The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-09-07
BAFFLE PAINTING
SUCCEEDS FORMER
BATTLESHIP GRAY
New System of Camoufag-
ing Ships Deceives Hun
as to Size and Course

washington. Sept. 6.--New devel-
opments in the art of marine cam
outage have effected radical
changes in the painting OF ships to
protect them from the enemy. Mod
ern naval warfare no longer reckons
upon "invisibility as a defensive
factor, authorities having arrived at
the conclusion that paint itself be-
ing dependent as a substitute to de-
ceive a sumbarine commander as to
the size and form of a ship and her
course and speed.
Camouflage on land still is sue
cessfulIy applied along the lines or
protective coloring, by which guns
and roads and men are made virtual
Nv invisible under screens which
blend with the surrounding terrain
I'M the case of moving ships under
conditions constantly changing and
the elusive horizon always a diff
cult matter to deal with, similar
principles were found less efficient
than those which frankly admit the
existence Of a boat. but by peculiar
color schemes offer the torpedo such
a queer, deceptive target that a hit
Is only a matter of luck.
lieutenant Commander Norman
Wilkinson, Royal Naval Volunteer
Reserve the inventor Of "baffle
painting" came to the conclusion
after long experiment that the mo-
ment a submarine comes to the sur
face within striking distance, no
method Of painting would render
ship sufficiently invisible to escape
being seen.
There was a time" the artist
says, when l thought it possible
to increase or decrease a ships Wis
D,,E hnfnFa
submarine was considered as a real
active factor in naval warfare"
His decision took into considera-
ton the submarine hydroplane, by
which the presence of a ship, her
probable size and her course can be
ascertained under water. The prob
lem therefore was resolved into rem
derinE the ship as difficult to hit
as possible and battle painting, the
only present nationality accepted
method of marine camouflage, was
evolved.
-. Principle of Battle.
Battle painting Is simply prof.
ect for breaking up all accepted
forms Of a ship by masses of strong
" contrasting colors. distorting her
appearance so as to destroy her gen.
eral symmetry and bulk. The idea
is totally to mislead the submarine.
OF course some vessels so painted
have been also sunk. but there are
records Of a far greater number at
which torpedoes were fired unsuc-
cessfully. Equally important, a.
much larger proportion Of BATTLE
painted vessels which are hit by tor
pedoes are able to make port than
ships painted gray. owing to explo-
SON in less vulnerable parts. The
aim Of the submarine Is thrown off
by the camouflage.
Frequent reports. appearing some
times in the newspapers, confirm
the success Of the system, and prove
it's value Of defense against the sub
marine. The news papers recently
contained a story Of an encounter
between a BATTLE painted freighter
and a German U-boat in which the
latter was rammed and sunk. The
article concluded with this pertinent
paragraph.
1.-THE theory bearing on the in
cident held by shipping men Is
that the system Of camouflage
designed especially to elude sub
marines deceived the German
commander. On his assumption
he mistook tn cours held by the
ship, and instead of coming to
the surface at right angles to
the course, got squarely in the
way
Panic BY Painting.
A clever story is told of a meet
ing between an excursion steamer
and a vessel outward bound from an
Atlantic port to dare the submarine
under protection of her BATTLE color
design. The passengers crowded the
excursion steamers side to gaze at
the queer boat, which ploughed
steadily forward. Apparently the
camouflaged steamer was heading
straight for the heavily loaded pleas
ure boat and when a women Shrek
ed. panic was imminent
shut up. you fool" yelled a man
who understood the principles of
BATTLE painting. She's heading six
points off"
It was true. The camouflage had
so changed the aspect of the boat
that she seemed to be going in a
direction where she was not heading.
That Is the purpose Of BATTLE
painting-to keep U-boats guessing
as to whether their prey is coming
or going"
Marine camouflage is under the
direction Of the navy department,
with the work executed by the Ship
ping Boards Department of Camou-
fluer- with a corps Of trained
men, The organization now COM
pr5ses more than one hundred camou-
flage, headed, by Henry c. Grover,
Of Boston.
In each district of the shipping
board is stationed district camou-
fluers, including a number of ar
fists of national repute. New baf-
file designs are continually in pre-
paration.
In the opinion of Mr.. Grover, cam
outage is a decidedly disturbing
factor.
Enemy Sketches Ships.
I'VE know from valued sources
that the submarine does not like our
battle painting" he observed. Mr.
Wilkinson informed me that the en-
envy had sketched a number Of their
BATTLE painted ships in neu-
trail ports, but don't think that will
help them a little bit"
A school for training camoufluers
has been established by the ship
ping board, undr the direction of
William Andrew Makay The edu-
cational work is based on the re-
suits of research, investigation and
the actual experience gained in the
painting of ships by camoufluers
Students in applying for this branch
of service are required to have a
good knowledge of line and color
and light and shade;' therefore pro-
fessional artists. commercial artists
and scene painters are given prefer
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