Why the red light

AndreasT · 12-11-13, 08:27 PM

What I have always wondered is in movies and stories whenever an attack takes place the red lighting gets switched on.
Why?
Is this done in real life?

Sailor Steve · 12-11-13, 09:08 PM

Surface ships always use red lights at night. White light blinds you to pretty much everything in the dark. Red light makes it much easier to see out and quicker for your eyes to adjust. Also it makes it easier for the interior to be dark but let the crew still see when they need to get from quarters to stations.

In a submarine there's not much need to dim the lights at night, except for the crew to sleep better because it's darker. When preparing for an attack the captain needs the lower lighting to help when he's looking out the periscope at night. If conducting a surface attack the bridge crew need to already be adjusted to the darkness, plus they want to keep the hatch open for emergencies, and the dim red light doesn't make a glow that the enemy can see.

Buddahaid · 12-12-13, 10:03 AM

I thought there was also something about the longer wave light that made it visible for shorter distances at night. I just woke up and that's what I remember reading somewhere years ago.

ETR3(SS) · 12-12-13, 11:02 AM

On a nuclear submarine the control room lights get turned off completely when going to periscope depth at night. Only faint lights from indicator panels illuminate the control room.

In the sonar room there is white lighting but only the blue lighting is used when sonar is manned. Reason being for this is it helps to contrast the green light being emitted from the CRT screens.

As for berthing areas those are kept dark with usually a single red light to provide enough light to see into your rackpan or locker.

12-11-13, 08:27 PM	#1
AndreasT Loader Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Berlin, Germany. Posts: 89 Downloads: 180 Uploads: 0	Why the red light What I have always wondered is in movies and stories whenever an attack takes place the red lighting gets switched on. Why? Is this done in real life?

12-11-13, 09:08 PM	#2
Sailor Steve Eternal Patrol Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: High in the mountains of Utah Posts: 50,369 Downloads: 745 Uploads: 249	Surface ships always use red lights at night. White light blinds you to pretty much everything in the dark. Red light makes it much easier to see out and quicker for your eyes to adjust. Also it makes it easier for the interior to be dark but let the crew still see when they need to get from quarters to stations. In a submarine there's not much need to dim the lights at night, except for the crew to sleep better because it's darker. When preparing for an attack the captain needs the lower lighting to help when he's looking out the periscope at night. If conducting a surface attack the bridge crew need to already be adjusted to the darkness, plus they want to keep the hatch open for emergencies, and the dim red light doesn't make a glow that the enemy can see. __________________ “Never do anything you can't take back.” —Rocky Russo

12-12-13, 10:03 AM	#3
Buddahaid Shark above Space Chicken Join Date: Jun 2008 Posts: 9,321 Downloads: 162 Uploads: 0	I thought there was also something about the longer wave light that made it visible for shorter distances at night. I just woke up and that's what I remember reading somewhere years ago. __________________ "However vast the darkness, we must provide our own light." Stanley Kubrick "Tomorrow belongs to those who can hear it coming." David Bowie

12-12-13, 11:02 AM	#4
ETR3(SS) Ocean Warrior Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Between test depth and periscope depth Posts: 3,021 Downloads: 175 Uploads: 16	On a nuclear submarine the control room lights get turned off completely when going to periscope depth at night. Only faint lights from indicator panels illuminate the control room. In the sonar room there is white lighting but only the blue lighting is used when sonar is manned. Reason being for this is it helps to contrast the green light being emitted from the CRT screens. As for berthing areas those are kept dark with usually a single red light to provide enough light to see into your rackpan or locker. __________________ USS Kentucky SSBN 737 (G) Comms Div 2003-2006 Qualified 19 November 03 Yes I was really on a submarine.