, ex RN has said that he doesn't think that that would be an RN vessel.


Ha!! the only red lights you see have "ladies of horizontal refreshment" in the windows (LOL)(LOL)


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## STRAWBERRY

We used to use Red lighting at the Ras Pockets on the RFA'S during Night Ras, to reduce glare when the Rx ship aproaches, and also during The First Gulf war, as The red is harder to see at distances. Andy


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## pilot

Mobil tankers used orange "bug a way" lights for external accomodation lighting. Rgds.


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## Coastie

Tmac1720 said:


> Ha!! the only red lights you see have "ladies of horizontal refreshment" in the windows (LOL)(LOL)



Aye, you taught me well, Tmac!(LOL)


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## snooper

Thanks chaps for your 'Red Light' tales.The town will be full of red lights soon with irrate drivers,'intelligent signals' they call them.Not the red lights you experienced lads!
Its definatly not pretty seafront lights,I am familier with tankers/cargo lighting etc on a daily basis.
******,yes Diamond was around and it may be her as the vessel was moving 20knots +.I dont think it was RFA Largs Bay or one of the Forts (George/Victoria) in Portland as thats quiet a speed in a busy area with adjacent bunkering oil tankers.


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## wigger

Ah those irresponsible RN boys with their excessive speed! assuming it was them! 
I used to love watching them leave the harbour via the North entrance? (Bincleaves end) at what can only be described as 'a fair rate of knots' , Gas turbines whining away. Happy days!


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## jamesgpobog

Old thread, but I'm surprised at the answers so far.

Cannot speak for navies of the world, but I can speak about the USN.

The red lights are for night illumination. Red light is the least destructive to night vision. On US vessels, the entire bridge is lit in subdued red, indeed, almost all the interior is lid red with the exceptions of the engineering spaces. Basically anywhere crew can be expected to move from the interior to the exterior or exterior view.

The exterior deck areas will be illuminated red if night work is going on such as UNREP. 

White light basically destroys night vision for about 30 minutes.


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