Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-08-21
TERRAIN PROBLEM
SOLVED AT CAMP
goth Division Staff Officers
Employ Long-Distance
Plane Control.
N q stan Correspondent of The Star.

NJ n stan Correspondent Of The Star.
CAMP ALBERT c. RITCHIE, CAS-
CADE, Md, August 2l.-A terrain prob
lem, featured by accurate long distance
!, control of airplanes, was worked out
Yesterday by the 2sth Division stan OF:
ficerS, encamped here for two weeks
training with the District National
Guard
The airplanes which have their base
at Martinsburg, w. Va, were directed
In their maneuvers by Maj. w. T. Tip
ton, commanding officer Of the air
field, from Camp Richie, where he
functioned with the division stan. The
! 2sth Signal Company Of Norfolk, com
West Virginia station, and also talked
by voice and code with the planes, as
they flew in the vicinity of the camp.
This Is the first time since the begin
ming Of the training period that commu-
nication with planes has been carried
on with absolute accuracy. Capt. h
. r. Butt, commanding Ofiicer OF the Sig
nal Company, explained that his or
Ranization has recently acquired new
and powerful radio set, and this Is It's
first real test.
In EmmltSburg Vicinity.
The problem was laid out In the
vicinity of EmmittSburg, Md. The
Blue forces were moving up from the
South against Red enemy. The goth
Division was to cover the right flank on
the Blue army in the Cumberland VAL
ley.
The special mission of the 29th d.
vision was to secure the eastern exits
Of the passes west OF Fora and Fair
field and prevent enemy troop and sup
ply movements through them.
The Reds were encountered near EN-
mittsburR and were forced back to the
north of the town. There the problem
proper for the officers began. They
were required to take personal recon-
naissances along the line of the Blue
advance to obtain information of the
enemy front line position. Then they
dropped back to farmhouse. designat-
ed as j Gray, south of Emmitsburg.
where the division commander was
located.
At this time q plane sped over the
headquarters at Gray and dropped a
message containing information Of the
enemy's artillery and reserves. The
class then returned to Camp Richie
and each officer prepared an attack
order, which was submitted to Lieut..
Col. Charles B. Elliott, Federal in
structor.
Used for Double Duty.
The planes, under the direction of
Maj. Upton, were used for reconnaiS
sance and message work. Besides
radio communication PANEL signalling
was used to transmit orders to pilots
flying over Camp Richie. A device
by which planes could be given written
messages without compelling them to
land was rugged up, but was not put
IN nY1aratfNn Nnrcfetad NJ fun Y4Nl0e
with a line between on which the
message hung attached In such q man
ner that an airplane by flying low and
using a hook could pull it from its
fastenings.
1t was $50 o'clock in the morning
when Maj. Upton radioed his orders
to his base at Martinsburg. and by
10 o'clock the desired information was
in the hands of the division staff
Unless rain interferes a field and
track meet will be held this afternoon.
with companies excused from all other
duties so that their men can particle
pate. The courses were laid out and
; all preparations made yesterday by
Lieut.. George Hardin, the athletic
officer for the camp.
Last evening Company r held its
annual banquet, followed by more than
an hour Of singing and fUn-making by
DCLiI CIlLSOCO u1CI1 d1i0 OCtII-
pany r Is the only company In camp,
all the officers Of which are World War
veterans.
For the men tbs dinner alleviated the
hardship Of their day, which was spent
on the rife range. An orchestra play
ed during the meal and after dinner
q quartet, recruited from the 1st Sep
arate Company Of the Maryland Ma
tional Gus&-d, entertained. First
Sergt. Mouton was master Of cere-