The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-02


out the entire period of operations
the enemy never was Vi to carry on
~long-range reconnaissance with any
thing like the system or regularity
which prevailed here.
The, Photographic missions went out
on schedule, like an express train ser
vice. The big price" was often paid.
but from all available data the enemy
more than ''got his" in return, and
also learned to know this group not
only as an observation unit, but as a
formidable fighting machine. Their
photographs were all made from an
altitude of about 5000 meters and
the quantity and quality of the work
produced was remarkable.
Photographic reconnaissance Is a
most difficult and u~ngrateful part
of aerial observation. 1t gets more
recognition and credit from the en-
envy than any one else. Captured
enemy documents indicate that their
general staff was very much worried
about the allied aerial observation.
and particularly the planes with the
all-recording camera soaring miles up
in the air overhead.
The American photographs were
practically all produced with lSx24
centimeter (about 7l-2x9 inches)
cameras. This camera is a simple
metal box fitted with a 20-inch lens
and focal plane shutter; the plates
are carried in magazines with a ca
pacity of IL plates. These cameras,
and, as a matter of fact, IS per cent
Of all tie Photographic equipment
and materials employed at the front.
were purchased in France.
During a mission over the lines the
operation of this camera took up
all the attention of h observer.
From the beginning of our expert
ence, it was clear that an automatic
camera was not only desirable. but
would eventually become a necessity.
All of the allied armies had been
working On q camera of this KIND,
numerous inte. esting experimental in
struments had been evolved. but the
production Of a satisfactory apparatus
WAS slow in .na.erializing. Only dur
ing the last month of the war were
we able to place Is automatic cameras
in operation over the lines,
These cameras were ingenious in
struments invented by Lieutenant De-
Ram and were built under his super
vision in a small shop neal Paris. The
camera works entirely automatically;
IL can he set for any given interval Of
exposure ana simply requires TO be
started when the atrplane reaches
the region to be photographed. j has
a capacity for so exposures. In spite
of the fact that this machine was
new in principle, and that these first
cameras could scarcely have oeen
considered rnal or complete, results
were produced that were ~ot ssily
valuable in themselves. but pointed
the way to new and hitherto iTnpos-
st1le accomplishments in aerial rhoto-
graphy. Unfortunately the camera
could only be Installed in the Salnasoa
planes. as the l.. S. D. HI planes
then in France We're designed to carry
the small cameras used in training
and not the larger instruments IN use
at the front.
On r cccssion two planes were
sort cut on n n Geographic mission;
ore Was equipped with a De Ram
automatic. and the other with a hand
rperatet tamero. During the mission
maGAin"s w"rr brought down. the
thes- two planes were attacked by
seven enerlv shj.s: two of the enemy
remaining five quit. The observer
in each plane naturally made good use
of their machine guns. but the plane
| with the automatic camera also con
t'rred ticking of pictures through
out the fight and they brought back a
perfect reconnaissance without a SIM
gle gap in the series.
The significance OF this kind of a
performance is even more important
than the result. and with the prospect
OF soon receiving similar and possibly
better automatic cameras that were
being produced in America, there is
no doubt that within a few months
aerial Photographic methods would
have been completely changed. AS
graphic reconnaissance of the Ninty-
[ ninth squadron, which came TO be
known n The Photographic section as
the 'thirteenth-hour mission" the
it was, these few De Ram cameras
were the first entirely automatic
ca.;etas successfully employed by any
of the allies owe the lines,
The automatic camera is not only
a logical factor in mechanical eff
ciency, lut i eliminates an %unneces'
sarv risk Ct he.
This is exempIihed by the photo
pictures having bee made about
! o'clock. The intelligence staff hat
made an urgent request for photo
graphs CO q certain part of the Hin
5enburs system, Verther condition:
delayed tEis work FIR some time. Sew
eraI attempts were made and finally
I one If the planes rar into a clear
! StiitS over tHS IItTNIlbCu HiNd. ia
at tha same time a group of enemy
planes appeared
Both pilot and Observer realized
the Importance OF getting these pic.
tIres and the tt.I>tr, deliberately
d~ls-tEsrd'rT danger, kept on operat-
ing his camera ami completed the
mission. Tho r.lnt. though slightly
wounded was able to get his riddled
ship back home.
When the plane landed the observer
vas found dead. his body fallen for
ward against the amer A bullet
had gone clean through the camera
then through his heart. but order:
had been complied with The maya
zine containing the plates was intact
and when developed the thirteenth
I hour mission produced n of the
finest sets of photographs made In the
A. E. F.
When the airplane returns from a
Photographic mission, the real labor
of III Photographic section begins
The greatest speed compatible with
Photographic quality is desirab BILE. The
exposed plates are hurried to the
laboratory. developed, washed and
dried then two proofs are run off for
each plate. These are Unidentified and
located IN the ma and given a
preliminary Interpretation. Some
times this Interpretation reveals in
forr1ation that is promptly reported
to headquarters over the telephone
These first prints from a mission were
normally produce in from pre To tive