Are there any images of the USS Enterprise at night?

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What you need to see is a general plan.

If you go here https://www.hnsa.org/manuals-documents/booklets-of-general-plans-online/

You will find a great long list of ships for which the website has general plans. Scrolling down the list you will find CV-5 USS Yorktown, the class leader, and you can down load the plans from there

Or you can trust me and directly link from here https://www.hnsa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/cv5.pdf

Page six shows the location of the landing lights embedded in the douglas fir flight deck planking.

The same set of plans may be had at https://maritime.org/doc/plans/

Upvote:2

This is for the period 1944-45, not 1942.

Deck Lighting

The deck lighting used successfully on this ship is comprised of the normal night lighting furnished carriers with the exception that the flush-deck lights have not proven satisfactory. Borrowing an idea from the INDEPENDENCE, a set of lights, hereinafter known as "Victory Lights", have been installed. Since their use was started, the planes have lined up with the deck many times better and not a single plane has gone over the side.

The victory light consists of a vertical member on deck 6" by 21" and constructed of rubber (similar to "stop" signs which may be run over by cars) with the after side painted white. A strip painted white and of the same dimensions is painted on the inboard side on deck, the 21" dimensions being fore and aft. A small (20-watt) light is mounted on deck to shine on the vertical member at an angle of 45°. (Deck guide lights are recommended for this light but to date they have not been available and a homemade housing has been in use). The lights are controlled by a rheostat. They are placed as far outboard on deck as possible and still form a straight line from the number one barrier to the ramp. Nine are in this line on the port side and four on the starboard side abeam of the first four on the port side. Four lights are all necessary on the starboard side as the pilot only uses them to line himself up after the cut and he can't see further aft on deck than the fourth light at that time.

The standard red deck edge lights on both sides are arranged with every other one turned out on the starboard quarter 30°. This allows the pilot to pick these lights up early and has proven a big help in aiding pilots to line themselves up with the deck sooner than was the case before they were turned.

The combination of the pilot being able to line himself up earlier and the wider span of the victory lights has proven its worth in operations. Pilots are also universal in their acclaim of the improvement in depth perception with the loom of the victory lights as contrasted to the direct light of the flush deck lights. The flush deck lights are kept open to be used only as a standby in case of a failure of the victory lights.

I doubt there are pictures, though.

(And here is another link with relevant info.)

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