ATOMIC SHELL

Waikato Times, Volume 106, Issue 22690, 18 August 1945, Page 6

ATOMIC SHELL

GUIDED BY RADAR ANSWER TO ROCKET COLLISION PRINCIPLE (United Press Assn.— Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, Aug. 17 There is an answer to the atomic bomb—a new type of shell carrying an atom-splitting warhead, propelled by atomic energy and guided by radar. While the new bomb was ending the Far Eastern war, British scientists were already quietly producing this answer, says the Daily Mail’s aviation correspondent. He adds : “This means a fight between the atomic rocket and the atomic shell. In this new anti-aircraft fire, radar will give instant warning of the atomic rocket as soon as it is launched. “The approach of rocket bombs travelling at 3000 miles an hour was being plotted by radar just before the bombardment ceased. Scientists have since continued work on the counter-measures, which were about to be tested then. “Radar will provide a beam which, automatically making contact with and sticking to the atomic rocket, will guide to it an even faster atomic shell propelled by atomic energy. Scientists predict that the mighty explosion will be high enough above the earth to obviate surface damage or injury. “Long-range bombardment will henceforth be by atomic rocket. Atomic rockets could be fully controlled for thousands of miles.” RADIO INDUSTRY IN WAR GREAT SECRET PRODUCTION LONDON, Aug. 17 Factories converted from other usages, garages, private homes and even garden huts throughout Britain were used in the radio industry’s wartime task of keeping pace with the scientists’ ideas and the tremendous demand from the Services. The industry grew secretly throughout the war to fivefold its peacetime size. The keynote was improvisation. All classes and ages of people were enrolled—even blind persons and cripples. A quarter of a million workers were behind radar supplies, and 38.000,000 valves were produced last year for the three Services, which have a peacetime demand of only 250,000. The utmost secrecy governed the whole production effort, particularly for radar parts. Widely scattered firms made essentially related parts, often not knowing what they were achieving. Royal Air Force tenders during the Battle of Britain collected radar sets as they came off the test benches for installation in fighters.