Evening star., 1938-10-14
AUTO LIGHTS FOIL
BLACKOUT VICTORY
North Carolina Test Shows
Control of Highways
Needed in Defense.
By JOSEPH S. EDGERTON,
Star Stan Correspondent,


Star Stan Correspondent.
FORT BRAGG, N. c., Oct. 14-An-
alyzing the results of Americas first
large-scale use of the "blackout" as a
defensive weapon against enemy ali
raids, Army defense officers here are
convinced that, with some modifica-
tions of the system which last night
plunged thousands Of square miles OF
Eastern North Carolina into blackness,
valuable addition to this country's
national defense plans may be real
tied.
To make the blackout an entire
success it quickly became apparent as
six giant Bit flying fortress bombers
Of the invading black" air forces
reared into the defense area. it will be
necessary to gain positive control over
automobile traffic on the major high
ways.
Except for the Illumination of the
highways by automobile headlights,
pilots Of the invading bombers ad-
mitted. the blackout was exceedingly
successful and would have been not
only extremely confusing to enemy
pilots unfamiliar with the area ex-
cept from maps, but probably would
have proved fatal to the success of a
bombing attack on the Fort Bragg Air
drome target.
Writer Participates in Raid"
The writer was observer aboard the
first bombardment airplane entering
ha 10 No of Io
I'd Bombardment Group, General
Headquarters Air Force, Langley
Field, Va, under command of Capt.
H. M. Wittkop. Army Air Corps. TAX
ing the place of one of the nine reg
ular members of the crew of the 49,
ton bomber, the writer had an oppor-
tunity to witness from the viewpoint
of the invading air force the effect Of
what may become one of the major
passive defense measures against air
attacks on the coasts of the Nation.
Coupled with the amazingly success
ful civilian air defense warning net
now in daily operation here. the black
out undoubtedly will be put into imme-
diate operation for the defense of such
vulnerable cities as Washington, New
York, Philadelphia and other in:por-
tant commercial and industrial CEN
ters on or near the sea coasts.
We took off from Pope Field, Fort
Bragg, nerve-center of the defense net
and blackout area. at 6:24 pm. yester-
day, in the last red glow of cloudy
sunset. The Bit. it's four engines
delivering a total of 1000 horsepower.
takes off with the fierce rush OF pur-
suit airplane; in fact, with top speed
of around 240 miles per hour, it is
capable of outlying all but few of
the most modern pursuit air planes.
Capt. Wittkop turned the nose of the
bomber almost due East and in 20
minutes reached an altitude of l2,500
feet. The effect of altitude became
slightly apparent in sluggishness OF
mind and body and increased the ra-
pidity and effort of breathing. How
ever. oxygen tanks are provided at all
crew stations in the plane for few
whiffs through long flexible tube.
which permits members Of the crew
to move around freely while taking
oxygen. Soon restoring sense of
alertness and we'll being, oxygen was
taken at regular intervals through
the remainder of the flight, chiefly to
prevent i'll effects upon landing. Five
other flying fortresses of the attacking
forces we're taking off behind us at 10
minute intervals. each acting inde-
pendently to test the effectiveness Of
the blackout.
We passed over many brightly-light-
ed towns and cities, among them
North Elizabethtown and Goldsboro,
visible between scattered clouds at 5000
feet.
Blister" gun turrets on the flanks Of
the bomber made ideal vantage points
At 7 pm, beginning of the blackout
period, Capt. Wittkop threw his 19-ton
thunderbolt into steeply banked 1885,
degree turn over Vanceboro. near the
edge OF the principal 15,000-square-
mile blackout zone, and headed West
Northwest toward Raleigh, initial point
for the assault of the dummy defense
airdrome at Fort Bragg.
Net Warns Of Planes.
Below, the defense net observers were
At work, warnings began to circulate
by telephone, radio, sound and light
signals and messengers that our at
tacking airplanes had been heard.
Slowly at first but with increasing ra-
pidity lights began to go out. Colds
boro, just below the portside gun blis-
tiers, became a remarkable spectacle.
In great sections, its street lights went
out. Neon signs and show windows fol-
lowed. An inky wave washed over the
residential areas and soon there was
but the ghost Of city on the black
background. distinguishable chiefly
because of automobile headlights which
traced grid pattern. Many of these
began to disappear as we slid away at
more than 200 miles per hour.
Out in the country areas. the
response to the blackout warning was
much slower. The highways were the
least affected of all. There was no
mistaking the main roads and their
converging the locations of the main
towns and cities no matter how we'll
darkened, could be determined. Our
officers, far ahead in the nose of the
dig oomoer, accessible only by way of
a slender catwalk over the gaping
oomb compartment, were on course
by instrument and could have relied
upon the scattered stars for celestial
navigation had this been necessary.
Raleigh Brightly Lighted.
At 1880 We arrived over Raleigh,
Just outside the blackout zone and
brightly lighted. Here the great wing,
with the blue flames of the four ex-
hausts streaming across it's polished
top surface, cooked up as we changed
course to the southwest on our final
attack approach. The under side of
the wing and fuselage were heavily
smeared with black coating contain
ing lamp-black to offer less visibility
in case the defense searchlights should
expose us to the fire" OF the waiting
gun batteries.
We now were on the great Atlantic