22 



CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD 



zontal, and Dr. Burrows suggested that this experi- 

 ment might be integrated with the Committee's 

 angle-of-arrival project for determining refractive 

 errors in gun-laying radar systems. 



Methods for taking atmospheric soundings were 

 reviewed, and a new combination kite and balloon 

 was described in a report by M. Katzin of NRL. 



Dr. Carroll reported on extensive tests on prac- 

 tically all types of VHF military voice communica- 

 tion sets, which were being planned in California. He 

 reported that radio propagation tests were going to 

 be correlated with meteorological measurements 

 made with wired sondes. 



The appointment of Dr. Kwei as the Committee's 

 representative in China was discussed, and Dr. Kwei 

 described the communication facilities to be made 

 available for handling ionospheric propagation data 

 obtained in China for transmission to the Committee. 

 He urged that more scientifically trained personnel 

 be transported to China when possible, to offset the 

 very great lack of such persons to assist in the work. 



Dr. Carroll described experiments going on in 

 Florida supplementary to those being conducted in 

 California, designed to answer questions about the 

 maximum reliable range for VHF communications 

 sets under varying conditions. 



Meteorological measurements made offshore in the 

 Boston area by the Radiation Laboratory Wave 

 Propagation Group were described by Dr. R. B. 

 Montgomery. These established the existence of 

 ducts and at times substandard layers varying in 

 height from 100 to as much as 700 ft, with complex 

 distributions of refractive index. These measurements 

 were especially important as they were known to 

 parallel conditions to be expected in similar regions 

 off the North China and Japanese coasts. 



Work in progress on all other projects was also 

 discussed, including angle-of-arrival experiments and 

 the overland tests going on in New Zealand, Canada, 

 and Arizona. Mr. R. J. Hearon reported on the new 

 contracts, with particular reference to the direct 

 Service interest in each. The whole future of propa- 

 gation investigation was then considered, particu- 

 larly with reference to the future employment of the 

 propagation group at MIT-RL. It was the opinion of 

 some Service representatives that the operation of 

 this research establishment should be conducted 

 under joint Army-Navy control. It was found impos- 

 sible to reach definite conclusions as to a program to 

 continue after eventual demobilization of OSRD, 

 but general opinion was that a contract under the 



Chiefs of Staff or other coordinating group might be 

 made with MIT or a similar organization. It was 

 decided to continue discussion at the next meeting. 



On July 2, 1945, a summary of projects for 

 consideration by the proposed Research Board for 

 National Security [RBNS] was prepared for presen- 

 tation when that body should become active. This 

 included a considerable list of propagation, meteor- 

 ology, and equipment problems requiring further 

 research. At the date of writing, the exact status of 

 this proposal with the RBNS is not known. 



With the decisive change in the course of the war 

 which took place during July and August 1945, 

 emphasis was shifted from operational propagation 

 problems to organizational and administrative mat- 

 ters, particularly reports, demobilization, and recom- 

 mendations for a continuing program. 



On July 30, a letter was circulated among the 

 members and representatives of the Services request- 

 ing consideration of certain definite questions relating 

 to future propagation research and reviewing such 

 opinion as had already been expressed on the matter. 

 Service interest in a continuing program had already 

 been manifested, and it was felt particularly impor- 

 tant that action be taken before the teams of ideally 

 suited research workers at MIT and other labora- 

 tories were demobilized. 



Upon the Japanese surrender in August 1945, the 

 principal efforts of the Committee were directed to 

 accomplishing contract terminations, preparation 

 and submission of a final report, and demobilization 

 of the organization. At a meeting on August 28, the 

 matter of contract terminations was settled, and 

 additional discussion of future propagation research 

 was held. 



A meeting of the Committee on Propagation was 

 held in Wishington on October 30, 1945, to discuss 

 termination of the various projects and related mat- 

 ters, including preparation of a Summary Technical 

 Report and a history, and the probable future of 

 propagation research. This was expected to be the 

 last full meeting of the Committee, and a large 

 amount of business was transacted which can be 

 mentioned only briefly here. The entire membership 

 was present, with liaison officers of various Services 

 concerned and several representatives of contractors 

 and of British and Australian research agencies. 



Dr. Saxton reported that future work in the 

 United Kingdom was under discussion but that a de- 

 cision had not yet been reached. He described certain 

 experiments proposed for trial in New Zealand, for 



