Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-05-16
AIR DEFENSE TESTS
To END TOMORROW
Bombardment and Attack
Planes to Be Sent Out
Against Aberdeen.

The greatest test of the Nations
methods Of anti-aircraft defenses. in
progress here since last Monday, will
come to q close at noon tomorrow, fol-
lowing final attack mission in force
by Is bombardment and attack planes
Of the Red Army, based at Boiling
Field.
Six big twin-engined LB-7 lombard
ment planes and nine attack planes
commander of the Red forces, on q
combined mission against the Blue air
drome at Aberdeen Proving Grounds,
Md, this morning. A similar mission
Is being flown this afternoon and to-
night q mission of three bombardment
planes will go out.
The elaborate communication and
observation network set out by the Blue
forces over an area Of hundreds OF
has been supplemented, 1t was an
nounced today by the War Department,
by amateur radio operators In the battle
zone.
Called National Asset.
Several Of these civilian operators
have volunteered their services as OBJ
servers and during the first three days
Of the exercises transmitted more than
so messages giving warning Of the
movement Of the Red air force. These
messages were received by an Army
amateur radio station at Fort Howard,
Md, which Is operated regularly for
the purpose Of cooperating with the
radio amateurs. who are characterized
by the War Department Is an "im-
portant national asset" From Fort
Howard the messages are sent by Signal
Corps telegraph operators to Aberdeen.
Despite the elaborate Blue defensive
network, the Red air forces yesterday
demonstrated the fact that the most
elaborate defenses so far devised by
man fail to form an effective barrier
against aerial raids.
The attack plane missions were 100
per cent effective, all three missions
Of three planes each getting through
the network Of observation stations I'M
detected and taking the Blue anti-air-
craft gunners and defensive pursuit
squadron by surprise in a whirlwind
attack.
The bombardment missions were 80
per cent effective, two out Of six of
the big planes getting through to their
objective. In war times these raids un-
doubleday would have put the Blue air
drome and defense organization out of
commission for an indefinite period,
Air Corps officers believe.
Mission Called on.
A bombardment mission, which was
scheduled for last night, was called OF
because Of threats Of severe line squalls
over the battle area.
The success Of the attack planes yes
terday Is attributed in part to o spray Of
foliage which decorated the landing gear
Of one the planes when it landed at
Boiling Field. The attack planes nor
mally perform their missions by hedge
hopping" or flying as low as possible
in order to escape detection by taking
cover behind hills and trees. The
foliage was collected when one of the
pilots clipped treetop in keeping for
nation.
Orders were issued as a result of the
incident for the attack planes to
abandon their normal tactics and, for
the sake of safety, to fly not lower
than 1000 feet. The flights took adj
vantage Of the order by climbing to
approximately 1000 feet, where they
escaped detection by the observation
posts.
The downfall Of more than 80 obser-
vation posts, aided by the power of
radio, field telephone and the most
modern equipment, thus was attributed
by defense officers to twig and a few
leaves.