VITAL DEFENCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 August 1942, Page 4

VITAL DEFENCES

ANTI-AIRCRAFT GUNS GROWING PROTECTION BEING GIVEN. ENCOURAGING SUPPLIES FOR NEW ZEALAND. Excellent progress has recently been made with the establishment of antiaircraft positions in the Northern Military District, states the “New Zealand Herald.” Guns of the best type, including Bofors and a much heavier piece, have been landed and continue to be landed in encouraging numbers, and as fast as they have arrived they have been tested and sent to their stations. The stream of help from Britain and the United States has been rising rapidly in the last few months; promises obtained in the past by New Zealand supply missions are being fulfilled; and the services have begun to breathe sighs of relief. HOPEFUL SUPPLY OUTLOOK. More is still wanted, but observers who once used to visit training areas and vital points and wonder despairingly when they would begin to see the material the armed forces needed, have for the past few months seen more and more of these things. While it still must be recognised that if New Zealand is invested by the enemy replacements of material lost might become impossible, and therefore the greater the amount which can now be obtained the brighter the future. The stage has now been reached where hope has succeedeod depression. Having regard to shipping difficulties, miracles are being wrought. The anti-aircraft guns are a sign of the times. They are being distributed , according to a careful plan and placed by artillery officers in whom the people can have every confidence. The Bofors is well known. It has done valuable work for the Allies against enemy aircraft in all the theatres of war, and New Zealand can count itself fortunate to have obtained the numbers being sent here. INGENIOUS WEAPON. It is a wonderfully ingenious wea pon and parts of it are still secret. Tr.e most amazing feature is to be found in its predictor control. This enables the gunner to throw a contact switch and give the predictor complete control of elevation and traversing. From that stage on the predictor causes the gun to range on to its target without any human aid, so that when a special dial indicates to the gunner that the weapon is on the target all he has to do is to load and press a foot trigger. The predictor does the rest. The gun moves of its own accord after the target. Naturally, misses are still inevitable; the predictor cannot be 100 per cent precise, but the margin for error is calculated to be much less than if the gun were still under human control.