but to treat emergency cases, he must also be a general prac- 

 titioner, with wide experience and knowledge of his subject. 



Field engineers, recruited from American industry and 

 the university laboratories, played a vital role in the anti- 

 submarine warfare of World War lie 



More Field Engineering Service Needed. 



By 1943, Division 6 of NDRC had become closely integrated 

 with Naval operations, design and research, acting as a con- 

 sulting body, inventing and improving weapons and assisting 

 in personnel training.. 



While a great deal was being accomplished in developing 

 new devices for detecting, locating and destroying the enemy, 

 it became apparent that more attention should be given to 

 the problems of installation, operation and training in the 

 effective use of new antisubmarine warfare weapons and de- 

 vices. Also, experience showed that the performance of older 

 types of devices often could be substantially improved. As 

 the German U-boat threat increased, the need to bridge the gap 

 between laboratory development and application of new devices 

 grew more urgent. 



Several Division 6 laboratories had already found that 

 they must render field engineering service if they were to do 

 their job right. 



The research and development activities of these various 

 groups created a problem in coordination , evaluation and use. 



Fi eld Engineer ing Group Proposed, 



By early 1943, it became apparent that these various 

 field engineering activities should be coordinated under one 

 direction. Also, the Navy needed even more technical assist- 

 ance in design, installation, maintenance, operation, and 

 training methods. 



If more men were sent out from the research laboratories, 

 the research program undoubtedly would be hampered. Competent 

 laboratory men might be wasted on field work for which they 

 were inexperienced or unqualified. 



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