BLACK-OUT PROBLEM

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20631, 12 August 1941, Page 6

BLACK-OUT PROBLEM

MARINERS’ VIEWS APPROACH TO AUCKLAND “The approach to Auckland has a completely different aspect with the black-out and shaded street lights at Takapuna,” said a master mariner in Auckland. “The navigation lights -stand out prominently against the dark background, where once it seemed that mariners had to know where to look to find them in the maze of, bright lights.” Takapuna’s lights now appeared only as oinDOints and could be seen only faintly" when about half-way tc Tiri Tiri Island, he said. A glow ove: Auckland could be seen at a reduced distance out to sea on cloudy nights, but even on clear nights a faint pink glow could be seen for some miles. It would be a poor navigator, however, the speaker said, who could not find his way to Auckland in the darkness from any point. With modern navigation equipment a good mariner could find his way a-s well in the dark as in daylight. Another master mariner said tha* he thought it would be better to have complete black-out practices for two or three nights on end, with strict penaliies for offenders, than a constant partial black-out. One-night practices would be no good, as the people would simply .go out for the night. The heads of the defence services in New Zealand, however, had stated that a black-out was necessary, and they should know their job. he added.

Lights from motor cars on hilly roads could be seen for many miles out to sea, as could the glow from many coastal towns. Motor cars going down into Greymouth and Westport shone their lights into the clouds, and the glow could be plainly seen from a fair distance.

In calm weather Auckland Harbour presents a bright, glassy appearance from the air at night. In bad weather it shows white-capped waves, and is thus a good guide for aircraft in any weather. Pilots who have down over Auckland during the black-out claim that they can see rows of tiny lights ■from household fires through the many straight chimneys.