Radio age research, manufacturing, communications, broadcasting, television (1941)

Photophone at War MOT/ON PICTURE SOUND RECORDING AND REPRODUCING EQUIPMENT SERVING ARMED FORCES IN TRAINING CAMPS AND BATTLE FRONTS By Barton Kreuzer Manager, Photophone and Sound and Picture Sections, RCA Victor Division SOMEWHERE in the European theatre of war, two American boys, members of a bomber crew just back from a mission, are sit- ting in a canteen at their base, drinking coffee. They're not talk- ing much—just sipping the steam- ing coffee and staring into space. They're dog-tired, but not sleepy. Nerve strain makes you weary and wide awake at the same time. Per- haps they're thinking about the fel- lows who didn't come back. It's an easy guess for the captain that they're living the battle over again—and he knows that once is enough to live through any battle. He walks slowly over to their table, starts a conversation, but it lags. Then, glancing quickly at his wrist watch: "Say, we're late for the movie! You fellows coming?" That does it! [26 RADIO AGE] For the next two hours this trio and most of the other men off duty at the base forget the bombing mis- sion and all the rest of the war as they lose themselves briefly in the music, comedy, romance, and drama iif an American motion picture. * * * * In Italy, an Allied armored divi- sion is girding for a major blow against an intrenched enemy force. Supplies of a new piece of fighting equipment, vital to the success of the campaign, have just arrived. Operation of the new equipment is complex. Large numbers of men must be trained quickly to handle it in the most effective way. A sound motion picture film, shipped in with the equipment, does the job. Scores of men at a time, gathered before a movie screen, are enabled to see the equipment in action while they listen to a running description of the action by an expert instruc- tor. Close-ups give them a detailed view of small operating parts as the instructor's voice explains each detail. Synchronized sound and pictures bring to large groups at one central point an understanding of the equipment which otherwise could only be had from individual instruction and field demonstra- tions. * * * * At a huge training camp in the Middlewestern United States, a bunch of new inductees is being assigned to quarters, stowing away A. G. ZI.MMERMAN (RIGHT), INDIAN- APOLIS PRODUCTION MANAGER OF 16 MM. PROJECTORS, CONGRATULATES FORE- .MAN MAX HEIDENREICH AS THE LAST ITEM OF A LARGE SIGNAL CORPS ORDER IS SHIPPED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE. AT THE LEFT ARE B. E. CLATWORTHY AND C. M. PURDY. luggage, being shown around by older hands. ". . . and over there," says a lad who's been there for a month, "is the post theatre—but don't think it's all Betty Grable. "We have Hollywood pictures in the evening, sure; but we also have training films. You fellows are go- ing to find that sound movies play a mighty important part in teach- ing rookies how to fight a war— and fast!" * * * * A new force is taking over a tiny island in the South Pacific. No fighting here—just waiting. Some of the new men are already home- sick. One of them speaks to a mem- ber of the old force which, after months on the island, is being re- lieved. "Look," he says, "waiting can be a lot worse than fighting. What does a guy do when he de- cides he wants to spend the week- end at home?" "Nothing to it," replies the vet- eran. "We got a crystal ball. You just look into it, and there's home— you can see it and hear it. No, wait a minute! I'm not kidding. I mean the sound movies they send down to us. Without them, I guess we would go nuts; but, believe me, they make it a lot easier." * # * * In Washington, a group of mili- tary strategists is gathered in a small projection room. An official combat film is being screened. Ef- fective planning must take into , account the nature of the enemy's I equipment, its performance in bat- tle, the kind of tactics employed, and the strength and weaknesses, if any, of our own equipment and our own tactics when put to the test of actual combat. Here, by means of sound motion pictures, may be seen and heard vital records of such combat data, gathered from fight- ing fronts throughout the world. » » « * These sketches give only a rough J