The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1938-10-12
BIG BLACKOlyT
IN AIR GAMES
THURSDAY EVE
Invaders" in Eastern N.
C.. close" Three Fly
ing Fortresses

FORT BRAGG, Oct. y. (UP).
A little cabin in the woods proved
disastrous yesterday for three
giant army bOmbers, Boeing fly
ing fortresses," when invading
Black forces staged sham aerial
attacks on anti-aircraft batteries
in the army'S extensive war ma
neuverS.
The cabin looked innocent
enough. Smoke curled from its
chimney. A washing tapped on
the line in a gentle breeze and
pigs grunted nearby. To the side
of the cabin u bucket danglcd
near a well. In the rear q little
path led to an clubhouse.
But inside the cabin was an
anti-aircraft gun capable of hurl-
ing "a three-inch shells per min
ute mt planes flying three miles
overhead. Also hidden by the
moSS-covered roof was equipment
for detecting the planes, equip
ment which almost automatically
could point the guns ut planes
flying above the clouds.
At start of the maueuvers
three NOrthrupp attack planes
from the enemy base" at Lang
ley field, Va, swept over the cab
in, flying less than $50 feet above
the ground They caught the
CLINT of decoy gun position in
the woods, zoomed back into the
sky, and then returned, leaving a
smokescreen of acrid, whitish-
grey gas which would blind gun
ners 0 nthe ground and leave an
unmistakable target. for the fleet
of bomberS to follow. rly.
The attack planes had reckoned
without the cabin, however, which
stood in the edge of the swirline
smoke. The cabin roof slid. back
and the "airplane cannon thrust
its muzzle into the sky. The fly,
ing fortress" dove toward the
:smoke-filled area, but ground ref
erees said they were easy targets
for the gun.
The attack was no surprise to
the hidden gunners. The 1000
civilian obser verS scattered
throughout Eastern North Caro-,
lima had flashed their positions to
Fort Bragg and defense headquar-
ters here had warned the gunners
Besides, the observers added, the
low-flying Northrupps were direct,
ly over nests of 50-calibre ma
chine guns that could have blast
ed them to earth. The machine
gun batteries were so well hidden
the observers could not detect
them from a distance of Is feet
Other attacks We're more sue
cessful. The smokescreen was
entirely effective at two of the
six batteries defending Fort
/ Bragg, and partly successful al
the others. At most of the bat
! teries, the attackers were fooled
| by dummy guns while the real
guns, some of them with live trees
strapped to their barrels, came
within the edge of the smoke
Trees were transplanted roots and
all, for much OF the camouflagino
Major Fl. H. George revealed
the army would conduct the most
extensive blackout ever held in
the United States on THURSDAY
night. Sometime between the
hours of 6, and 10 p. M, lights will
be extingUished by 100000 peonle
in SO cities and towns over AN
area of $4,000 square miles. The
olacEout signal will be given BY
radio to townsfolk and motorists,
lights will blink and sirens will
scream the approach of the bomb,
erS.
Because bombers must discharg,
their load of bombs before the,
return to their base, army Off
Gals hoped the blackout wo11lt
cause the enemy to drop bombs or
their own territory. The bomber,
must fly by dead reckoning. Us,
of flares until an objective /
reached will be dangerous becaus
the light would give away positio
of the bombers., =
USE THE WANT ADS.