| Show US U.S. Studies Vast Plan C For Total T Defense clU cities be defended In the event Editors Editor's note How would American s of attack You will find the answer In the following article the third of ofa a series of six appearing dally daily In The Telegram on the training of the new army and md nd other phases of our defense By W. W V. V B. B RAGSDALE I WASHINGTON Oct 23 AP The The battle of London is having a direct effect upon the th- plans for defending American cities Original ideas were built around the theory that that in war it was military mIll mIll- tary objectives that would have to tobe tobe tobe be defended Navy yards army posts and certain munitions manufacturing manufacturing manufacturing man man- plants would have to be defended But civilian would not be seriously endangered But Warsaw was wiped out Dutch cities were flattened Night after night bombs are sprinkled on civilians in London The British have developed a kidding kidding kidding kid kid- ding slog slogan n which says Join the army and escape the war Total Defense Aim I What America is working for now Is a total defense to meet a total war Just as In London civilians would be called upon in great numbers to form an air raid protection protection protection pro pro- unit to operate signals and anti make certain blackouts were ef ef- ef Poli Police e and fire departments departments departments depart depart- ments ments would f form r rm ai integral part of the defense plan Already the war department is working out a series serles of pamphlets dealing with air raid warnings air raid shelters and how to administer adminis adminis- ter first aid how to defend yourself yourself yourself your your- self against chemical attack The civilian conservation corps along with other organizations is teachIng teaching teaching teach teach- ing its men first aid The war department has drafted draft draft- ed and is offering private t manufacturers manufacturers manufacturers manu manu- plans for the prot protection of their plants These Thes cover cover such things as locating the plants so so as to fo take advantage of the natural defense offered by terrain Installing installing installing install Install- ing safeguards against chemicals putting in bomb proof shelters for personnel and arranging for blackouts so complete no gleam of light will leak through Shelters Tested The United States housing a au authority authority au- au has been experimenting with bomb shelters Already It is recommending against reinforced floors above cellars They have not proven very successful in Europe And no pillbox that stands above aboveground aboveground aboveground ground has been able to withstand a direct hit from froma a a bomb These are only the other phases of the problem of air defense a problem which in the these e days of lightning developments may turn bottom up overnight Less than 10 months ag ago i army def defense defens ns experts were ere still talking with surprise of bombers that would travel miles an an hour Now the speed has leaped far beyond beyond beyond be be- yond that figure Then they were mentioning dive bombing as a thing which h had been of some value in Poland Since then it has fought the battles of France Then they were speaking of bombs dropped at feet Now they come from om so high up in the sky that watchers on the ground cannot see the plane New Devices N Needed All AU of these developments have set defense tacticians to hunting for new answers Detection and warning devices must be sharpened So that pursuit planes can be gotten gotte got got- got got- te ten into the air and intercept the bombers Aiming mechanism must search out cut pl planes nes that cannot be seen Guns must reach high higher r and higher into the air One little point about the speed of planes gives a slight illustration of some of the difficulties The mere fact that bombers fly faster caused defense experts to move their guns farther from the point they wished to defend Why The faster the bomber I flies the farther away from the target must the bomb be released Consequently the guns are placed I from five to seven or eight miles miles miles' from the point they are to defend It is much more satisfying to bring down a bomber before it has released released re re- re- re leased a bomb than after fter particularly particularly particularly if it the bomb has hit Its target Aside from the navy which is getting to be a more formidable obstacle to invasion every day the nation has a string of coast de de- de- de lenses Del Defense nse Widens They were established in the days when invaders came from the sea Instead of from the air They I guard from sea l invaders various naval and military objectives cities and other points of strategic im Im- im- im Some of these like the Panama canal are ringed about by stationary guns of ot all types In Including Including In- In eluding both range long antiaircraft craft and shorter range machine guns for lor planes that might fly low in dive bombing Any Invader that eluded the outer rings of ot defenses to make an air attack upon the United States would be the target of a coordinated air defense unit commanded commanded commanded com com- by Brigadier General James E. E Chaney This unit includes antiaircraft units squadrons of swift pursuit pl planes nes and a warning service of signal communications Various tests have been made at scattered scattered scattered scat scat- sections of the country In maneuvers during the last year or so These included such things as bl blackouts warning signals antiaircraft antiaircraft antiaircraft anti anti- aircraft target practice and other grim preparations |
