page_title: Moonlight Batteries, Royal Artillery
section_title: World War II
hierarchical_section_title: Moonlight Batteries, Royal Artillery / World War II
caption_attribution_description: English: An anti-aircraft searchlight and crew at the Royal Hospital at Chelsea in London, 17 April 1940. Anti-aircraft searchlight and crew at the Royal Hospital at Chelsea in London, 17 April 1940. This is the 90mm model. The tube at the top of the light is a fan that cools the interior.
context_page_description: The Moonlight Batteries were Searchlight units of Britain's Royal Artillery that specialised in providing 'artificial moonlight', otherwise known as 'movement light' or 'Monty's moonlight', for ground operations during the latter stages of World War II.
context_section_description: All the Army's AA S/L units were transferred to the Royal Artillery during 1940. Their primary role was to illuminate enemy aircraft for AA guns or night fighters to engage, although providing directional beacons for friendly aircraft was a valuable secondary role. Searchlight units scored occasional successes by dazzling enemy pilots, but attempts to set up dazzle barrages (eg a 'Cardiff–Newport Dazzle Area') were not particularly successful. Other uses for S/Ls were slower to emerge.
caption: A British AA S/L deployed early in World War II.
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