Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1942-11-08
Why Weather
Forecasts Help
Win BATTLES

M about the weather nobody does anything about
HXl Today under wartime conditions
Plenty Is done about the weatherbut nobody
much peep
Many people are bafned by all this secrecy that sur
rounds atmospheric forecasting in wartime and can't
derstand why the weather reports
the radio But the Importance of weather predicting
be understood when 1t is realized that Chancellor Hers
armies would not have been caught off guard by the bitter
Russian winter they had had proper meteorological data
The icy storm that virtually immobized the German
army the worst in 80 years 1t did not come
night but building for weeks before its chill breath
settled down the cold undas Soviet meeoroogists
months in advance that Russia the
toughest winters in history because all the teltae sce
tfc data appeared before the fierce blizzard
Had the Russians allowed these reports to be broad
cast the German Fuehrer would have been tipped off and
given time to hole his forces for the Winter AS it
he barely broke loose from the icy grip.
- Although weather has played an important role in
warfare from the days of Hannibal to Hitler meteorological
forecasng is without question important today In
this worldwide conflict than before
This is the result Of rapid communication methods and
the swiftness the of mechanical military
such conditions the need for advance pre-
dieting be readily understood.
The role of weather in is important that the
facilities of the United States Weather Bureau
practically devoted to supplying military forces with
data 1t imperative that enemy submarines and other
operating off the American shores be kept from learn
ing United States weather information of any kind A
meteorological aboard Uboat off shores readily
hep his mates plan their attacks coast ship
ping if he is able to pick UP radoed reports.
The general drift of weather from West to East in
the Middle ATTITUDES Hence any submarine captain has
find what is taking place in the United States in
order to know what weather to expect at day or
two later
disadvantage enemy the European continent
England has the advantage of weather reports from Can
ada Newfoundland the United States and her ships on the
Atlantic
Germany has made good many attempts to establish
weather stations in Greenland but American marines
have caught them at it every time, and occasion
the Navy nabbed Nazi weather observation boat in
the North Atlantic
The Importance of weather in any surprise attack can
be VII Ia lizedth an
disclosed that the Japanese consulate in Honolulu tele
phoned weather reports Toxic night before the Nip
ponese made their sneak raid Hawaii
When the Free French forces recently seized the At
anc Islands of ST. Pierre and Mquelon the given
that weather data valuable to the enemy was being
broadcast from short-wave stations there.
Weather concerns everyone the farmer the ships
captain the pilot the sports promoter the builder
the house contractorand right down John Doe who
is going picnic.
order to keep the people supplied news
it, the United States Weather Bureau has re-scheduled
communication methods involving thousands of daily
observations through codes atmospheric news can be
transmitted all this country but censorship officials
refuse allow reports of II radioed cabled
phoned out Of the country
Aside from the actual need of knowing the weather
forecast before going into combat-whether land
there many other military of meteorology
reports the years carefully studied before
army and navy training built laying
airdromcs engineers have to have accurate
information prevailing winds and ground fogs.
Last summer when the army ready to a
large number of horses and mules in the Central Plains
Of the United States, start made until the
Weather Bureau indicated that there would be Of
days suitable for the transfer Of the animals.
punng the Texas hurricane of last year the Army
able TO avert catastrophe by accurate forecasng The
heads OF flying fields got advance storm warnings
Weather Bureau and removed 900 and many planes
from danger the blow struck The sector
occupied by these devastated and the hangers
which had housed their fighting planes wrecked
The Army and Navy require special weather
casting order 90 spervise movements Of
bomber fleets land maneuyers troop movements ship
ping activities.