Evening star., 1947-04-14
By the Associated Press

The United StateS-itS wartime
aircraft detection network all but
dismantled-is virtually wide open
to a surprise attack from the air.
An unoficial survey indicated this
today after the disclosure last week
OF a document dealing with War
Department thinking on the ma
tional security effects Of the atomic
bomb.
That document, prepared primar-
lily for congressional use. commented
that present-day methods of deliv-
ering an atomic attack are limited
TO long bombers or bombs
smuggled in by agents. Rocket de-
livery is something to be reckoned
with in the future, the paper said.
Questioned by a reporter concern
ing the aerial assault theory. OH.
GERS assigned to the development
and employment Of defense weapons
emphasized tina. the greatest prob
lem would be the detection of any
attacking force In time to get fight.
Ter aircraft and antiaircraft gun.
into action.
War Precautions Cited.
During the war the seacoaSts
borders and interior OF the country
were covered by a tie-in radar net.
work which detected the approach
of aircraft from any direction ane
plotted its course as it moved in.
land. rt
DemobiliZation reduced Army anc
Navy manpower to the point, how
ever, where it no longer became
possible to operate this detection
complex. While it is presumed
that local defense areas still II
operation continue to use radal
detection equipment, they are mo-
numerous enough nor linked to.
gether to form a screen.
One officer summed it up this way
1T would be possible today for 6
foreign aircraft to approach ane
fly clear across the United States
without ever being reported"
Experts agree that until the advent
of guided missiles and improvement
in the accuracy of rocket-type
weapons, the defense against attack
by air must rest, as it did in Worlc
War II, primarily on anti-aircrafl
artillery and fighter airplanes.
Situation Outlined.
In general, here are the present
situations of the two defensive
branches:
Anti-aircraft artillery: Today anc
for some time to come, the main
AA guns will continue to be the &c
and 120-millimeter weapons, the
long range "stratosphere guns" de-
veloped in the latter half of the war
But the velocity Of these guns must
be improved to match constantly
increasing bomber speeds.
The electronic tracking devices b,
which an airplane is detected ane
then kept in the line of fire pre-.
sently has capabilities beyond thos,
OF the guns. There must, however
be further improvements in tn,
reliability of the radar equipment
to reduce the percentage of opera.
tional failures. Antiaircraft bat.
teries are approaching a stage o.
design where they will be almos
entirely automatic, locating, sightins
ane firing on airplanes with vir.
tually no manual help save the load,
ing of magazines by crews.
Fighter aircraft: Because of tn,
premium placed on speed and tn,
ability to climb high quickly, tn,
Army Air Force is placing ma 10,
emphasis on jet aircraft, with a
least a temporary sacrifice OF range
Longer Range Studied.
Meanwhile, all possible method.
OF getting the jets out farther tt
combat atom-bomb carrying plane.
before they can reach the boundarie,
of the United States are beins
studied. These include, In addition
to reflnements in engines to i'm.
prove fuel consumption, studies
looking into the possibility of carry.
ing the fighters to probable points
Of contact with the enemy in lone
range bomber or transport type