“RAY-LESS BEAM”

Evening Star, Issue 23499, 13 February 1940, Page 12

“RAY-LESS BEAM”

HOW HITLER BLAOKS-OUT HIS CAR The cars used by Hitler and by General von Brauehitsch, Commander-in-Chief of the Germany army, 'are fitted with .“.invisible-” Bikker headlamps, the invention of a Dutch officer. This is reported by the special correspondent in Amsterdam of the ‘ Daily Telegraph,’ who writes:— ■ “The secret of the Bikker device ia that, by an ingenious system of .shading, the light beam becomes so thin aa to be ‘ ray-less.’ An .invisible beam is thus thrown which only jlluminatea the object-on which it. is directed. _ - “This controlled light, when* installed on the bonnets of cars and beside their rear lights, is visible for miles horizontally and will light up art object at nearly 50yds, .yet at the saina time it cannot be seen either from tha side or from-above. “ The Dutch Admiralty has made an exhaustive examination of the system. By way of test every signal light, dock lamp, and buoy on the JCieuwe Waterweg, the biggest-Dutch waterway, wa* equipped with a Bikker shade. 1 An aeroplane went up on moonless night*. and was unable to - find the waterway. “ Other tests were made with equal success, and as a result the Admiralty lias ordered, that every ship,, every sluice and canal,; and oven the qoastal lights should he shaded in. this way. “ In-Belgium the-controlled light i*i employed to signal aeroplanes; taking off at night. In Holland .it is used, on army aerodromes and in watch-towers; 1 “ Army cars in Holland can drive in column through the darkness at .30 to 40 miles an hour, if the leading car lias full Bikker equipment. “ A Hollahd-Amerika liner has been successfully blaoked-out, although allthe portholes, remained uncovered and, the passengers had enough light to read by. .Aeroplanes, flying 500 ft ahovo' the ship could see the vessel, hut unfits lights: \ ' ’ . “ Six warships; fitted with t}ie Bikkepdevice -were not seen at all .from tho, air. . • “ I'understand that in Britain" tha controlled light has up to now been used mainly for signalling at sea -and for squadron flying. ' “ Bikker lights oen be employed along the edges of pavements and at crossings.”-