Evening star., 1948-09-05
Mock Bombing Attack and Aerial Dogfights
AT Boiling to Mark Air Force Day SEPT. Is
D. c. Guard Fighters
To RepeI B-25s With
Antioircruft Aid

A mock bombing Of Boiling Air
Force Base on Air Force Day, Sep
tember 1S, with enemy" and ode
Tending" planes staging dogfghts
over the field, was announced last
night.
The raid" on the strategic Capt.
tal-area target will be one Of many
spectacular attractions at Bolling's
big celebration of the Air Force
event. The show will start at II !!
am. and continue until z pm. Ad-
mission will be free and parking
space ample.
The District Air National Guard,
the National Guard and the Regu-
lar Air Force will pool their talent
and equipment to stage the demon
stration.
The attacking B-25 bombers will
be manned by Air Force pilots from
Headquarters Command, United
States Air Force, while the fighter
opposition will be the 121st Fighter
Squadron of the 113th Fighter
Group of the District Air National
Guard. The 260th Anti-Aircraft
Artillery Group of the District
Guard will provide ground support
for the defense.
PA System to Garry Orders.
Warning sirens will sound when
the enemy" Is picked up on the
radar scope. Pilots will race for
their planes as the public-addressI
system broadcasts terse announce
ment of impending danger"
AS the aircraft engines start up,
the aintiaircraft crews will roll out
their weapons before the audience
and get ready for action. Mean
while, the public address system will
pick up the instructions to the pilots
and artillerymen so that everybody
can hear, as well as observe, the de-
fense preparations.
The fighter pilots will use every
trick they picked up in all the
operational theaters of the last war
as the bombers and their escorts
come in for low-level pass at Boil
ing. But the combat-wise bomber
pilots will make the task of the
4A61AeClo O 01A1Su1G OdlC.
Bombers to Make Two Runs.
The bombers are expected to make
two passes at Boiling in the "at-
tack" on Washington. After the
second run, the bombers will leave
the scene while their escorts engage
the defenders.
Meanwhile, as this aerial activity |
is going on, the onlookers will get
a good idea of how anti-aircraft |
units work. Only few feet from
the spectators, two 40-milimeter
automatic antiaircraft guns, capable
of firing 100 rounds a minute, will
simulate action after being rolled
into position.
Another weapon will aid the de-
fense. This will be a giant 90-milli-
meter antiaircraft gun weighing
10000 pounds. 1t will be wheeled
into position by an 18-ton high
speed tractor and within four min
utes its crew of 16-men will have
it readied for action. Two half
tracks, each bearing quadruple
mounted 50-caliber air-cooled ma
chine guns. will be driven on the
field and the guns will be in "ac-
ton" within half minute after
the half tracks stop.
Commander Is Alexandrian.
The 121st Fighter Squadron was
first organized at Boiling in 1941.
1t was reactivated in 1916. During
the war the squadron was at An
dreWs Air Force Base and other in
stallations in the East. Among the
shows it has participated in re-
Gently were the Tooth anniversary
celebration of the laying of the
cornerstone of the Washington
Monument, and the opening cere-
monies at the International Airport
at Idlewild, N. Y.
Its present commander, Maj. Will
lard w. Millikan, lives at 3346 Mar
stha Gusts drive, Alexandria. In
civilian life he is an export repre-
sentative for the Goodyear Rubber
Co. Maj. Millikan is veteran of
the Eagle Squadron of the Royal
Air Force and of the 336th Fighter
Squadron of the 9th Air Forces
4th Fighter Group. He flew on 200