BRITISH DEFENCE

Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20269, 11 August 1937, Page 7

BRITISH DEFENCE

LONDON’S AIR DEFENCES. A BUCGEBBFUL TEBT. 30 RAIDS CARRIED OUT. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, Aug. 10. The slumber of residents of Essex, Suffolk and Kent was continuously disturbed by the droning of 400 aircraft engaged in the annual test of London’s air defences. Thirty raids were made in three and a-half hours. Half the raiders were Intercepted before they reached their objectives. Those who were successful heavily bombed Tilbury Docks and oil depots. Many new types of machines were engaged. Some Blenheim bombers, with a speed of 240 miles an hour, defied older interceptor fighters. It was obvious that the defence was sorely pressed. A new feature was civilian observers. Many were strange to the business, but gave valuable advice to headquarters as to the approach of machines, In some eases 70 miles before they reached their objectives. PRACTICE AND EXPERIENOE. VALUE OF AIR EXERCISES. SECOND PHASE POSTPONED. (Official Wireless.) (Received August 11, 1 p.m.) RUGBY, August 10. The air exercises over the London metropolitan area last night contributed much data as to the air defence of the city, and afforded practice and experience to the ground organisation as well as to the airmen. They continued throughout the night. Owing to unfavourable weather reports the air officer in control of the air defence exercises over London postponed the second phase of the exercises. ARMY BERVICE A 8 CAREER. WAR OFFICE PROPOSALS. INCREASED TERM SUGGESTED. Unl'ed Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received August 11, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, August 10. As part of the programme to make army service a career, the War Office announces that serving soldiers may extend their period of service, and 88,982 reservists will be invited to rejoin the colours. Both classes, on completion of twelve years’ total service, will be eligible to re-engage to complete 21 years’ service and thus qualify for a pension. Mr Winston Churchill describes the proposals as partial mobilisation in time of peace. THE FLEET AIR ARM. EQUALS ANYTHING IN THE WORLD. FURTHER INCREASES INTENDED. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. (Received August 11, 1 p.m.) LONDON, August 10. Mr H. Bywater, writing in the Daily Telegraph, says Britain intends to make the fleet air arm the spe'arhead of the Navy’s powers. It will be ahead of all foreign countries in quality and seoond only to the United States in quantity after the new carriers and catapult ships have been completed. They total 200 at present, and further increases will be made later. The lower deck ratings will be trained as pilots. Methods to take off and to alight on the sea are being developed to enable It to operate in any weather except storms. A system of long-arm patrols to warn against air raids and to protect shipping in narrow seas is also being introduced. A NEW DEATH-RAY. PROTECTION IN AIR RAIDS. ADVANCE IN EXPERIMENTS. United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright. LONDON, August 10. Research on a new type of deathray to give protection against air raids is believed to have reached an advanced stage. The experiments on what would be in effect an ‘‘electric wall” are being conducted by a Government scientific committee. There are most startling reports that the ray will be able to destroy anything in its path. Scientists are said to be convinced that the ray will reach perfection in a few years if they are able to work unhindered. In May Marconi scouted a report that he had supplied Signor Mussolini with two death-rays. “It Is cheaper to shoot,” was his laconic comment. A scientific writer in the Daily Telegraph last year said: ‘A high-fre-quency radio wave, concentrated in a beam, will melt metal bars at several yards, and kill animals by literally roasting them. •But, because of a falling off of strength with distance, the horsepower needed to generate the current for such a death broadcast’ from super vacuum tubes would run into billions of pounds, cveu for a few miles.”