Evening star., 1944-06-18

potentialities these are unlikely to
be developed in this war
The Germans themselves say sit
cannot be used on the Normandy
front for fear of hitting German
troops.
Defenses Reorganized.
Britain's antiaircraft defenses have
been reorganized to combat the ro-
bots. New gun-sites have been
chosen for some guns to obtain a
maximum fire power against the
planes before they reached popu-
lated areas. Guns of all caliber are
being fired and at night often are
used in conjunction with search
lights.
Machine guns, % nm. and 40 nm.
Bofors, heavy and superheavy guns
and even rocket antiaircraft guns
manned at night by home guards
have been used successfully in the
Channel area.
Gunners at antiaircraft sites use
the same instruments in charting
the course of the pilotless planes as
they do with ordinary planes.
Intermittent explosions from these
rocket plane bombs occurred during
the night and early today. Several
persons were killed and a number
injured when one of the fire-spit-
ting flying bombs hit a nurses
home at hospital. Rescuers were
digging for those possibly buried in
the wreckage. Another trapped
four people for six hours In a cellar
which had flooded up to their necks
before they were rescued.
One Explodes in Street.
One missile exploded in street,
causing serious casualties. Anti
aircraft gunners yesterday had their
first all-day workout since the
Battle of Britain.
Capt. Harold H. Balfour, Under
secretary of State for Air, predicted
I'M speech that the Nazi weapon
would soon be mastered, declaring,
Already we are taking the measure
and a toll of the new weapons num-
bers. Science, combined with the
skill and courage of those concerned
with our air and ground defenses
will evolve new countermeasures
which will make Hitler soon real
lie he is pretty well back where he
started"
Already a considerable proportion
OF the pilotless planes have been
destoryed in the air by antiaircraft
fire, an authoritative British source
said. The German high command
said the British were putting up
the greatest antiaircraft barrage
since the beginning of the war and
the entire southeastern coast Is like
a wall Of fire"
Intensive countermeasures being
used by British against the new
weapon also may have prompted
Hans Fritsche, German radio
commentator, to observe 'if any
one in Germany believes England
can be blasted to pieces by the new
weapon he is a fool"
Defense Methods Inspected.
The British announced that there
was some enemy activity over
Southern England" yesterday after
noon and evening and from a small
number of places incidents causing
damages and casualties have been
reported"
Gen. Sir Frederick Pile command
er in chief of Britain's antiaircraft
command, personally inspected the
latest defense methods at gun site.
He was accompanied by scientists
who have developed some of the
new secret tactical defense schemes
that are in operation.
F.. G. Miles, British aircraft de-
signer, said the British government
as early as 1910 had rejected de-
signs for pilotless plane on the
grounds that it was IAN indiscrim-
mate weapon" for waging war on
civilians.
These facts have emerged:
The projectile can be mass
produced cheaply and fired in great
quantities with simple apparatus.
The weapon is the Nazi Big Bertha"
OF this war. IQ is comparable to
artillery or regular bomber attacks,
but has not the accuracy of those
orthodox weapons.
With perhaps 100-mile range,
the rocket bomb can be thrown miles
off its generally aimed course by
wind. down drafts or other air cur
rents. The Germans have no con-
troll over it after it is fired.
In flight it makes an odd noise and
sparks shoot from its tail-a jet
propulsion by an efficient motor so
simple as to surprise war scientists.
Built like an airplane, it has
small wings and is constructed