AERIAL DEFENCE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 259, 30 September 1936, Page 7

AERIAL DEFENCE

DISPLAY AT WELLINGTON. TEST AT NIGHT. Per Press Association. AVELLINGTON, Sept. 29. A mild form of aerial liide-and-seek was played over AVellington for an hour to-night by an aeroplane of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, from Wigram Aerodrome, and the searchlights of the Royal New Zealand Artillery at Fort Dorset. The game in the sky was entertaining to the watchers, but had a serious purpose from the service point of view, being instructional practice with some of the anti-aircraft equipment at night. The ’plane represented an enemy bomber over AVellington; the artillery men had to find it with sound indicators and then show it up with searchlights so that it could have been attacked with the anti-aircraft guns, this being the first test. The aeroplane kept on a fairly regular course within a given area, although this was unknown to the ground observers. The anti-aircraft equipment was installed at the fort a few months ago as part of the programme in the improvement of coastal defence. This is the first anti-aircraft exercise held in AA’cllington, but a practice was held some weeks ago at Auckland. A test more approximate to service conditions will be held to-morrow night, and on Friday afternoon a parade of the antiaircraft guns, searchlights, and other equipment will be held through the streets of AVellington.