Weekly journal-miner., 1918-09-04
BATTLE PAINTING NEW
 BRANCH OF CAMOUFLAGE

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 WASHINGTON, Aug. 2o. - New developments in the art of marine camouflage 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 fac tor, authorities having arrived at the conclusion that paint itself being de- pendent upon light, will not overcome shadows. "Baffle painting" has been developed as substitute to deceive a submarine commander as to the size and form of ship and her course and speed.
 Camouflage 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 condi- tions constantly changing and the elusive horizon always a difficult mat ter to deal with, similar principles were found less efficient than those which frankly admit the existence of boat, but by peculiar color schemes offer the torpedo such a queer, decep- tive target that hit is. only 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 submarine comes to the sur face within striking distance, no method of painting would render a ship sufficiently invisible to escape being seen.
 There was a time" the artist says, "Whcn I thought it possible to in crease or decrease ships visibility. But that was before the submarine was considered as real active factor in naval warfare
 His decision took into considera- ton the submarine hydrophone, by which the presence of ship, her probable size and her course can be ascertained under water The prob lem therefore was resolved into rem dering the ship as difficult to hit as possible and baffle painting, the only present nationally accepted method of marine camouflage, was evolved.
 Baffle 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 records of far greater number at which tor pedoes were fired unsuccessfully. Equally important a much larger proportion of baffle painted vessels which are hit by torpedoes are 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 camouflage.
 Frequent reports, appearing some times in the newspapers, confirm the success of the system, and prove its value of defense against the submar- inc. The newspapers recently con tained a story of an encounter be- tween a baffle-painted freighter and a German U-boat in which the latter was rammed and sunk. The article con- cluded with this pertinent paragraph.
 "The theory bearing on the incl dent held by shipping men is that the system of camouflage designed espec- tally to eludc submarines deceived the German commander. On this assump- ton he mistook the course held by the ship, and instead of coming to the surface at right angles to the course, got squarely in the way"