24 



CHRONOLOGICAL RECORD 



similar experiment planned for the Pacific, employ- 

 ing a mobile laboratory and aircraft, with combina- 

 tion one-way and radar transmission. He also men- 

 tioned that NRL and NRSL (NEL) were planning a 

 rather extensive propagation investigation which, 

 however, would not interfere with the work planned 

 for the Navy at the University of Texas. 



Dr. Beverage announced that the activities of 

 Division 15 of NDRC were to end almost completely 

 on October 31, 1945, and added that some projects 

 were being transferred to the Services but that no 

 propagation studies were active. 



Prof. Attwood announced termination of the Col- 

 umbia contract (OEMsr-1207) as of October 31 and 

 stated that 34 reports had been written under its 

 terms, with some still awaiting distribution. He also 

 mentioned that the Navy was taking over the Anal- 

 ysis Section of the Wave Propagation Group under 

 a new contract with Columbia University. 



John Campbell of the Jam Handy Organization 

 described progress in the production of a film cover- 

 ing many aspects of propagation phenomena, which 

 was due for completion about December 10, 1945. 



Lt. Comdr. W. B. Chadwick described a Navy 

 plan for predicting radar propagation conditions up 

 to 24 hours in advance and transmitting such infor- 

 mation with measured M curves to a central station 

 for correlation and dissemination. He was of the 

 opinion that the end of the war would probably halt 

 this project, making it necessary to return the 

 matter to research groups. 



Lt. Col. J. J. Slattery and K. A. Norton announced 

 that the Signal Corps planned to extend and continue 

 propagation experimentation in general, in coopera- 

 tion with other Services and industrial and scientific 

 establishments. 



The chairman requested comment on projected 

 future propagation studies. 



Dr. Dellinger stated that many questions yet to be 

 answered seemed appropriate for investigation by a 

 national research organization and by the new elec- 

 tronics department of MIT. He added that there 



was an organization, the Union Radio Scientifique 

 Internationale, with Sir Edward Appleton as inter- 

 national chairman and himself as chairman of the 

 American section, which would exercise a definite 

 interest in the propagation field. 



D. E. Kerr expressed the opinion that MIT would 

 not be in a position to undertake as large a program 

 as had been suggested and added that after current 

 projects were closed there would still be on hand a 

 large amount of unanalyzed data, which could not 

 be used unless an agency were found to make the 

 analysis. 



Major Wexler announced that the Army Weather 

 Service would continue to cooperate with groups 

 making propagation measurements and added that 

 the Air Force was negotiating through the Signal 

 Corps for basic research in storm detection by radar 

 to be done at MIT. 



The chairman announced that in view of the end 

 of hostilities, no new conference on propagation 

 would be called by the Committee. Following a vote 

 of thanks to the Chairman proposed by Dr. Dellinger 

 the meeting was adjourned. This was the last full 

 meeting held by the Committee, but members re- 

 mained active for a considerable time longer, carry- 

 ing on the necessary work of demobilizing the 

 organization. 



With general demobilization of the Committee 

 imminent and terminations of contracts already 

 taking effect, the principal work of the Committee 

 was concluded. After termination of the Columbia 

 contract, it was felt advisable to appoint Prof. Att- 

 wood a consultant to the Committee to assist with 

 final solution of administrative questions, and this 

 was made effective November 1, 1945. An office for 

 conducting correspondence and preparing this report 

 was maintained in the Empire State Building in 

 New York City, under the auspices of the NDRC 

 Summary Reports Group. With submission of this 

 report for publication, the work of the Committee 

 may be considered closed. 



