Evening star., 1950-04-10
Navy Process Turns
Beach Into Poved Rood
Chemicals Sproyed on Sond
Aid Amphibious Landings
BY Thomos r. Henry

paved highway at rate Of about II
feet second.
This is Navy contribution to any
future amphibious war. The last war.
both In Europe and the Pacific, was ono
beach landing after another. A major
problem was that Of running vehicles
ashore quickly The operation some
times was greatly delayed. as at places
on the Normandy beaches, where heavy
trucks sank huo-deep in sand as soon
as they rolled of the LISTS.
The problem of making good roads
out Of beaches has been solved by the
Navys Bureau of Yards and Docks in
cooperation with DR. Hans r. Winker-
ton of Princeton. The process consists
only of spraying the sand with a chemi-
cal combination the nature Of which has
not been revealed.
Tests show that sand hardened BY
the process can support the weight OF
slow-moving jeep within two hours
ana that of seven-ton truck In three
hours. After "a hours truck with q
gross load of l3 tons can make re-
peated runs without damaging the sur.
.ace.
Chemicals Are Cheap.
Material used In the process, the
Navy announces. Is plentiful and costs
less than Is cents a pound Only \
single run over the sand with ordinary
road-building material is necessary.
The width of the road depends only on
the capacity of the equipment used
The material used is a mixture Of
two chemicals. Their behavior Is con-
trolled by material known as
catalyst, something which promotes q
chemical reaction without taking part
in it. Experiments now are underway
with various types of catalysts In the
hope that one will be found which will
hasten the hardening process.
The material now used was chosen
because 1t is the most effective with
ordinary road-building equipment. The
Navy engineers now are at work design
ing special equipment which is expected
to speed the process.
The work was carried out at the
request of the Marine Corps because Of
delays due to sand, in which many lives
were lost. in Pacific island landings.
A patrol bomber especially designed
to locate and destroy "snorkel sub
marines" often described as one OF the
two or three greatest menaces Of an
other war, soon will be tested by the
Navy.
Primarily it is equipped with two
devices for detecting the underwater
warcrafo. Of which Russia is said to be
building large fleet. which can remain
indefinitely almost completely SUBJ
merged. First is the air-borne magne-
tometer. invented during the last war
and since greatly improved. which can
detect extremely small variations In q
magnetic field, such as would be caused
by the presence of submarine below
the surface. Second is the sonobuoy.
This is small radio buoy. Scores Of
them can be dropped over an area
where sub is suspected.
Submarine Sound Detector.
The buoy floats on the surface and
lowers small hydrophone to the proper
depth. This hydrophone detects and
transmits the noise of the subs pro-
peller. Receivers in the plane permit
the plotting of the hidden crafts posi-
ton by interpreting the relative noise
level from several buoys.
The plane Is variation of the Nep-
tune. of essentially the same type as
the Truculent Turtle which holds the
nonstop. nonrefueling record of 1895
miles between Columbus, Ohio, and
Perth, Australia. 1t will be able to keep
up sea patrol for long periods and
cover wide areas of ocean. Its sensitive
search radar permits detection Of small
targets, such as snorkel tube, over
much greater distances than previously
has been possible.
For combating subs once they are de-
tected it carries an armament of rockets,
cannon, torpedoes, mines and bombs.
Various devices are being tested to in
crease its range and the time 1t can re-
main on patrol.
1t has been equipped with galley
for serving hot meals; bunks heating
and ventilating equipment, and ade-
quate space for relief crew members.
Other types of this plane have been
equipped with skis for Arctic rescue
missions, equipment for thunderstorm
research, and camera installations for
mapping remote areas.