Evening star., 1942-06-29
Civil Air Patrol Adds
Courier Service
To Long DutyList
Volunteer Flyers Speed
VitoI Parts to War
Production Plants
BY BILL BONI,
Wide World Military Editor.

planes and civilian pilots already
have turned in valuable work on
coastal patrol against submarines,
is leaping into another breach with
all the enthusiasm that can be gen.
Grated by upward of $4,000 volun-
teerS organized in Squadrons, wings
and groups in all Of the 48 States.
Since the Army took over control
Of the Nations airlineS and much
of their equipment. and with the
country in a stew over the air cargo
problem, the CAP has instituted a
courier service which, in many re-
speCtS, bears the same relation to
the main commercial air routes as
does auxiliary truck service to rail-
road operations.
But II goes even beyond that in
making vital time saving contribu-
tlons to a war program in which
time is the one main essential.
Made Economic Survey.
Under the supervision of Garnet
n Hughes, executive officer of the
New York wing, an economic sur
vey was made for a Long Island war
production plant which had fire.
quent calls for small shipments of
parts, tools and other materials. and
got them by truck, motorcycle or
private car.
In one month 266 such trips were
made covering 14.780 miles. involv-
ing 422 hours spent in transit. and
costing S1,700 The CAP estimated
it could cut the mileage to 1l,040:
reduce the time-in-transit to llO
hours, and operate at less than half
the previous cost. The CAP now
has been intrusted with these mis-
sions.
A New Jersey shell loading plant
has 10 send samples of all its new
runs" to the nearest Army prov
ing ground and can't continue pro-
ductlon until the sample has been
OK'd. The CAP now makes those
deliveries and production has been
speeded appreciably.
May Carry Air Mail.
There are infinite possibilities for
this sort of work, including a chance
of carrying air mail on now aban-
doned routes. and the CAP under
National Commander Earle L. John
son is looking into all of them.
In the six months of its organi-
zation it already has branched out
into many fields. CAP planes have
flown Army officers on short hops
where military planes were not
available ana fast transportation
was necessary.
Notably in Georgia and the Caro-
linas, CAP planes have aided the
forest service in locating forest fires
and taking firehghting officers on
survey flights which enabled them
10 map their plans.
This has worked out SO well that
the forest service recently sent
directive To its regional officers eX-
planning the organization Of the
CAP. and authorizing them TO use
its equipment. either on patrol
against incendiary saboteurs t1res
IN 10 places in Chattahoochee Ma
tional Forest were listed as Of in
Cendiary origin1 detection of new
fires when smoke blotS out viSl-
bility from lookout towers. and
transportation of flrefghterS and
their equipment to scenes Of action.
Helps Red Cross.
The same sort of arrangement
shortly may be made with the Red
Cross. which already has found the
CAP a welcome aid in MidWestern
tornado and flood relief work.
At Pryor and Pawhuska, Okla,
two CAP squadrons followed the
trail Of tornadoes to relay word to
relief officials about where help was
needed. In the case of the Pryor
disaster. a physician went out as
passenger in one of the planes and
was able to give on-the-spot medi-
cal attention to those badly injured,
while other planes few in essential
serumS.
Great Lakes shipping through the
Detroit River was speeded up tins
spring because Michigan CAP pa
trolls brought in daily reports on the
breakup of the winter ice jams.
Two planes Of the Arkansas wing
few $4,000 sugar rationing cards to
boards in outlying counties. An
Oregon aerial searching party under
Wing Comdr Capt Leo G. Devaney
by md-mornlng located an Army
bonner that had disappeared on
nie1t fight.
Locates Secondary Fields.
Units in the Southeast and else
where have helped the Army and
Navy locate potential secondary air
fields, away from ma ior bases. where
aircraft could be dispersed in case
OF enemy bombing raids.
At Glen Falls. n. Y. and Detroit,
to name just two, CAP pilots and
observers have furnished reports
on the efficiency Of blackoutS. while
an Amsterdam IN. V CAP unit has
given aircraft warning spoilers in
that area invaluable training in
identifying planes ad estimating al
titudeS
In New Jersey, students of the
American School for Design are
flown in CAP planes While making
detailed camoufage plans for air
ports.
Two Sleeve Targets.
Illinois pilots have toWed sleeve
targets for the anti-aircraft batteries
at Fort Sheridan. and South Dakota
sheep and cattle ranchers have
taken to their CAP planes in sue
Cessful aerial hunts against coyotes
in which the pilot maneuvers his
plane to drive the coyote onto open
ground and then sets him up for
a shotgun blast from the observer.
For security reasons the Army and
Navy Will release no specific infor-
nation on what the CAP is accom-
pAShlng on submarine patrol.
1t Is known, however, that these
accomplishments have been con-
siderable. at least in keeping the
u-boatS below the surface-even in
the case of tho Y,i1ot ubO sent ont