Show citizens to be eyes and ears of army air corps defense program men and women volunteer As plane spotters for air defense by released by western newspaper union washington D C enrollment roll ment of U S civilians as volunteer observers for the army air corps is proceeding under the direction of gen delos C emmons commander of the general headquarters air force whose headquarters is at bolling boiling field DC D C thus a million eyes and ears join in another forehanded ste step P in the accelerated national defense program the war department part ment asserts it has no desire to alarm the general public but points out that the active operation cooperation co of the citizenry at large is needed for the success of national defense measures organization of this volunteer corps will constitute a nationwide civilian force who will act as spotters for the four air forces of the army air corps they will be affiliated with the interceptor commands of each air force modern paul reveres these modern paul reveres who are being welded into a compact unit of defense minutemen and minute women may not adopt the slogan one if by land two if by sea but their words in the mouthpiece of a crank driven model telephone from an iowa farmhouse or a terse message from a shiny new dial instrument in new jersey will send fighter commands anti air craft artillery and balloon squadrons into action from the rooftops of their homes in the towers of churches and sk skyscrapers y on prairies farms fields and beaches mr and mrs average american citizen will watch for that speck and listen for that telltale hum that may reveal the presence of an air enemy patriotic organizations like the american legion and their auxiliaries forest fire wardens weather observers and the coast guard would of course cooperate in flashing an alarm to headquarters public utilities telegraph telephone railway and light and power systems will take an enormous part in the warning system for the alarm flashed would be sent over their communications the importance of air warnings cannot be overestimated over estimated says the war department to know where the attacking force is poised where it strikes and where it may be expected to strike is essential for defense of the country here is where the volunteer watchers play a vital role organized in their home communities muni ties in grid fashion they will man listening and watching posts in established time shifts at the first sign of danger they will call army flash into their telephones in time of attack they would maintain their positions and continue their reports of the movements concentration tra tion numbers etc plan Is workable this method of aircraft warning has already been tested and proved feasible an experiment was held in the new york new england region under the supervision of maj gen james E chaney commander ap av 10 MUM 3 M I 1 4 4 1 t 7 V alnie i fp y 77 in event of war the above scene in war torn london would undoubtedly be re enacted in all large american cities the picture shows air force officers and auxiliary air force women plotters watching enemy movements over britain housed many feet below the surface they receive a continuous record of information supplied by scattered detecting posts similar to the ones being created here thus they are enabled to chart defense and attack plans from a subterranean nerve center protected from air raids by thick thich steel and concrete overhead of the first air force A corps of civilian observers was organized by the american legion to work with the army the american telephone telegraph company and its affiliated companies handled the communications over their network results were excellent and the experience peri ence and knowledge gained from the tests laid the groundwork for the present program also taken into consideration were methods used abroad as reported by american army officers stationed there allaround all ail around air defense modern air defense is divided basically into active and passive phases included in the active phase is the defensive attack carried out by fighter planes it embraces also the network of civilians giving the warnings of enemy aircraft antiaircraft anti aircraft artillery pouring barrages of exploding steel into the skies and balloon barrages that compel enemy aircraft to fly too high for effectiveness partly complete the picture of active defense to obtain information of the movements of hostile air threats to attack these threats in the air to provide simultaneous protection of all sensitive home areas will be the objectives of these agencies of active defense operating cooperating co in a combined effort they will make possible a positive aggressive and coordinated counterblow counter blow to sweep enemy fighters and bombers from the skies close liaison will be maintained with the agencies engaged in passive defense to them also warnings of approaching enemy aircraft are vital they will warn the civilian population and in industry austry warn home guards police fire departments anti gas and medi medical c al workers to stay on the alert at their stations they will enforce blackouts of lighting and radio broadcasting which might guide enemy aircraft to their targets this is a phase of civilian air raid defense however for which separate detailed plans will be made the four air forces the first air force is commanded by maj gen james E chaney it covers the northeast and includes the following states maine new hampshire vermont massachusetts connecticut rhode island new york pennsylvania new jer sey delaware maryland district of columbia virginia that portion of north carolina north and east of the line extending from south boston in virginia and cape Loo lookout koutin in north carolina west virginia ohio michigan indiana kentucky illinois missouri iowa wisconsin and minnesota the second air force is commanded by maj gen john F curry embracing the northwest it comprises the following states washington oregon montana idaho utah wyoming colorado north dakota south dakota nebraska and kansas the third air force under command of maj gen barton K X yount embraces the southeast region the states in this area are north carolina except that portion attached to the first air force south carolina georgia florida tennessee alabama Missi mississippi louisiana and arkansas the fourth air force takes aaker in the South southwest jest it is commanded by maj gen jacob E fickel included in the area of this force are the following states california nevada arizona new mexico texas and oklahoma bomber and interceptor commands each air force is divided into two components a bomber command which is controlled by the air force commander and an interceptor command which includes fighter planes or pursuit aviation anti air craft artillery and balloon barrages supervises and controls the entire observer and warning system and delivers the counterblow counter blow each interceptor command is under the direct control of a brigadier general who is subordinate to the air air force commander the heads of the interceptor commands are as follows brig gen john C mcdonnell interceptor command first air force mitchel field long island N Y brig gen carlyle H wash interceptor ter command second air force fort george wright washington brig gen walter H frank interceptor command third air force tampa fla brig gen millard F harmon interceptor command fourth air force riverside california tests will continue the present air districts northeast air district northwest air district southeast air district and southwest air district are to be designated hereafter as air forces as follows first air force formerly northeast air district second air force formerly northwest air district 1 third air force formerly southeast air air district fourth air force formerly southwest air district the air defense command was originally formed to provide experience and the basis for future developments in defense against air attacks which are now being applied in this new organization the air defense command coordinated co control of antiaircraft anti aircraft units pursuit planes and aircraft warning service of signal communications all elements for the protection of an area against hostile air attack sNow that these functions are to be taken over by the interceptor commands the air defense command will rd remain as a laboratory group at mitchel helfield field new york consisting of major general chaney four staff officers and 34 enlisted men they will continue test sector experiments and develop principles tactics and doctrine to be used by the army air corps |