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Authors: Kathleen Ann Goonan
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years,” said Bitts. “I’ve been authorized to fill you in on the details.”
“Why?” asked Wink.
“We’re going to need people in the field who know how the M-9 operates right down to the ground.”
“We’re the repair guys,” said Sam.
“You could say that.”
“Who’s working on it?” Sam asked.
Bitts pushed notepads and pencils toward them.
“It’s a collaboration between the military and private enterprise. I’m from Bell Labs. We developed the computer. MIT has what they call a Rad Lab and they’ve been developing the radio imaging—we’re calling it radar, for radio detection and ranging—and integrating the magnetron into it. A guy named Loomis—a good friend of mine, quite wealthy—is an amateur scientist. Brilliant. He’s been working, on his own and in conjunction with MIT, on the same problem you identified—how to generate the power we need to make radar more effective. Boot and Randall showed the magnetron to Loomis, and he grasped its importance immediately. He’s brought everything together, including getting it into quick production. G.E., Westinghouse, Sylvania—different companies have the contracts to manufacture the components. It generates extremely short microwaves, and we have about a thousand times more power available than before.”
“How?” asked Sam.
Bitts swung his briefcase onto the table, unlocked it, and took out a set of blueprints. Then he began to talk electronics and physics, and explained a major top-secret weapon of the war. Sam began his notes.
U.S. bombers are equipped with the top-secret “Norden Bombsight.” I guessed, correctly, it turns out, that the M-7 was a derivation of the bombsight.
They are mechanical cousins, both manufactured by Sperry Gyroscope Company in Long Island, N.Y. Most of our “New York” contingent worked for Sperry, manufacturing M-5 and M-7 directors, hence, the interest of the 610th in having them aboard. As far as I know, none of the other 610th personnel are aware of the existence of the top-secret M-9 Director, or that the M-5 and M-7 will soon be obsolete.
The computer (M-9 Director) calculates the future position of the target and drives three selsyns to provide the guns (four 90mm AA guns) with instantaneous azimuth, elevation, and distance readings. The guns are ready to fire anytime after ten to fifteen seconds of tracking, with near-perfect performances.
The power to operate radar comes from a cavity magnetron, a hollow block of metal with a spherical interior that concentrates the signal to a point in the center of the magnetron and emits the signal from the antenna.
At this time radar is a war secret—and, in particular, the short (10mm) radar enabled by the cavity magnetron is a heavily guarded secret. The Germans are way behind us. They’re using a longer-wave form of radar for London bombing runs. England has the Home Chain radar towers to give early alerts of the approach of German bombers, but again, these are still longer-wave. The short-wave precision of radar enabled by the cavity magnetron is a powerful new development. It will open all kinds of doors.
Obviously, radar won’t be secret for long. Anybody with any sense that’s paying attention is going to recognize that the enemy is doing something that gives them the opportunity to see where you are even when no lights are shining. You’re still getting artillery in your proximity. Even without searchlights they’re looking at you. In spy work when you find out something about your enemy you’re not supposed to know, the first decision is about what use you make of the information. If you don’t use it they keep using the technology against you. The inclination not to use it keeps it from being an advantage. That’s the first rule of successful spy work.
Bitts reached under the table and pulled out a cardboard box. Opening it, he took out one of the main technological advances that would later be credited with winning the war.
“Why?” asked Wink.
“We’re going to need people in the field who know how the M-9 operates right down to the ground.”
“We’re the repair guys,” said Sam.
“You could say that.”
“Who’s working on it?” Sam asked.
Bitts pushed notepads and pencils toward them.
“It’s a collaboration between the military and private enterprise. I’m from Bell Labs. We developed the computer. MIT has what they call a Rad Lab and they’ve been developing the radio imaging—we’re calling it radar, for radio detection and ranging—and integrating the magnetron into it. A guy named Loomis—a good friend of mine, quite wealthy—is an amateur scientist. Brilliant. He’s been working, on his own and in conjunction with MIT, on the same problem you identified—how to generate the power we need to make radar more effective. Boot and Randall showed the magnetron to Loomis, and he grasped its importance immediately. He’s brought everything together, including getting it into quick production. G.E., Westinghouse, Sylvania—different companies have the contracts to manufacture the components. It generates extremely short microwaves, and we have about a thousand times more power available than before.”
“How?” asked Sam.
Bitts swung his briefcase onto the table, unlocked it, and took out a set of blueprints. Then he began to talk electronics and physics, and explained a major top-secret weapon of the war. Sam began his notes.
U.S. bombers are equipped with the top-secret “Norden Bombsight.” I guessed, correctly, it turns out, that the M-7 was a derivation of the bombsight.
They are mechanical cousins, both manufactured by Sperry Gyroscope Company in Long Island, N.Y. Most of our “New York” contingent worked for Sperry, manufacturing M-5 and M-7 directors, hence, the interest of the 610th in having them aboard. As far as I know, none of the other 610th personnel are aware of the existence of the top-secret M-9 Director, or that the M-5 and M-7 will soon be obsolete.
The computer (M-9 Director) calculates the future position of the target and drives three selsyns to provide the guns (four 90mm AA guns) with instantaneous azimuth, elevation, and distance readings. The guns are ready to fire anytime after ten to fifteen seconds of tracking, with near-perfect performances.
The power to operate radar comes from a cavity magnetron, a hollow block of metal with a spherical interior that concentrates the signal to a point in the center of the magnetron and emits the signal from the antenna.
At this time radar is a war secret—and, in particular, the short (10mm) radar enabled by the cavity magnetron is a heavily guarded secret. The Germans are way behind us. They’re using a longer-wave form of radar for London bombing runs. England has the Home Chain radar towers to give early alerts of the approach of German bombers, but again, these are still longer-wave. The short-wave precision of radar enabled by the cavity magnetron is a powerful new development. It will open all kinds of doors.
Obviously, radar won’t be secret for long. Anybody with any sense that’s paying attention is going to recognize that the enemy is doing something that gives them the opportunity to see where you are even when no lights are shining. You’re still getting artillery in your proximity. Even without searchlights they’re looking at you. In spy work when you find out something about your enemy you’re not supposed to know, the first decision is about what use you make of the information. If you don’t use it they keep using the technology against you. The inclination not to use it keeps it from being an advantage. That’s the first rule of successful spy work.
Bitts reached under the table and pulled out a cardboard box. Opening it, he took out one of the main technological advances that would later be credited with winning the war.
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