January-February - Air Defense Artillery

84
U. S. Navy
The Jap battleship Nagato seems rather the worse for wear
after inflicting total destruction upon one of our bombs.
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More Fruit Salad
The \Var Department has authorized a new ribbon.
known as the Army Commendation Ribbon, to be worn bv
members of the t\rmed Forces who have been reco~mended
by senior officers for meritorious service rendered
since December 7, 1941, or for some specific accomplishment
since that time. Officers of the rank of major general or
above or those commanders of installations normallv the
command of major generals or higher, I1lay make the' commendation.
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The ribbon may be awarded for meritorious service
other than sustained combat or operational duty or direct
support of such duty. It is awarded under conditions where
a Bronze Star 1\ ledal, an operational award, cannot be
gl\'en.
The ribbon, which is authorized in the name of the
Secretary of \Var, will be awarded to gualified personnel
by including in an individual letter or certificate the statement
that the "recipient is hereby authorized to wear the
Armv Commendation Ribbon bv direction of the Secretary
of \\Tar." - -
Onlv one such award can be made while an individual is
on on~ duty assignment. For meritorious service in subseguent
duty assignments, oak leaf clusters may be awarded.
It is pointed out that the term "commendation" is not to be
confused with "appreciation." i\hny commanding officers
indicate their appreciation of work well done by letters of
appreciation. A commendation ribbon or certificate should
~},ow ~c},if'vemf'nt of distinction of the same standard for
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THE CUr.::ri" lS:-'::'~L'l:.tH J'JUh1....JAL January-Fe
which the 13rortz~.Star t\ ledal is awarded in operat
The commendation must be to an individual.
An indi\'idual who has recei\'ed a letter of commend
from or in the name of a major general or officer of hi
rank written prior to January 1, 1946, may obtain auth
to wear the Commendation Ribbon by making applica
to the agency or officer originating the letter, the Th
Commander. the Commanding General of a major
mand (Commanding General, Army Ground Forces, A
Air Forces, Army Service Forces), or the Adjutant Gen
\ Var Department. This application should include a
of the commendation, a statement as to the date or pe
covered bv the commendation. a list of other awards
the dares for which they were awarded, and a statement
the effect that the co~mendation does not duplicate
other award.
The ribbon is a silk band, one and three-eiohths inches
width of white stripes and myrtle green bands.
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Unit HistOries
The prize unit history received at the JOllRNAL o/fxr
during the past few weeks for our historical files is that
t1~eHOth AAA A \V Battalion. It has the complete hist
0\ the Battalion from the date of activation to the close
the war, contains rosters, many pictures, and maps a
drawings. The book is 8xl1 Y2inches, hard-bound in imi
tion pebbled leather with gold imprint.
The Rabbit Leaf, newspaper of the 455th AAA A W
talion, includes the history of the unit as of its third an
versary. This issue, dat;d 1 September 1945, was pu
lished at Dingolfing, Germany.
The 45th Coast Artillery Battalion history, compl
with rosters, is a mimeographed publication that cov
the period 1944-1945.
The 44th AAA Brioade history came to us in the fOnl
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of an article for publication in the JOURNAL.
Other units which have published histories or conte
plate doing so are urged to send copies to the JOURNAL fl»
our permanent file, which will be used as a readily acces\l'
ble source of CAe history.
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Birds on Our Side
Radar pickups of Rying birds, often made and correct!
interpreted by both British and American observers duri~
the war, were also made by German radar operators, b~
the Nazis never guessed what caused what they termed
Sc1zeinziele, or "spurious echoes." A German document on
the subject has been turned up by the British investigators.
and is brieRy summarized in the scientific journal, IVat1lTe.
bv H. A C. l\lcKav of the Admiralitv's l\liscellaneoU5
\"eapon Developme~t Department. '
The Germans noted that these "spurious echoes" came
with especial freguency from the wide mouths of ri~\e
which of course is just where one might expect to get rad
reRections from Rocks of geese, ducks and other waterfo\
The document as printed gives them the improbably hi
sDeed of 600 kilometers (372 miles) an hour: 1\ ~ 1\ lcK