The White Falcon - 14.08.1943, Blaðsíða 12

12
Bloudie
by Chic Young
August Bad
For Nazis
In Any War
Axis Pilots Learn To Fear
‘Black Box’ In Air Duels
With the Germans backtrack-
ing in Russia and Sicily, history
is likely to repeat itself. It was
just 25 years ago this week that
the Allies began their great Ami-
ens offensive in World War I
which led to final victory three
months later.
The decisive Allied push at
Amiens in August, 1918, started
with a terrific artillery barrage
along the entire eastern front.
This drive led to a series of vic-
tories which resulted in the col-
lapse of the whole German
army.
It was also this drive which
prompted Field Marshal Luden-
dorff of the German high com-
mand to say on August 8, 1918,
“This is the black day for the
German army. We now realize
the decline of our fighting power
beyond all doubt.”
After August, 1918, the back-
bone of the German army was
broken. With the bulk of .its
winter reserves used up, the
Huns were driven backward by
the British Fourth Army and the
Canadian Corps, which in the
next three months smashed east-
ward to final victory.
Red Cross
Plans Group
Study Classes
Questionaires and information
pertinent to Army Institute cour-
ses or high school and college
correspondence courses are now
available for Servicemen at the
Red Cross Rec Center or In-
formation Booth.
In addition, the Red Cross
plans to organize classes in sub-
jects covered by the schools,
However, attendance of at least
ten students is required by the
Red Cross before any subject
will be included in the program.
Instructors will net as tutors
or coaches instead of as teach-
ers, supervising group study,
» Subjects will be chosen according
to popular appeal as compiled
from the questionaires.
Ton Of Goods
Monthly Load
For Each Gl
American soldiers serving
overseas are being shipped sup-
plies at the rate of a ton per
man each month, it was an-
nounced this week by the Trans-
portation Corps of the Army Ser-
vice Forces.
According to the TCASF, in
addition to supplying overseas
troops with necessities, this unit
has moved approximately 2,0000,-
000 men overseas to more than
50 countries. In the United Sta-
tes alone, the corps supervised
the movement of nearly 25,000,-
000 troops by domestic carrier.
FBI Finds Spy
In Federal Job
Roberto Lanas Vallecilla, 35-
year-old translator for the Co-
ordinator of Inter-American Af-
fairs, was taken into custody by
the Justice Dept, this week on
charges of aiding the enemy.
FBI agents, who made the ar-
rest, said Vallecilla sent three
letters in invisible ink to German
spies in Lisbon, disclosing plans
of American aircraft production
and shipping. He faces death if
proved guilty.
Depot Floor-Show
Entertains Gl’s
Conductor Matty Baling of the
Long Island, N. Y., railway sees
to it that departing Servicemen
get underway in gay spirits. Bal-
ling strums his guitar, sings and
makes wisecracks at Pennsyl-
vania Station.
Eighth Air Force officials in
England this week lifted the
cloak of secrecy from one of their
airmen’s most cherished instru-
ments in the fight against Hit-
ler—the Sperry automatic com-
puting sight.
This sight, which has been as
much of a secret asfe the famous
Norden bombsight, is said by
officials to have played no small
part in helping USAAF gunners
reach their present total of ap-
proximately 1,500 planes de-
stroyed.
Referred to by gunners as the
“b^ack box,” the sight enables
these men to frame the wings of
an approaching plane between
two adjustable “light gates” by
looking thi'bugh a glass finder
sight.
After the gunner has recogniz-
ed the enemy plane he makes
several adjustments and the sight
itself “takes over.” If the gun-
ner makes aif accurate reading
Three U.S. Leaders
In Narrow Escape
The Navy disclosed this week
that three top-ranking officials
directing the Central Solomons
offensive had a narrow escape
at the start of the campaign
when a Jap sub sank their ship
near Rendova Island.
The three men are Lt. Gen.
Millard F. Harmon, commanding
Army forces in South Pacific,
and Rear Admirals R. K. Turner
and T. S. Wildeson, joint com-
manders of amphibious opera-
tions.
A destroyer took them off
their ship before it sank.
of the instrument, his gun will
be pointed in a direction that
will hit the 'German plane.
The instrument’s computor al-
lows for everything—bullet drop,
wind resistance, range and de-
flection. The gunner gets his an-
swers in a matter of split sec-
onds.
The Sperry Automatic is used
by the top turret gunner and the
man in the ball turret, and en-
ables its handlers to look direct-
ly at their target. The other gun-
ner on the bombers use the sim-
ple ring sight and, unless the
enemy plane is approaching head
on, they must aim a good di-
stance ahead of it.
Eighth Air Force officials have
not made any great claims about
how many more planes the
“black box” has accounted for
than the other sights, but word
is that it has accounted for “its
share.”
News about the secret sight
was revealed only aftec officials
were convinced Germans had
captured a number of the “box-
es” from planes shot down. It is
claimed that it would take the
enemy years to duplicate the in-
strument and produce it on a
large scale.
Mae West Unwinds
From Hubby Wallace
Buxom Mae West is now legal-
ly free from the man she insist-
ed for years she never married.
Her final divorce from Frank
Wallace, veteran vaudeville dan-
cer, was granted tljis weeh in
Los Angeles.
10% Of Prisoners
Held By Japs Die
One out of every ten Americ-
an soldiers captured by the Jap-
anese has died of disease in Nip-
ponese prison camps, it was re-
vealed by the War Dept, this
week in Washington.
According to the latest report,
167 more names have been add-
ed to the present list, raising
the total to 1,344 deaths.
Synthetic Fuel
Makes Auto Debut
Automobiles powered with
synthetic fuel made from coal
were driven through Pittsburgh
streets for the first time by of-'
ficials of the Bureau of Mines
to demonstrate how the Nation’s
huge bituminous coal and lignite
reserves can be liquified to pro-
duce gasoline. Director R. R. Say-
ers said 136 gallons of fuel can
be obtained from one ton of coal.
Federal Plants
Rush Production
The government-financed pro-
gram to build plants and mach-
inery for the war effort is more
than four-fifths complete, War
Production Board Chairman Don-
ald Nelson announced.
Nelson pointed out that am-
munition and explosive plants
were 95% complete at the end
of June, while the synthetic rub-
ber program was 61% complete.
Colonel Teaches
Subject Too Well!
It seems there is such, a thing
as doing a job too perfectly.
From Algiers this week came
proof.
A Col. criticized a gun carri-
age camouflage 13 times, finally
made a model out of soap to
show how it should be done.
Enlisted men followed his new
instructions so well—the Col.
fell through the roof on an in-
spection trip!
Kills Infant Child
Before Induction
Without emotion, Dale Cramer
of Lincoln, Neb., told police he
poisoned his month-old daughter,
Janet Mae, with “just a little
ounce of strychnine,"
Send THE WHITE FALCON Home
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