Britain’s Air Weapon

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 19 June 1941, Page 3

Britain’s Air Weapon

o! RADIO LOCATION The revelation that what, is described as “radio location” is being employed '? In Great Britain to detect the niove;t meats of enemy aircraft and ships was made, doubtless, because the enemy lias probably been well aware of its use and its general principles for some time. Nevertheless, the announcement is of considerable interest and importance since the development of “radio location” lias been a considerable factor in the recent increasing successes 1- achieved against enemy night bombers. - Described as one of the “most import- - ant and closely-guarded secrets of the war” radio detection has been brought to an advanced stage of perfection by long and patient scientific research. Radio Weapon Air Chief Marshal Sir Philip Joubert, the newly-appointed commander-in-chief Coastal Command, R.A.F., says that “radio location” already lias had a profound effect on air, naval and military strategy and that its organization now covers the whole of Great Britain and the staffs employed •by the three services number many thousands. Beyond stating that “radio detection” may be described ns the development of wireless as a practical weapon of war, Sir Philip Joubert gives no inkling as to the nature of the apparatus employed. As has been said, it is probable that the enemy has known for some time of its use in Britain and it is possible that Germany may have developed some device of a similar nature for the detection of British aircraft. American Detector Whether this be so or not, it is definitely known that the United States Army has long been experimenting with what wag described ten months *go as a “secret plane detector.” Writing from the headquarters of the Air Defence Command of the First Army an August 9 last year, a special correspondent of the “New York Times” had much to say about the experiments that were being conducted with the detector In the Army’s manoeuvre area. He said the equipment was being operated by the First Aircraft Warning Company, part of the country’s air defence command instituted by the United States War Department in September, L 939. The device, developed during the last five years, was an aircraft detector which operated on a wireless ray principle, an’d, under favourable conditions, was believed to be capable of detecting aircraft at a distance of considerably more than 100 jniles away. None of the personnel of the air defence organization would discuss the operation of the device or the results obtained. Its existence was no secret, but, “even if civilians wore permitted to see it, its complicated technical nature would defy average understanding.” U.S. Stations General Marshall, Chief of Staff of the United States Array, in justifying funds required for the construction of several detectors, told Congress that it was proposed to install one or more iu the Panama Canal zone, and at Hawaii, three or four on the Atlantic Coast of the United States and several on the Pacific Coast. The detector used in the First Army manoeuvres was mobile, the equipment being mounted in trucks and trailers. The aircraft detector, said the correspondent, had been long tested out in the Signal Corps laboratories. It had nothing to do with the familiar listening “ears” or locators which picked up the sound of an aeroplane’s engines and were used by anti-aircraft artillery batteries. It had a far greater range than the sound locator and it was said that planes could not be shielded to prevent detection. The new device was not intended to replace any existing equipment employed in air defence, but would supplement it powerfully. The device was said to give the defenders sufficient warning to get their fighter aircraft into the air in readiness to meet any attack Hunting Submarines It is stated that the British “radio location” apparatus is being used for the detection of enemy ships as well as planes; and that it has a considerable range. From this it would appear to offer great possibilities when used iu co-operation with the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine detection gear (“Asdig”) for the location and hunting of U-boats. And it may well be that the radio locator will prove of great value in the operations against the enemy’s long-range bombers at sea. In a recent article in the “Aeroplane” it was stated that “submarines as commerce raiders had had much of their effectiveness restored to them by the aeroplane.” The Germans have boasted that their air scouts at sea enable the U-boats to work in “packs.” The aeroplane reconnoitres for them, finds their victims and directs them to the place of attack. They have little need 1 to expose themselves while looking for prey. With good information from the air as to the speed and course of a convoy, they can make their attacks in the darkness.

If the radio location apparatus and the Navy’s anti-submarine devices can be co-ordinated for operations against the enemy’s U-boats and long-range bombers a great advantage will have been gained by Britain in the Battle of the Atlantic. Navy’s Hydrophones The radio locator has been developed as a weapon in this war in much the same way as was the hydrophoue in the anti-submarine operations of the last war. The hydrophone for use in locating submerged submarines, although first evolved in 1915, was in its infancy, so far as supply to ships was concerned, at the beginning of 1917. Lord Jeilicoe has recorded that although very useful results bad been obtained and a considerable number of shore stations as well as some patrol vessels had been fitted with hydrophones, wbich had a listening range of one or two miles, all the devices for use afloat suffered from the disadvantage that it was not possible to use them while the ship was moving, since I the noise of her own machinery and of the water passing along the ship’s side prevented the noise made by submarines being located. Much research and experimental work was carried out during 1917 by naval officers, assisted by leading scientists, and an instrument was devised, termed the “fish hydrophone.” which largely filled the required conditions. About the same time directional hydrophones wore produced both by Captain Ryan, R.N., and the Board of Invention and Research. Large numbers of patrol craft were then fitted with hydrophones, which proved very successful in locating and hunting submarines. Since then the Navy’s antisubmarine devices haw advanced very far and have proved deadly to the enemy in this war.—(S.D.W.)

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