Evening star., 1938-01-08
j. S. BRAIN GUN
ANSWER TO RAIDS
Experts Say Bombers Will
Fail in Attacks Upon
Guarded Sectors.
By the Associated Press.

By the ASSOCIATED FreSS.
NEW YORK, Jan. 8.-The United
States. whose air force is described as
the most efncient in existence By
James "All the Worlds Aircraft" has
second deadly answer to attacks
from the air.
1t Is the Army's anti-aircraft ar
tillery, which, while lacking sadly in
numerical strength, has displayed
such technical progress that experts
believe it capable of making important
military areas invulnerable to raids
by hostile aircraft.
Military observers watching the
modern units shatter aerial targets
at extreme ranges with an uncanny
skill unmatched, at least publicly, by
foreign forces, rate the United States
among the world leaders in the de-
velopment Of ground defenses against
bombing planes.
Outstanding among the units of
this invaluable branch OF the national
defense is the 62d Coast Artillery,
whose mission is guarding metropoli-
tan New York from bombing raids.
Equals Foreign Progress.
Capable Of hurting more than three
tons Of flying steel per minute from
Its mechanically controlled guns, the
regiments practice operations drew
from observers the report that in
materiel, training and tactics it is
equal to or superior to similar units
OF foreign countries"
The secret of the anti-aircraft ar
thierys startling efficiency is in its
closely guarded fire-control equip
men. 100000 mechanical brains"
which compute from basic obserya-
tlons the position of enemy targets
and automatically aim the fast-firine
cannon.
Through their use skilled gun crews
relleved OF the necessity of aiming
their 3-inch guns manually, are able
70 nre them at the rate of 80 or more
snots a minute, hurting l5-pound
nigh explosive shells which literally
blanket an area under fire with their
deadly pellets of steel.
Az night sound detectors and search
ilghts coupled to the "mechanical
brains" give the regiments equally
deadly striking power. g
Travel by Fast Truck.
Fully mechanical, the modern anti
aircraft regiments move swiftly at
speeds OF rs or more miles an hour,
travelling In special trucks which carry
tne guns. men and equipment The
o2o, based at Fort Totten, Long Island.
Travelled $4,000 vehicle miles from
January l to November Is last year.
Such forces. equipped with the new
type guns and fire control instru-
ments, could, observers declare, under
normal conditions, protect any as
signed area by destroying attacking
aircraft or forcing them to such great
attitudes that effective bombing would
be impossible.
THE small amount of modern
equipment in the hands Of the Regular
Army and the National Guard has
already proved its effectiveness against
airplane attacks" says a late report
on the Army's new defensive arm.
The American people need not fear
that the United States Army does not
know how to combat attacks such as
those We hear Of daily from Spain
and China. although they must be
advised that at present there is a
lack Of sufncient modern equipment
to furnish such protection on 4 large
SCALE"
Other Units in U. S,
The 62d is the only Regular Army
regiment Of anti-aircraft artillery
available on the Atlantic Coast. The
Pacific Coast has one regiment Of one
third strength, while similar skeleton
forces are based at Fort Crockett, Tex,
and Fort Sheridan, Ill.
But, say the military experts who
have watched the new equipment in
action, 10 years of intensive CO.
operation by American scientists, engi-
neers and military technical officers
has produced guns and fire control
instruments which have not only kept
abreast but have gone ahead of the
rapid advances in military aviation.