September-October - Air Defense Artillery

Northwestern Sector
BRIGADIER GENERAL JAMES H. CUNNINGHAM, Assistant
Sector Commander for Harbor Defense 1\'Iatters
NE\VS LETTERS
~lajor General Henry C. Pratt, Commanding General,
IVesternDefense Command, accompanied by the Sector
)Jmmander, made an inspection of both harbor defenses
luring the period 9 to II August. A regular radar practice
vasheld at Fort Ebey and demonstration target practices
rere held at Fort \Vorden, and Camp Hayden, where
:;eneral Pratt had the opportunity of meeting Brigadier
>reston,1\11. C., Fortress Commander, Esquimalt Fortress
,nd Brigadier Stewart, CGE, DSO, who had just returned
romduty in England.
Four Canadian Radar Officers from Esquimalt Fortress
nd Hq. Pacific Command recently visited the Harbor
)efenses of Puget Sound for a three-day inspection and
nstruction tour of Harbor Defense Radar Installations
ncluding an inspection of Navy Airborne Radar Equipnent
at Ault Field.
On II July, the Sector Commander, accompanied by
rigadier General Cunningham, Major General Worthn~ton,
CGE, MC, MM, General Officer Commanding In
hief, Pacific Command, Brigadier Preston and Colonel
arrington, U. S. Liaison Officer at Vancouver, visited
orkeIsland, near the northern end of Vancouver Island
nd witnessed a day and night seacoast target practice.
The 63-foot aircraft rescue boats recently received in
0thharbor defenses are being used extensively, especially
r towing high-speed targets as shown in the accompanyg
photograph taken in Admiralty Inlet, HD of PS. A
-inchoperated by a small ga~oline motor has been mounted
the stern of this boat and steel airplane target tow cable is
sed as towline. A special high speed pyramidal target has
Cenconstructed, which has been towed at speeds as high as
miles per hour in target practices using 600 yards of tow-
line. (Towline in the photo is only a little over 100 yards in
order that the details of the target may be observed.) The
target is of lattice construction mounted on three plank skis.
Screen has been fastened to the lattice work to permit radar
firing by AMTB batteries.
Officers' and noncommissioned officers' schools have been
continued in both harbor defenses. In the HD of the Columbia
an officers' school was held on 2 August during
which practical instruction was given in firing a 75mm gun
at seacoast targets. In the Harbor Defenses of Puget Sound,
an eioht-weeks school for enlisted men in the care and
o
preservation, adjustment, operation and firing of automatic
weapons is being conducted at Fort Casey using both radiocontrolled
airplane and towed sleeve targets.
During July and August, personnel from both harbor
defenses were engaged in fighting forest fires. Troops from
the Harbor Defenses of the Columbia aided materially in
checking the huoe Tillamook forest fire on the Oregon
o \ d .
Coast. A forest fire fighting detail of eighty men an four
officers worked for two weeks under the technical supervision
of the State Forestry Officials in an attempt to confine
the fire to a 2OG,OOO-acrearea which had been devastated.
The Harbor Defenses of Puget Sound furnished troops to
combat several smaller fires on \Vhidby and Marrowstone
Islands.
An active schedule of outdoor athletics has been conducted
during the summer in both harbor defenses, climaxed
by a three-game baseball series between the two
harbor defense teams. The final and deciding game, played
at Fort \\1orden on 12 August was won by the HD of the
Columbia team by a score of 1-0.
The high-speed target at 25 mph.
If you are going to be moving around for a while,
why not have the JOURNAL sent to your home
address?
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