The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1900-06-24
TELEPHOTOGRAPHY IN WARFARE.
Another New Device for Reconnoissanoe WON
Lines where Ii win BE Useful.

Wireless telegraphy. the ~helioRraph and
the balloon find their most important military
application in reconnaissance work. With theeo
aids and accessories II would appear that therV
is to-day very little excuse for n leader Of troops
not knowing the position or the enemy, OF
the confguration Of the ground on a prospective
battlefield, as has been the case 30 often In
South Africa. Science and invention together.
however. have added still another aid, one that
promises to he OF immense value. namely.
the telephOto lens.
Telsphotoeraphy is the art Of taking. by Q
special and variable long focus teleacopic lena
OFFICIALLY adjusted to tho lens Of Q good photo.
graphic camera photographs Of objects q
long distance of as II the operator were coE3e
paratively close TO them. Consequently, an
object five or ten miles away. which, by or.
binary photography would cover on the photo
graph a space an inch square. can be made b
cover. by telephotography. q space sixteen.
thirty-two or sixty-f0ur inches square. depend
ing on the ma9nifying power of the lens and
the size Of the camera used. The advantage Of
this is apparent. for a telephotograph Of an
a birds eye view Of the ground. OF the enemyS
forces and their positions. OF his trenches and
gun emplacements, all accurately drawn to
scale and on q sheet OF a size convenient for
study and reference, The range Of such Q
lens IL practically unlimited: and useful photo.
graphs are readily obtained az distances BE-
yond gun range. moreover. balloons can be
utilized for obtaining views from above the
surface Of the earth.
The telephoto-lens was invented about ten
years ago. and placed on the market by Dali.
never in England, Duboscq tn France and
Meithe in Germahy Experiments with light
instruments were made by the Intelligence
the climatic conditions and the fact that the
telephoto camera was then in its infancy. and
consequently very defective. caused 1t to be
condemned by the War Office at the time,
Experiments were continued. however. and
improvements gradually increased its practical
use. In the Chino-Japanese war OF 1894 IL was
one of the Japanese officers obtained some ex.
c.llent telephotographs Of the naval battle
Of the ialI River; Que q these; Of the large
of over two miles. presents a fine view Of the
effects OF the proiectles.
Good telephotographs have been obtained
at a distance of over forty miles, and those
taken beyond artillery range item milesl ara
on a sufficiently large scale to be Of practical usa,
The uses to which the valuable adjunct could
be put are various The navy, for example,
could use !, to obtain photographs Of foreiGl
coast drfences from beyond the three-mIe
limit. The land army, by taking a series Of
photographs Of the enemy''s line at different
times during an attack or q siege. would find
hi" a valuable means, not only OF locating
hs positions, but also OF. discovering. fresh
inr%enchm~nts that NAV have been thrown
up during The night
The British War Office Is said 10 have send
bnt, one small telepho,o camera 70 South Africa
and this one Is attached Ia a bicycle. OF course.
this instrument can give. no useful. resulta.
Large cameras and powerful lenses should b
used, either on commanding points or IN bah
looms. Had such . series Of photographs
been taken. on the Tugela or on the ModdeP
River. of all the Boer positions. and copies
distributed 70 the commnaders. the confusion
Of orders, misdirectlon Of advance, mislnder.
standing of the Topography and position Of
trenches, so common IN this campaign. would