Enemy Gun Batteries Can Be Located By Adapted Seismograph, Leet Finds

Finding that blasting near his laboratory recorded an entirely new wave on his seismograph, L. Don Leet, assistant professor of Seismology, has developed a new military technique that may greatly affect warfare in the future.

By the use of the seismograph enemy gun batteries can be located within ten minutes after they have fired, and can then be bombarded with mathematical accuracy.

Almost all artillery that depends upon secrecy of location for effectiveness may be thrown out of use by Leet's development. The position of Germany's Big Bertha during the World War was jealously guarded, but it could now be mapped before two shots had been fired.

"The anti-craft gun will be the one piece of artillery that may survive undamaged," Leet stated, "but there is a possibility that later adjustments to the seismograph may even strip this gun of its cloak of secrecy."

The new instrument will not only provide prompt and accurate location of enemy batteries but will prevent such World War blunders as bombarding one's own troops of delaying attacks by underestimated gun-fire, for it will record the positions where shells are exploding.

Noticed Blasts

It was while he was working on the University observatory grounds at Oak Ridge that Leet first conceived of a new application of the delicate seismograph. Noticing extraordinary vibrations recorded on his instrument, he conducted search of the neighborhood and found that laborers were blasting nearby. At that point he decided to investigate artificial earthquakes caused by the dynamite.

On the basis of a survey conducted for ten years during which every type of dynamite was used and every phase of close distance explosion was guaged, Leet has presented his material to the U.S. army authorities, who are now conducting further research upon it.