Evening star., 1941-09-04
Spoilers Aid
Capital Defense
lin Maneuvers
Bombers to Attack
Seubourd in Extensive
October Exercises
BY NELSON SHEPARD.

The Army will utilize the services
of civilian airplane spoilers in the
Washington area for the first time
in the defense Of the National Cap
ital against attacking enemy"
bombers next month when WASH
ington becomes a part of wide
spread aviation maneuverS along
the Atlantic seaboard
From Georgia to Boston, Mass,
the War Department announced,
thousands of volunteer spoilers will
be engaged from October to 25
throughout areas from 100 to $50
miles inland. 1t will be the first
large-scale test of the efficiency Of
the Aircraft Warning Service, COM
posed of civilians in practically
every large community.
From hilltops, listening stations
and other strategic points the spot
tiers will signal warnings of the ap-
proach of hostile aircraft. The re-
ports will be sent to filter centerS
and relayed to region. command
posts, where orders will be issued
that will send fast pursuit ships out
to stop bomberS before they reach
their objectives.
Emmons in Command.
1t. Gen. DeloS c. Emmons, COM
manding officer of the Air Force
sCombat Command, will be in charge
of the air exercises, the prime mo-
tive of which will be to test the
Coast Artillery and anti-aircraft
defenses along the Atlantic coast.
All plans for the maneuverS and the
services of spoilers are being made
in New York.
The First Interceptor Command,
headquartered at Mitchell Field,
Long Island, N. Y, will conduct
maneuvers from October 9 to 10,
north from the Virginia-North Caro-
lima line to Boston.
The Third Interceptor Command,
stationed at Drew Field, Tampa,
Fla, will take part in the exercises
along the southern coast to the
Florida line.
Air Corps officers at Boiling Field
said that Washington Is so stra-
logically important in the defense
that its position cannot be ignored
during the maneuyers. The War
| Department announcement made no
mention of Washington, but officials
said such plans for its defense would
| be provided.
Patterned After British.
Pursuit planes from Boiling Field,
no doubt, will be utilized in heading
off the approach of any enemy"
bombers winging their way toward
the National Capital.
The Aircraft Warning Service, CO.
operating with the Army, Navy and
Coast Guard, is being organized
throughout the country with q nu-
cleus of 100000 civilian volunteers.
Such local activities come under the
Districts Defense Council. The
service is patterned after the British
civilian service which has aided so
remarkably in the air defense of
London and other cities during two
years of Nazi raids.
Fort Monroe. Va, and Langley
Field, Va, the former the main coast
defense of the Norfolk and CheSa-
peake Bay region, will play impor-
tant parts in the maneuvers. The
air defense that will be tested in
these exercises, the War Depart
ment said, will include such func-
tions as anti-aircraft artillery and
searchlights, in addition to the civil
ian spoilers and pursuit aviation.
May Use Fortresses.
The bombing units used during the
October maneuverS will include both
medium bombers and the longer
range heavy bombers. 1t was be-
lieved that a number of the famous
flying fortresSes, heaviest bombers
in combat operation, also will be
used.
The bombers will come from all
| directions under simulated combat
conditions. Flights that might be
made by enemy bombers from ships
at sea will be spotted from patrols of
Army aircraft and by observers on
coaStWiSe vessels.
All details of the exercises will be
worked out by the Interceptor Com
mands, in cooperation with the
civilian agencies concerned for the
respective areas in which the ma
neuvers will be conducted. Confer
ences will be held here with District
officials soon to work out plans for
the defense of WASHINGTON