THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 29, 1989.
GIANT A.R.P. DRIVE LAUNCHED BY NAZIS
6,000,000 Given Compulsory Instruction
Between 6,000,000 and 7,000,000 Germans 80 far have received training in air raid precautions, according to official sources in Berlin.
a mask free are those able to prove they cannot afford one. Masks are available for distribution free to them through the National Socialist Volkswohlfahrt organization.
While Nazi Germany dug no "crisis-trenches" against the possibil- ity of air raids at the height of the September war scare, authorities are expanding the number of permanent air raid shelters as rapidly as
sible.
p03-
Every office-building and apart ment-house must have some kind of refuge in case of raids. Many of these aro-merely cellars which do not
While virtually the entire "first-line" man-pretend to be bomb-proof and where power of Germany is being drafted for the army or for the armaments and economic self-suf-
only the most elementary precautions
against gas have been taken. SHELTERS BUILT
These are the main precautions Na- tional Socialist Germany has taken to protect its civil population against air raids.
Supposing war actually broke out, how would they function?
Immediately after the air raid warning is sounded by sirens there would be a complete black-out in the cities likely to be in the path of the raiders. In every building or group of houses the Luftschutzwart or air raid warden immediately, would order all civilians under his charge to take refugę in the cellar or other shelter already prepared, The Luftschutz- wart wears A distinguishing arm-
band and all his instructions be obeyed without question.
must
is
LEADER FULLY DRESSED The Luftschutzwart himself ficiency drives, Field Marshal Hermann Goering cities, however, a
In every new building in all big equipped with a gas-mask, A steel concrete bomb heinlet, overalls, nail-studden boots, is organising the nation's "rear-guard" for de-proof shelter must be constructed. strong gloves, flash-lamp, whistle and example, tremendous concrète decontamination chemicals. He is fence against air attack in a possible future con- substerranean shelters are being built responsible for seeing that all lights
how in the foundations of the new flict.
are put out immediately, that all win- headquarters of the great chemical dows are covered and that по in- This air raid training is organised on a com- Unter den Linden in Berlin. Similar He or his assistant sounds the alarm- combine, I. G. Farbenindustric, in Hammable material is left in attics, pulsory basis with severe penalties for anyone at-shelters also have been constructed in bell in the building and personally
tempting to evade service.
As a result, sooner or later vir- tually every German woman or man who is not needed for other work of national importance must receive. training in air raid precautions.
Germany's air raid precautions are controlled by the Luftschutzbund, founded by Goering in April, 1933, which to-day claims a membership of more than 18,000,000 out of a total population of 80,000,000.
TRAINED IN 3,500 SCHOOLS Training in air raid precautions is carried out in 500 principal air de- fence schools and 3,000 subsidiary schools scattered throughout the coun- try. In Berlin alone there are more than 100 of these schools. Hamburg has about 60, and there are propor- tionato numbers in every city and town throughout the Greater Reich.
Every large building or group of houses is responsible for its own air raid precautions. These are organised by:
A Luftschutzwart-or air raid war- den-stationed in every large building or number of houses. He and his as- sistant, both trained thoroughly in air raid protection have full responsibil ity for seeing that the building or group of houses under their charge are kept in a constant state of pre- paredness against air attack.
Two or more air raid workers, often women, designated by the Lufts chutzwart, must receive periodical training in air raid precautions, in- cluding protection against poison gas, fire fighting and first aid.
con- The
The training given to the ordin ary air raid workers normally Bists of two four-hour perioda. first period usually is taken up with a general lecture on the theory of air raid precautions. and - a preliminary description of various bases and high explosives and the methods of combat. ing them.
LEARN USE OF GAS MASKS
The training period includes prac- tical work in 'decontamination and fire-fighting, learning how to wear a gas-mask and a brief training in first aid. The pupils have to go through a "gas-chamber," which for purposes of instruction generally contains no thing more noxious than ordinary tear-gas. They also are taught the principles of gas-proofing a room.
Air-raid workers who have resolved this training admit that in actual fact It is somewhat sketchy.: Generally however, they are called up för a "res. fresher course" once or twice"; every year.
Germany, unlike Great Britain,
Great has made no plans for general dis tribution of gas masks to the entire population in the event war. The only gas mask
heaply is
all the vast new government build- ings in the Wilhelmstrasse district of Berlin,
EXCELLENT
sees that everyone immediately goes to the shelter or "air raid room."
(Continued on Page 17)
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