Evening star., 1943-08-31
Engineer Corps
Sends MaterieI
To Bond Show
Heavy Guns Placed
In Position on
Exhibit Grounds

EA1IUII STOuHQS
Equipment of the Engineer Corps
was scheduled to arrive today for
the Army Treasury third war
loan show on the Washington
Monument Grouds. Pieces of heavy
artillery are on the site, soon to be
followed by heavy tanks.
With physical installations ap-
proximately 60 per cent completed,
and exhibit equipment arriving, the
site already has a military appear
ance. Ten large tents have been
erected, officers and enlisted men
are on the scene, and two large
field artillery pieces and a military
locomotive have arrived. Military
police patrol the premises. Re-
hearsals for the show starting Sep
ternber 9 will begin September 6.
Searchlights with width Of five
feet, tractors, bulldozers, earth
augurs, ne-laying equipment, pneu-
matte floats for laying pontoon
bridges and other materiel of the
Engineer Corps were scheduled to
arrive today.
Big Guns in Place.
Early morning visitors to the
Monument were impressed by two
l50-mm. howitzers of the type
which hurled shells from IS to 18
miles in the Sicilian campaign.
One of these long -barreled guns,
called Long Tom" by artillerymen.
will be mounted to the left of the
Washington Monument, looking
down the slope to the arena and
stage adjacent to Constitution
avenue. A larger gun, 240-mm.,
will arrive later. 1t will have a
place of honor on the right of the
Monument.
Flanking the four angles of the
Monument itself will be anti
aircraft guns.
More than 500 of the 1000 Of
ficers and men participating in the
show already have arrived, and are
being quartered at Hams Point,
where mess hall tents and field
kitchens have been installed.
Chapel Being Built.
Meanwhile, construction of a
chapel is being rushed to compile
ton. Services are to be held there
each morning during the 18-day
show. The chapel will be painted
white, with green steeple A 93-
foot tent to the rear of the chapel
will provide seats for those attend
ng religious exercises.
Installation of electric lights was
completed today, enabling Army
personnel to work at night.
The 126-foot stage facing the
arena, where movie stars and other
celebrities will appear in behalf of
the campaign, has been completed.
The War loan theme, Back the
Attack" will be painted in red
across the top of the white stage
backdrop.
Railroad Engine Arrives.
A 44-ton military engine, now
resting on steel rails, on the Wash
ington Monument Grounds as
feature of Back the Attack" was
described today by Col. John A.
Appleton of the Army Transporta-
tion Corps as new and powerful
adjunct to rail transportation
evolved during this war.
The engine remained on rails all
during its trip from East Side, Pa,
with the exception of few minutes
yesterday at the Baltimore g. Ohio
yards, Florida and New York ave-
nues NE, where the B. g. O.'s 75-
ton railroad derrick lifted it onto a
heavy -dnuty trailer as If it had been
a baby carriage.
OF standard gauge, the engine is
of a type being prepared for foreign
service. 1t is among the first mill
tary equipment landed when
beachhead near rail line has been
effected. Col. Appleton said it is
most useful for switching opera
tions. Freight cars of the type the
engine draws in foreign service will
be added later this week.
Special Couplings.
In foreign service, engines require
couplings different in design from
those on regular locomotives here.
1t was said, and the coupling links
on this locomotive resemble the
anchor cable of a battleship. 1t is
equipped with blackout curtain
and a blackout lamp inside the
cab. which is painted a bright green.
Outside, the engine is painted
battleship gray.
Col. Appleton, former general
manager of the Pennsylvania Rail-
road, was present at the Monument
Grounds yesterday when the engine
was rolled off the trailer. Two
hours were required to locate it
on the rails
In lowering the engine to the
rails on the ground, a ramp with
rails was built to roll the engine.
down.
There is nothing streamlined
about the 44-ton engine. It has
awkward slooking spaces on each
side Of the engine for storage of
water. 1t was explained that in
switch engines for military purposes
no attempt is made to beautify
them; they are strictly utilitarian
and this engine fits that descrip-
ton.
Interests Onlookers.
On its way down New York avenue
from the B. g. O. yards, the smoke
stack of the engine tore through
low branches of trees along the
way, trolley passengers gawked at
Its passage, and small boys pointed
with envy at the crew of the truck
ing company making the transfer.
Trucking company employees crawled
under and over the engine seeing
that the cables fastening it to the
trailer body were not slipping.
Maj. Neal Holland, assistant to
Col. Appleton and commerce rep
resentative of the Boston g. Maine
Railroad, said this type of engine
will play an increasingly important
role In the shipment of goods and
personnel abroad.
Since there has never been a fire
in the engines firebox, only its six