LIGHTUP OR BLACKOUT

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 42, 13 November 1941, Page 3

LIGHTUP OR BLACKOUT

Protection Of Cities Froni

Air Raiders

CONFLICTING THEORIES

An eminent expert on light and lighting is Mr. A. F. Wickerson, of the General Electric Company, of the United States of America. This authority comments on the blackout aud the lightsup theories in a receut issue of the ‘‘General Electric Review,” as follows: Millions of Europeans and Asiatics and countless Americans have come to look on the blackout as an established institution of modern war. But just how effective is the blackout? In the ease of the British Isles, many R.A.F. flyers have said that even on a dark night the surf of the coastline is visible to Nazi pilots. Moonlight, even starlight, and parachute flares—all aid in the detectiou of these islands. After locating them, which the Nazi flyers can do by radio beam anyway, the big cities and even smaller ones can be detected despite the blackout, for cities have a reflection characteristic that differs from that of the surrounding countryside. Moreover, espionage signalling witn light is aided by the blackout. Even though this can be controlled to a large degree, the dropping of parachute flares cannot, and the blackout is of little value when incendiary bombs produce giant torches in the form of burning buildings. Blackouts greatly reduce .a city s nocturnal activity. Automobile and pedestrian speeds, and driving and walking habits are vastly altered. Unnecessary use of the streets is discouraged. Traffic accidents occur more frequently. Social life and therefore morale, is greatly affected. Many thousands of working hours are lost, and eyesight is strained. The writer and many others believe that what is needed is a glaring canopy of upward-directed light. This could be arranged to blind enemy pilots, to obscure and hide important targets, aud to aid protecting aircraft pilots in shooting down the enemy. This canopy could be created by installing numerous small but powerful searchlights and wide-angle floodlights, with their beams pointed skyward at different angles. Admittedly the idea is revolutionary. Whereas the British arrest anyone suspected of signalling enemy pilots with the aid of upward beams of light, the lightup would actually make a city stau'd out in the night as a diamond might in a bin of coal, and certainly so bright a light would attract the enemy as a flame does a moth, but remember that the enemy pilot could find the city by other means.

'The curtain of glaring lights would confuse enemy pilots and obscure important targets because the light would blot out tell-tale landmarks. In fact, decoy lights could be placed in fields surrounding a city to induce bombing where it would be harmless. By a system of code control, and with the aid of civilian light wardens, the lights could be turned on in 'different areas of the city every night. \These changes from night to night would change the apparent pattern of the city. An important plant, for example, might be blacked out every night, and the various light patterns on successive nights could be made to revolve about it. The enemy in the air would not know whether the plaut was within or was ou the north, south, east or west side of the light pattern for the numerous glare lights would so reduce bis vision that he would not be able to pick out the plaut in the 'darkened fringe. Anyone who has tried to see beyond a glaring automobile headlight will realize what the pilot would have to contend with, but multiplied many times.

The creation of a canopy of glaring light over a city would also serve to aid protecting aircraft pilots by forming below them a background of light against which enemy planes could be seen. Even though the enemy attempted to hide in prevailing clouds, the light barrage would make the clouds luminous and the silhouette principle would still apply, revealing the bomber from above or below.

Protecting aircraft pilots usually know, through radio locating-systems, when attacking planes are on the way, and can get into the sky before the attack actually begins. This gives the.m the advantage of altitude, and with the canopy of light they would have a luminous background against which the enemy coul'd be detected. Furthermore, the Humiliation would help improve the effectiveness of anti-aircraft fire. Also, the lightup would enable people to live, work, and play under conditions more comparable to those of peacetime. Police would not have to work under the great difficulties of darkness; and tire-lighting would be less hazardous.

The United States Army in a preliminary test of the plan recently reported that, in flights over a small area surrounded by incandescent floodlights, not even a long viewing tube could penetrate the glare.