boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert) (07/08/90)
From: boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert) Well, it seems I posted an item to a different newsgroup about the British deception in WWII where they attempted to cover the existence of airborne radar by putting out news stories that a combination of testing and lots of carrots had improved their pilot's night vision. (This because the night fighters were suddenly significantly more effective.) They even picked one Flight Lieutenant Cunningham and had the press dub him "Cat's Eyes." Calling him this supposedly was worth a right to the jaw irrespective of your rank. I first heard the story when I was in the UK in 1960 researching the Eagle Squadrons, and I recall reading it in several reputable sources, including one that had pictures of the news coverage. In my first posting I offhandedly mentioned that I could furnish references, because I thought the story was covered either in Anthony Cave Brown's _Bodyguard of Lies_ or R.V. Jones' _Most Secret War_. So, as these things will, happen, somebody called my bluff, and *then* I looked it up and lo and behold I had misremembered the source. So, can any gentle reader out there get me off the hook and come up with a reference? It should be in some history of radar, the Blitz, or the Bristol Beaufighter. Many thanks. Earl
adrian@cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk (Adrian Hurt) (07/11/90)
From: Adrian Hurt <adrian@cs.heriot-watt.ac.uk> In article <1990Jul8.053618.8521@cbnews.att.com> boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert) writes: > >Well, it seems I posted an item to a different newsgroup about the >British deception in WWII where they attempted to cover the existence >of airborne radar by putting out news stories that a combination of >testing and lots of carrots had improved their pilot's night vision. It wasn't just the British. The German armoured ship ("pocket battleship") Admiral Scheer had a propaganda journalist on board. As the Scheer went after a merchant ship at night, the journalist asked how they kept contact in the darkness. "Oh, we get an extra ration of carrots", was the reply from one of the officers. If anyone in the crew wondered what the big bedstead at the mast top was, no-one wondered out loud. Source: "Pocket Battleship", by Theodor Krancke and H.J. Brennecke. "Keyboard? How quaint!" - M. Scott Adrian Hurt | JANET: adrian@uk.ac.hw.cs UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!adrian | ARPA: adrian@cs.hw.ac.uk
tow@arisia.Xerox.COM (Rob Tow) (07/12/90)
From: tow@arisia.Xerox.COM (Rob Tow) In article <1990Jul8.053618.8521@cbnews.att.com> boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert) writes: > >Well, it seems I posted an item to a different newsgroup about the >British deception in WWII where they attempted to cover the existence >of airborne radar by putting out news stories that a combination of >testing and lots of carrots had improved their pilot's night vision. >(This because the night fighters were suddenly significantly more >effective.) The premise of the story is not as silly as it seems; read the account below to see! "The following story dramatizes how your photopigments determine what you can see. During World War II, the United States Navy wanted its sailors to be able to see infrared signal lights that would be invisible to the enemy. Normally, it is impossible to see infrared radiation because, as was pointed out earlier, the wavelengths are too long for human photopigments. To see infrared, the spectral sensitivity of some human photopigments would have to be changed. Vision scientists knew that a derivative of vitamin A was part of every photopigment molecule and that various forms of vitamin A existed. If the retina could be encouraged to use some alternative form of vitamin A in its manufacture of photopigments, the spectral sensitivity of those photopigments would be abnormal, perhaps extending into the infrared. Human volunteers were fed diets rich in an alternative form of vitamin A but deficient in the usual form. Over several months, the volunteers vision changed, giving them greater sensitivity to light of longer wavelengths. Though the experiment seemed to be working, it was aborted. The development of the "snooperscope", an electronic device for seeing infrared radiation, made continuation of the experiment unnecessary (Rubin and Walls, 1969). Still, the experiment demonstrates that photopigments select what one can see; changing those photopigments would change one's vision." -"Perception", by R. Sekuler and R. Blake, Alfred A. Knopf, 1985, ISBN 0-394-32815-9, pp. 58-59. --- Rob Tow Member Research Staff Electronic Document Lab Xerox PARC 3333 Coyote Hill Drive Palo Alto, CA 94304 (415)-494-4807
tiwasawa@netxdev.DHL.COM (Takashi Iwasawa) (07/12/90)
From: tiwasawa@netxdev.DHL.COM (Takashi Iwasawa) In article <1990Jul8.053618.8521@cbnews.att.com> boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert) writes: > > >From: boebert@SCTC.COM (Earl Boebert) >Well, it seems I posted an item to a different newsgroup about the >British deception in WWII where they attempted to cover the existence >of airborne radar by putting out news stories that a combination of >testing and lots of carrots had improved their pilot's night vision. >(This because the night fighters were suddenly significantly more >effective.) They even picked one Flight Lieutenant Cunningham and had >the press dub him "Cat's Eyes." > >So, can any gentle reader out there get me off the hook and come up >with a reference? > >Earl Try "Night Fighter" by C. F. Rawnsley and Robert Wright (copyright 1957 the edition I have is Ballantine Books paperback 2nd printing 1983 ISBN 0-345-31025-X). See page 55. Rawnsley was Cunningham's radar operator for most of the war. *** PLEASE NOTE!!! *** *** I'M HERE ONLY TEMPORARILY *** Unfortunately, the email/netnews machine at my company is going away sometime soon (I thought it would be gone by end of June, but the schedule's been changing). The management has PROMISED to replace it, but I will be unable to receive/send anything in the meanwhile. So, if you have any posting or private communication that you think I'll want to read, PLEASE save a copy. When I get net access back, I'll post another note here, and then you can email me anything you want me to read. THANK YOU!!! Takashi Iwasawa /* Of course, these are all my opinions */ (703) 742-6631 (home) /* except for the parts that are direct-*/ (703) 749-2768 (work) /* ly quoted. Net Express doesn't have */ Net Express Communications Inc. /* any opinions on armor, battleships, */ Vienna, Virginia /* or tanks. */