Evening star., 1948-09-14
Work of Aerial Photos in War
To Be Shown on Air Force Day

TIL dramatic story OF aerial photo
Reconnaissance which accounted for
more than so per cent of all military
lnformataoa On enemy activities
curing the last war, will be shown
at the big Air Force Day celebra-
ton at Boiling Air Force Base on
Saturday.
Equally interesting attractions
will be on display at similar show
at Andrews Air Force Base. The
shows will commemorate the date
last year on which the Air Force
assumed q co-equal status in the
national military establishment.
At the big show at Boiling from
| II am. to pm, visitors will have
an opportunity Of finding out just
what the photo phase of recon-
naise is all about.
Units, Plan All-Day Show.
The 311th Air Division Recon-
naissance from Topeka, Kans., the
4203d Photo Technical Squadron
Of Boiling and a highly technical
organization from Wright-Patter-
son, Dayton, Ohio, will conduct an
all-day show of the power and stra-
tegic usefulness Of aerial photo
reconnaissance.
The 311th, commanded by Brig
Gen. Paul Cullen, has been ordered
to send along one of the Air Forces
RB-29s. a reconnaissance bomber,
which is the largest type of flying
photo laboratory in the service. An
original Superfortress converted
into a photo plane. the RB-29 is
equipped with all the newest aerial
photo equipment. It will be open to
public inspection.
The visitors will be able to press
buttons on especially prepared cut
away" cameras and see how delicate
cameras operate.
Wilson Heads Local Unit.
Bollings 42O3rd PTS, the local
photo reconnaissance squadron, is
commanded by Maj. Charles F. Wills
son, 5107 Wilson boulevard, Airing
ton, Va. He was an aerial photog-
rapher during World War II and
completed Sc combat missions from
an air base in India He also served
with a photo reconnaissance squad
ron in Saipan and figured in many
missions over Japan, including the
atom bombings Of Hiroshima and
Nagasaki. He participated in the
Bikini tests.
Included in te photo reconnais-
ance exhibits will be a panorama
film of World War II scenes and
still shots of actual combat scenes.
| Photo Interpretation, one of the
most important phases of photo re-
connaissance, will be explained and
demonstrated to the visitors in the
massive exhibits in Hanger No. at
Boiling. Stereoscopes, which are
used to distinguish objects and
minute targets in an aerial photo.
will be available for the visitors to
see for themselves what a close look
at an aerial photo is like. An RF-80,
formerly an F-80 jet fighter. is ex-
pected to be brought to Boiling for
the aerial reconnaissance part of the
show.
|. Assistance to Lobbyists.
In line with this attraction, assist
ance to camera lobbyists will be
available at the exhibit, with pro-
visions made for repair of tempo
rarily defective cameras and the
loading of cameras with film.
Other big attractions at the Boil
ing show will include an invasion"
by paratroopers Of the 82d Airborne
Division, mock attack on Boiling,
arrival of a pilotless plane and OF
two Superfortresses, after 4,219-
mile nonstop flight from Germany;
flying buzzbonbs and guided mis-
siles: maneuvering Of a pilotlsss
radio ieep and an extensive military