The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1918-08-03
AIR RAIDERS FEAR
the sEARcH||L|IGHT
Allies Find Powerful and Far.
Reaching Illumination an In.
portant Factor. Ii. IL.
USEFUL N spo111Ne TANKS
Pick Up Hun eomblns Planes at Z
Distance and Keep Them Con.
stantiy In vlew-Equlpped !,
With Sound ,Dstsctors.

.."%. WIN oOOVO 0OSSCI0COs t.ar
New York.-Last fall, when the Aus.
trians were driving the Italian SOL
dters from their hard-won i mountain
fortresses, the defeated army had one
weapon which 1t constantly used to
harass and impede the foe. This was
the electric searchlight, 2 newcomer
on the field of battle.
n Powerful lights were trained every
night upon the advancing Austrians
whenever they came. to q river cross
ing or whenever they were obliged TO
halt for another reason. This ham,
pered and irritated the enemy ex-
ceedingly.. 1t was not only that Sc
rious danger attended any disclosure
Of their operations. They suffered
also from nerves when the long feel
ers of light brushed over their faces
and hands and revealed every detail
Of the work upon which they were
engaged. ~ e..
The use ,Of searchlights' by our
own expeditionary forces issbecoming
an important branch Of the engineer
ing service. Not long ago congress
voted an appropriation Of $1.00O,OOO
for searchlights of both the field type
and the anti.aircraft type. The lights
commonly used are 38-inch lights, hav-
ing candlepower of / 200, OO0, 600. and
maximum range Of approximately
10000 yards, or nearly six miles. Il.
First Use In Warfare, y -tss,a
When searchlights were first. intro
duced in warfare 1t was expected that
they would he primarily service
able in battlefield illumination. The
scheme was to throw light upon the
opposing battle line and shthv ad-
vancing companies Of infantry the
kind OF ground over which they had
to 60. Another plan was. to have
rows Of searchlights parallel With the
trenches and sweep the terrain be-
fore them, lighting up the barbed-
wire entanglements laid by the" foe
and exposing parties Of enemy sol
diers at work repairing Them. How
ever, neither Of these uses turned out
to he especially significant. The diff
fculty was that. as soon as the lights
were in operation. they were easily
picked of by the enemy's guns. In
the same manner, they could not be
placed along the line Of trenches 7;
I More recent experiments have dem.
Onstated that there is' real useful,
ness for field searchlights. They are
now being employed to spot the en-.
eIny's tank advances. Instead, of he,
ing, hauled by horses, Ike the first Aeld
searchlights. the newer ones are
mounted on motor trucks. They: are.
flashed for only minute orsstwo" at a
time. and are instantly shifted to an.
other vantage point. This affords
them a greater measure, Of self-pro.
lection. ,~ e.. s.,. 3D.. ",ss !.
The antiaircraft. searchlight is the
most valuable type Of light now used
by our soldiers. It Is our most eff:
fective defense against the iow-6ying
night bombing plane of the Germans.
Antiaircraft guns have proved almost
'hopelassly Inadequate in coping with
night air raids, and n II We're not for
the long pointing fingers Of the search.
light the foe would be able; to effect
some very deadly work in night At.
tacks upon supply depots and ammuni.,
ton dumps. I
The method is to pick up a hostile
bombing plane when 1t Is about Ave
miles away from it's objective. For
this purpose the search1ights are. 10
Gated at points likely to be. attacked.
They are sunk in holes In the ground
and are heavily sandbagged. Both the
light and the men working it are given
considerable protection.
Fitted With Sound Receivers.
To detect the approach Of airplanes
the searchlight apparatus Is furnished
with sound receivers. Without these
receivers the outfit Is practically use 4
less. The receiver can be swung
around TO catch the sound vibrations, \
and they are remarkably accurate in
discovering the position ,of the plane.
Usually it can be located within few
degrees. The light Is not turned on at ,
all until the airplane Is practically To-
Gated: Then It is suddenly flashed ON
the craft. Once q bombing plane Is !
found it Is hard for 1t to get a way from
the inexorable pencil Of light. Bomb
ing planes are not like bottle. planes;
they must fly in Comparatively |
straight lines and are not free to
twist and turn so. as to wriggle out
of range Of the light. I'LL, .
The first thing an aviator does when
he finds himself in the spotlight Is to
rise. That Is just what the operator Of I
the searchlight wants him to do. The !
higher he goes the less accurate his
aim becomes and the smaller grows
the chance that he can hurl his bombs
at a desired point. Furthermore. heis
lazzled by the light and his sense Of
security is completely destroyed. Some
times he can be found out by one OF
the antiaircraft guns, a pursued by
one of our own airplanes. Even II the
searchlight crew does nothing more
than to brighten an a;rman and drive
him away, 1t has performed a defensive.
act which. may save quantities Of
stores and ammunition to say nothing i
Z lives. s-.------ -.
,t-.,.ss.. ..---bUy W. s.,&---- slassshN y'.I