-
- NY-BOUND PLANES ALARM ENTIRE NORTHEAST Defenses Leap
Into Action - City Schools Evacuated
-
- The Brooklyn Eagle December 9th, 1941
-
-
- New York City and the entire Northeast Coast, had it's
first air raid alarm.
-
- New Yorkers found themselves in the midst of what they
had heard about in reports from Europe and Asia, more the Pacific Islands
and the West Coast.
-
- Enemy planes were approaching Long Island-from New England
and then off the Virginia coast.
-
- Bombers, apparently were heading for Brooklyn Navy Yard,
for Mitchel Field and other points.
-
- Reports were confusing, but the defense organizations,
in view of what happened in Hawaii, were taking no chances.
-
- Interceptor planes took to the air from Mitchel Field
to seek out the enemy.
-
- Air raid sirens were sounded. Schools were closed. Employees
were sent home. Police warned pedestrians to keep off crowded streets.
-
- At 1:45 p.m. the police sounded the all clear and a minute
later the Fire Department followed suit.
-
- But at 2:00 p.m. the air-raid alarm was renewed by both
departments, a minute apart.
-
- Police announced a second all clear at 2:45.p.m.
-
-
- Crescendo of War Fright
-
-
- At 1:00 p.m. Lt. Fitzhugh Querrier of the Army Air Defense
Command reported that ten "unidentified" planes were within an
hour of New York, and the warnings reached a crescendo of was fright until
a bombing was expected any minute.
-
- Lt. Querrier, asked whether this might not be a test
of the air warning system, replied:
-
- "No this is not a test. It looks < 2nd page unavailable
-
|
