WAR WIRELESS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 81, 29 December 1917, Page 8

WAR WIRELESS

WHAT IS BEING DONE

SIGNOR MARCONI STATES FACTS

Recently Signol Gugliolmo, the father of wireless telegraphy, -was recently in the United States on an official visit as a representative of the Italian War Ministry, to assist the American War Department to create the wireless service that will he required as a part of the mighty war machine that is being manufactured for the undoing of the Bocho. In the course of a communication to the "Wireless World," he gave some information regarding the part that wireloss is playing in the great war. Portable Wireless. "Tho most striking features of iuy observations since I have been on this official visit to the United States is the surprising ignorance of your wireless men concerning* the conditions in the fighting zone abroad. It has required a. readjustment of viewpoint for me to appreciate the fact that so of the scientific development of the wireless art has been kept secret for military reasons; naturally the United states cannot know of things which to Us have seemingly become elementary. For example, it appears that American wireless men still look upon a portable set as a novelty, ■jihpreas on the Western front, and particularly m the trenches, portable sets of all types have become indispensable. They vary in appearance from carefully designed equipments in neat containers to a ley, coil, and crudely manufactured accessories, strapped to a board. There has hein no attempt at standardisationr-. we have not had time. "A second! impression, very general among Americans, is that wireless hss not been a great factor in the war. In various quarters I have heard it said that you understood wireless was tried in the early months of the fighting and, being found impractical, was virtually abandoned so far as the Army is concerned. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Wireless Replaces Field Linos. "To illustrate its great importance in modern warfare, I have only to say that with the exception of the first two or three months of the war wireless has furnished the sole means of communication in the first line of trenches. No longer are wired telephones and telegraphs used in the trenches bordering No Han's Land. We found it impossible to maintain these lines with the constant shelling by high explosives. When you so into a first-iine trench to-day you will find very little plso occupying it but the wireless men. These trenches are not filled up with infantry at all times, as the popular conception has it. Unless an engagement is in progress there will be found only a handful of fighting men with machine-guns, distributed in small detachments about every 400 yards, nnd supported hv the ever-present wireless man with b'is portable set. Through the continued and heavy .shelling it is not possible to maintain many troops in these trenches, so until an advance of enemy infantry is observed the wireless man and a few infantrymen to protect him are in sole possession. With the first observation __of an infantry attack the wireless man gets in action and sends back his call for troops from the supporting trenches. They pour -in then through a- traverse and the hand-to-hand engagement begins. .

Wireless in Air. "Now in the consideration of wireless applied to air service.-nothing liaa caused me greater surprise than the American misconception of what has been done. The general supposition seenis to have been that spotting of artillery fire has been accomplished through the use of various forms of visual signalling, such 'as flags and smoke bombs dropped • from a 'plane. The truth of the matter is that our entiro heavy artillery lire control is conducted by .wireless from a'.rcraft. At the very outset of the war we had neither equipment, experience, nor personnel to a-ccompliah this, so it was r.ur custom to send up an observer with the airplane pilot who carefully drew a picture of the; enemy battery emplacements, flew back to his own lines and dropped these drawings. This is no longer done. Tl>S observer now notes \he results'of his artillery fire and sends back by wireless such lr.efrEages as "too short,'" "three id light,", "two to left/' and so on; ' "The reconnaisance machines mo protected by fighting 'planes, which fly in squadrons over, enemy lines, attsclring overy enemy machine they encounter,, and thus allowing the cbservars to complete their work undisturbed. It is such an ordinary sight to seo these airplanes at all hours of the day that their presence means nothing special to us. They aro merely part of the great fighting machine, winch ve have builded up. Their observations continue all day long, and are of j.-t.alculablo value. Many of the airplanes now in use show amazing development in power, speed, and carrying capacity. We have quite a numbercf 'planes which carry as many as six cr eight men, armed with machine-guns. , "Spotting" the Hits. "The wireless operator who makes the observations for fire control is provided with a map of the terrain blocked off into small squares. As he spets the fall of the shells ho sends Ipck by wireless the number of the sqvare and records a' hit or gives •lirentions for greater accuracy. While ho is spotting he is continually subjected to tremendous shelHng, while puffs of sn,cke break around the reconnaisance 'planes all day long, but it is surprisinglyseldom that they are hit.

"I do not know that I can say anything further than the generalities with which I have just dealt, beeauso our technical. development is a very carefully guarded secret. Quito amazing things have been done in the Navy, as well as in the Army, but I am not at liberty to disclose any of -M.e details. I do wish to say this, however, American wireless men are <:xc,fiptionally well qualified to take _ an p.ctivo part in important signalling work. Much valuable material will be found in the amateur ranks, as these young men are accustomed'to transmission on short wave-lengths. A deal of our communication is carried on- with low power- and wave-lengths in the neighbourhood of 200 metres—the exret type of communication to lvhich they are most accustomed."