1941-02-10 — Page 41

THE CHINA MAIL, FEBRUARY 10, 1941.

EFFECTS OF BOMB BLAST

GLOWING TRIBUTE TO INDIAN TROOPS

IN MIDDLE EAST

LIEUTENANT-GENERAL

Auchinleck, new Commander-in-Chief in India, in a broadcast yester- day paid glowing tribute to the Indian troops for. their part in the operations in Africa.

He said that on his way to India he had seen several Indian units in Eastern Sudan some of which had already fought at Sidi Barrani.

said.

Even this moment

they are actions culminating

"On the eve of the latest bril- liant victory, I received the fol-

message

General iron lowing

troops were *Indian Wavell:

mongst the early reinforcements to arrive in Egypt and have been maintaining the defence of that! country ever since.

Krren,

in the most

Work which has been undertaken by the Re- search and Experiments Department of the Minis- try of Home Security and observation of the dam- age done during air raids winning fresh battle honcurs," he briliant pursuit from Kassala to have shown that the dan- ger arising from flying glass is considerable. While flying fragments of have not caused glass many deaths they have been responsible for large proportion of the in- juries reported when bombs have fallen among houses, and, as Lord Wool- ton has pointed out, for taken part in serious damage to food stocks.

Я

Experience has proved that the blast of a bomb falling within 20011 may burst windows and cause a hat of broken glass driv- ing daggerike pieces inte walls

or even into tim. containing Cunta ng and blinds will do

food

very

ht to stop flying glass. though They may do something ing up a window with #

Block-

15

brick

to be

strong

with

wall or sandbagging will not save glas unless the window completely blocked up as pratically airt ght. A black-out screen covered building board. plywood, or thick cardboard gives good protection.

Materials stuck On glass have preced effective in preventing fragments Eying, though they do not prevent windows from being broken. The cheapest and plest material to use is or 1 men fabric, stuck all over the glass with paperhanger's paste. Net curtain materials are also very good. Brown paper works well, but it must be tough and thick.

Flying Glass

sim-

cotton

Bracing devices to strengthen windows and so reduce the chance of their breaking have been test- ed, but it has not been found that any of them gives any ap- preciable increase in the resistance of the glass to blast from bombs, Plate glass windows 3-16in. thick or n ore, which are usually those of shop fronts, restaurants, and hotels, are prone to damage by blat because of their large areas, and the protection of the interior lit by the window is desirable. Small panes of plate glass are relatively strong but may fail by the frame breaking.

When a bomb explodes the direct pressure of the blat may force in the window, or the suction following the pressure pulse may pull it outwards. At of greater distances reflections the chock-wave may start strong vibrations in a window which happens to have the same na- tural frequency. Such a window may

close break when others by are unharmed.

The minimum distance from an explosion at which plate glass will escape damage cannot be 200ft. its predicted, but within

chance of survival is small. Pe- yond that distance the chance de- pends on facts which include the size and the thickness of the pane, the frame fixing, the size of the bomb and the method of detona- tion. and, in particular, the re- flection of the blast wave from adjacent buildings. The last factor is chiefly responsible for the ap- parently freakish fracture of win- dows.

When a pane breaks under se- vere blast. pieces may be scatter- ed violently. It is not possible to foretell whether the pieces will. fly inwards or outwards. When a pane breaks under distant binst, pieces generally fall inside and outside within a few feat.

It is desirable to fasten doors' wide open during air rüids · and generally to open windows, On the general question whether win- dows which are, open. are less likely to be.. shattered than those which are closed much depends on the tyde of window, but as a rule the open window is Jess likely to suffer damage.

troope "In this action Indian performed extremely good work In must difficult conditions." "

Invasion Prediction

Lieutenant-General Auchinleck also declared that everything re-suggested that the present war would be critical while concern- ing the possibility of an attempt

Brita_n. he to invade

declared whatever that he had no doubt that if the attempt were made it would "end in complet disaster

HOW Britain was as

Visi | fortress. Router.

"This long period was

participation warded by their

In the hattle of Sidi, Barrani in which the magnificent work of the Indian troops enhanced the already high reputation previously held,

they

Since then, Indian troops have several important

ne

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