Evening star., 1943-02-05
b|ock-buster
Raid by Nazis
On D. {. Seen
Col. Hortney Predicts
Widespread Deaths
Due to SIuckness

why 1t has not been attempted tC
date. was made by 1t. Col. Harold
Evans Hartney. U. S. Army. inac-
tive, before professional. labor end
business representatives last night
In the U. S. Chamber of Com
merce auditorium.
Noting a tendency for slackness
on the part of Washingtonians with
regard to civilian defense against
air raids, Col. Hartney urged the
people and particularly the Air Raid
Warden Service to be more than
ever alert.
Loss OF lives and property damage
from a raid on Washington will be
tragic, the speaker said, adding that
'fhe first employment of poison gas
may we'll be made on the first at
tack over here"
Lists Reasons for Delay.
The speaker listed the following
reasons why the Nazis have not at
tempted bombing raid:
Il. Because Germany has not
had, until now. planes Of the Flying
Fortress or British Lancaster type.
q. Because a raid will weld fur
ther into complete unity and har-
mony the whole cosmopolitan Ma
tfon in determination to win.
"3. Because it will kill off by so
per cent the effective work of her
agents. saboteurs, fifth columnists
and the prattlings of half baked
theorists over here.
=. Because it will divert equip
ment needed for secret thrust
against the Allied round the rim
tactics made possible through avia-
tion, something new in this war and
a strategy which will choke Hitler
once he gets going.
49, Lastly and probably the most
important of all: Such a raid will
lndorse suggestions to bomb the day
lights out Of Germany proper right
now, and 60 after Toxic proper by
air. Hitler does not want us to be-
lieve these suggestions.
$4,000 Volunteers Wanted.
Other speakers were Col. Lemuer
Bolles, civilian defense executive di-
rector; Chief Air Raid Warden Will
liam J. Mileham. Fire Chief Stephen
Porter and Harold Ganss, rescue
squad battalion chief. A call was
issued for $4,000 additional volun-
teers.
Mr.. Mileham. saying he believed
AN attack on us is coming" as
serted I'VE must be prepared for it."
Col. Bolles deplored certain
feeling" that civilian defense pro-
tective services are no longer neces-
sary.
Need for recruits was listed as
follows: Auxiliary firemen, 1000;
rescue squad. $50; police auxiliaries.
5000; feeding and housings, $500;
mostly women: messenger service.
5000, boys IL and up. girls Is and
up; fire watchers, 5000 men and
women: wardens. 5000 linen and
women; nurses aides, SOC, women
between Is and.50.
Leonard Tucker, president of the
District Civilian Defense Council,
said after the meeting that 68 civil
ian defense committees had received
belated invitations to the meeting,
and that he was not invited. Our
chief function is to recruit people
In our respective areas for civilian
defense work. yet we were not con-
suited about the meeting, nor
placed on the program he said.
May Refuel. Get Away.
sCol. Hartney, emphasizing an at
tack will be made, said the success
Of. it will largely depend on a break
OF luck IN the weather forecasting,
to bomb. take over some inland
field or several of them, kill all
guards, refuel and get away quickly
ton for tons of bombs. the dam
age in both the loss OF life and
property will be far greater over
here than in Europe.
The block busters will use de-
layed action fuses and the missiles
will be laid square on their objec-
tive irrespective of anti aircraft
fire and forewarning. One of two
token raids will be made some 10
minutes before the real raid hits
Washington or New York. Incendi-
Ary bombs will follow, not precede,
the main attack, as in night bomb
ing.
THE raid will probably be made
Just before dawn and blackout will
mean absolutely nothing, for the
attackers will rely upon low ceiling
and surprise.
What will be the result? Well
the blue-1am dispersion from a
hlock-buster (4000-ton bomb by
actual photograph is one-half mile
in diameter, the demolition effect
q whole city block. Because build
ngs, by and large. are much more
fimsy and infammable than the
Old stone structures of London, Gov
entry, Cologne, the fire damage
will be much greater and more
widespread"
The city will not be reduced tc
bubble as was Rostock, parts of Co
bene and Coventry, but the loss ir
lives and property will be mucf
greater and the disruption to oul
war effort so highly centralized il
W washington VIII Dt u dSlC.
Col. Hartney said Germany re.
Gently began to produce large
bombers.
One can carry two block buster.
$4,000 pounds or 1000 incendiar,
bombs 4,500 miles at cruising speee
of 200 miles per hour and can oper
up to 300 miles an hour should oc.
cssion demand" Col. Hartney de.
ciared.
Col, Hartney emphasized that "th,
nearer Hitlers swan song ap
proaches, the more vigilant WI
must be-"
The meeting was called by Col
Bolles with the approval of Capt
II. c. Whitehurst newly appointed
director of the District Citizens De.
Tense Corps Col Hartney of Edge,
water, Nd. was member of tht
list Pursuit Group of the Unitec
States Army Service with the AEE
in 1917 until 1919 He has beer
awarded the Distinguished Servic,
Cross, Silver Star, Purple Heart
Legion of Honor. Croix de Guerrt
and United States and Britain Vic.
tory Medals.