Browning chief. [volume] (Browning, Mont.) 1941-1953, 1945-08-03
Washington Digest
Rdddr Saved Britain
Will Remodel Industry
EIectronics Proves of Great Value to American
Air and Naval Forces During
Present War.
By BAUKHAGE
Ne,cs Analyst and Commentator.

about 80 miles away. He reported
it to his superior, but that gentle
man, knowing American planes
were out at the time, took no action.
Lockard was eventually given the
Distinguished Service medal. The
rest we had better try to forget
while we still must remember
Pearl Harbor." Human service
failed to carry the message that the
Jap air fleet was coming, but radar
had done its part of the job.
Radar has grown to be giant
since then. This is what Impact"
an official publication of the assist
ant chief of air staff (intelligence)
says:
1.-THE use of radar in military op-
erations is in its infancy, but it has
permeated every phase Of air war
fare. 1t is used in strategic bomb
ing by both British and American
heavies. 1t makes night fighting and
intruder operations possible. 1t liter
ally saved England in the battle
of Britain. And it provided for the
control and direction of virtually ev-
cry day or night sortie flown by the
TAGS Tactical air force planes)
during the winter (of 1944-45)."
The Importance of the part which
the American tactical air forces
played from the battle of Normandy
right up to We Day is acknowl-
edged by everyone, though there
may be differences of opinion as to
the relative achievements of the
various branches of the service.
(Tactical bombing and strafing is
that part of air force activity which
is an integral portion of the individ-
ual land force operations, as much
a part of the battle plan and its
execution as the disposition of ar
tillery. Strategic bombing is the
"softening up" the long range air
attacks.)
And radar was vital part of the
success of the tactical operations in
Europe from D-Day on because of
its help in getting a fighter-bomber
to its target and getting it home
again in weather which is too bad
for normal operations.
1t controlled night fighters, photo
and mapping planes, picked out tar
gets and kept track of enemy planes
in the area.
To quote an official comment:
"On the western front, despite
constant overcast conditions dur
ing the last winter, the TX, XIX and
xxx TAGS were able to operate at
maximum strength continually. On
the other hand, the LIST Tactical air
force, which was without radar
equipment last November, flew
only two missions that month, one
of these abortive because of the
weather."
AS to the long-range, strategic
bomber, which has to cross half a
continent to get where it is going,
if bad weather envelopes it, radar
is, of course, invaluable for keeping
its location. Radar is also an inte-
grail part of the fire-control.
Commercial Aviation
Will Profit Greatly
Speculation as to radar's ultimate
possibilities are unlimited, both in
war and peace. Any ordnance ex-
pert will tell you that controlled
missile" - that is, bomb such as
the deadly German "V" bombs,
which flew from Holland to Eng
land - can, with certain improve
ments, be made much more deadly.
Not only can they be made to fly
much farther--across the Atlantic,
over the North Pole - but they
can be accurately aimed and di-
rected at an area such as a city
and ruthlessly destroy it. Radar can
do that and many other things it has
not yet attempted. There are, like
wise, an infinite number of ways in
which radar can and will serve a
peaceful world.
In commercial aviation, the man
in the control tower, the traffic cop
at the airport, will be able to To-
cate all of the planes in the vicinity
by day or by night, in cloudy wealth.
er and clear. And it must be re-
membered that regulating the traf-
fic is going to be one of the most
important problems of tomorrow's
skyWays, for there will be a tire.
mendous increase in the number Of
planes which will be in use and
similar increase in their speed and
size.
Radar can warn the planes them
selves against collision and the pres
ence of land masses, high tension
wires, tall buildings or other OBJ
stacles to their fight. And, of
course, will permit safe landing
! even in a dense fog.