A Periscope’s Journey of Lightning Protection

In 1959, Edmund Scientific Co. contracted us to protect a rare WWII era Japanese submarine periscope, thought to be the last of its kind. In 1970, Edmund expanded their facility and relocated the periscope. We installed lightning protection on this important artifact.

A periscope from a WWII Japanese submarine at the docks next to the Battleship New Jersey
A periscope from a WWII Japanese submarine on display at the Battleship New Jersey visitors center

In 2001, Edmund Scientific donated the periscope to the Battleship New Jersey Museum. A lack of funding kept the periscope in storage until 2019 when it found a new home in the battleship’s visitor center on the Delaware River in Camden, NJ.

Battleship New Jersey
The Battleship New Jersey; largest battleship ever build by the United States

We volunteered our services to protect the periscope at no cost to the Battleship Museum. As a token of appreciation, the Battleship New Jersey installed a plaque near the docks commemorating the work WLRC had done to protect the periscope over the course of 60 years.

periscope inside Battleship New Jersey visitor center
A view of the periscope from inside the Battleship New Jersey visitor center