The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-08-31
MARINE CAMOUFLAGE.
Peculiar Color Schemes, Called "Baf-
tic Painting" Used on Ships to De-
ceivc Submarines.

Peculiar Color Schemes, Called 'Baf-
t1c Painting" Used on Ships to De-
ceive Submarines.
Washington, Aug. 26.-New de-
velooments in the art of marine cam
oun1age have effected radical changes
i.r the painting Of ships to protect
them from the enemy. Modern naval
warfare no longer reckonS upon in
visibility" as defensive factor, au
thorities having arrived at the con-
clusion that paint itself being de-
pendent upon light, will not overcome
shadows. ''Baffie painting" has been
developed as substitute to deceive
submarine commander as to the size
and form of a ship and her course and
speed.
Camouf1age on land still is success
fully applied along the lines of pro-
tective coloring, by which guns and
roads and men are made virtually in
visible under screens which blend
with the surrounding terrain. In the
case OF moving ships, under coadl-
tons cons tantly changing and the
elusive horizon always difficult mat
ter 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 queer, de-
ceptive target that hit is only a mat
ter Of luck.
Lient. Commander Norman Wilkin-
son, Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve.
the inventor of "baffle painting
came to the conclusion after long eX-
pertinent that. the moment a subnla-
rine comes to the surface within
striking distance, no method of paint
ing would render a ship sufficiently
invisible to escape being seen.
There was time the artist says.
when 1 thought il possible to in
crease Or decrease hips visibility.
But that was before the submarine
was considered as a real. active fac
tor in naval warfare"
His decision took into considera-
ton the submarine hydrophone, by
which the presence of a Ship, her
probable size and iler course can be
ascertained under water. The prob
lem therefore was resolved into rem
dering the ship as difficult to hit as
possible and BATTLE painting, the only
present nationally accepted method
! of marine camouflage, was evolved.
Battle painting is simply project
for breaking up all accepted forms
OF a ship by masses OF strongly con-
trasting colors, distorting her appear
ance so as to destroy her general
symmetry and bulk The idea is to-
tally to miSlead the submarine. OF
course some vessels SO painted have
been also sunk, but there are rec
ords of a far greater number al
which torpedoes' were fired unsuc-
cessfully Equally important,
larger proportion of battle painted
vessels which are hit by torpedoes
a.e able TO make port than ships
painted gray, owing to explosion in
less vulnerable parts. The aim of the
submarine is thrown off by the cam
outage.
Frequent reports. appearing some
times in the newspapers, confirm the
success of the system, and prove it
value of defense against the subma-
rine.. The newspapers recently con-
tanned a story Of an encounter be-
tween battle painted freighter and q
German u-boat in. which the latter
was rammed and sunk. The article
concluded with this pertinent para
graph:
."The theory bearing on the Incl.
1, 81, &c "a the
system of camoufage designed espe'
cially to elude submarines deceived
the German commander. On his as.
sumption he mistook the course heic
by the ship, and instead Of coming te
the surface at right angles to the
course, got squarely in the way
A clever story is told of a meeting
| between an excursion steamer and a
vessel outward bound from an Allan
tic port to dare the submarine under
protection of her battle color design
The passengers crowded the eXcur-
sion steamers side to gaze at the
queer boat, which ploughed steadily
forward. Apparently the camou-
/ faged steamer was heading straight
for thu heavily loaded pleasure boat
and when a. woman shrieked, panic
was imminent.
Shut up, you fool:' yelled man
who understood the principles of baf-
ie painting She's heading six
points off,
1t was true The camoufage had
so changed the aspect of the boat
that she seemed to be going in a di-
rection where she was not heading.
That is the purpose Of BATTLE paint
ing-to keep u-beats guessing as to
whether their prey is coming or go
ing
Marine camouflage is under the di-
rectio. Of the navy department, with
the work executed by the Shipping
Boards Department Of Camouflage,
headed by Henry c. Grover of Boston.
In each district of the Shipping
Board is stationed Il District Camou-
t]ager. with a corps Of trained men.
The organization now comprises more
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