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BenjaminLiottel · ***Power User*** Offline Joined: Jul 07, 2006 Posts: 47

The purpose of a fire department is to put out fires. In WWII, many fires were started by air raids. Well, the best defense is a good offense, so it seems only natural that the best chance for a Fire Engine to put out fires from marauding aircraft would be to shoot the aircraft down first!

Text is only vaguely legible at that resolution, for ease of eyes I'll retype it:

By mounting an anti-aircraft gun on a fire engine, smoke eaters of Boston, Mass., recently demonstrated how their force could cope with an enemy air raid. Now plans are reported to arm a number of other fire trucks similarly and to train gunners with the cooperation of the National Guard. In case the firemen were attacked by low-flying raiders, while putting out a fire started by air bombs, the powerful machine gun would provide an effective defense. Other engines roaring along highways with sirens shrieking would serve as mobile antiaircraft units exclusively, supplementing the work of regular military defense units.

Now that would make one prize winning WWII model! If a fitting WWII era fire engine kit could be suitably modified, I have no doubt it would gain some top honors at model contests.

---Liottel.