Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-07-27
AVIATION
BY JOSEPH S. EDGERToN.

transparent as clear air to the
cameras eye.
Ground commanders learned
about the fog-penetrating camera
to their discontinue during
combined maneuvers in New Jer-
Sey about two years ago. Air
Corps observation SQuadronS were
participating in. the maneuvers
and the fog-penetrating camera
was unknown to the rank and file
of the Army. The commander OF
the offensive forces had sent out
patrols and detachments under
cover of a morning fog to seize
and hold bridgeheads and other
strong points.
The commander of the de-
fenSive troops called upon the
observation planes to find out
what the enemy was doing. One
of the planes carried the new
type camera. While the COM
mander of the defending forces
stood in front of his post of COM
mand a plane few overhead and
a package dropped oversize, fall
ing near his feet. The package
contained wet prints which
showed the enemy patrols NOV
ing along the roads and around
the bridges in the open, confident
that they were fully screened
from observation by the light fog.
Commander Flies Plane.
In the present organization of
the Photographic sections of the
Air Corps, the commanding officer
of the section is usually quail
fed pilot and aerial observer and,
in peace times, usually flies the
plane from which photographs
are made, the camera being han
died by his senior non-commis-
stoned officer. In war times, how
ever, the increased duties and
responsibilities Of the section
commander would keep him on
the ground and the photogra-
pliers would fly with the observa-
ton sQuadrons.
In addition to the vast amount
of "still" photography done by
the Army Air Corps, thousands Of
feet of motion pictures are made
showing various military activi-
ties involving aviation. These
films are available for the train
ing and education of the National
Guard, Organized Reserve, schools,
universities, aviation societies and
similar organizations. There are
on file in the Air Corps photo
graphic library motion picture
films of nearly every Army avia-
ton activity since the flights of
the Wright brothers in the first
Army airplane in 1909. There are
900 reels of these films, totaling
600, 900 feet in length. One of the
Air Corps films, Wings of the
Army" produced by Joseph L. AL
bright, chief photographer of the
Air Corps, who Is on duty in the
War Department, has been shown
all over the country.
The Photographic service of the
Air Corps came into existence
during the World War. In 1918
the War Department selected
from the draft, contingentS 1,400
trained men, who were sent to the
Eastman, Kodak School for spe-
cial training in aerial photogra-
ply. These men composed the
nucleus of the wartime aerial
Photographic force and the pres
ent organization.
There is no central organiza-
ton embracing all the Army Air
Corps Photographic Sectio n S,
which remain under command of
the field commanders in whose
areas they are based.
Laboratory Here.
There is In the Office of the
chief of the Army Air Corps in
this city, however, section de-
voted to Photographic projects
and a central laboratory. The
project section Is commanded by
Lieut.. Guy Kirksey, whose duties
are in part those of technical adj
wiser to the Photographic. sections.
Lieut.. Kirksey is in charge of all
large-Scale Photographic opera
tionS conducted by the various
sections and is charged with the
purchase and. maintenance of
equipment and similar duties.
The, dissemination of Air Corps
photographs and information to
publications throughout the coun-
try is in charge of Lieut.. Arthur
/. Ennis, who also has his offices
in the War Department.
10 ~
charge Of Mr.. Albright, who went
through the wartime photogra-
phic school of the Air Corps and
who gave up his chances for a
commission In the Army to take
charge of the central laboratory.
The laboratory has charge, in adj
dition to its laboratory duties, of
the filing of all films and motion
pictures and the production of
prints and films for distribution
in accordance with the .regula-
tions.
Though the laboratory handles
a vast amount of business, includ-
ing the printing Of thousands
upon thousands of prints and
films annually, its staff is small,
being composed of Mr.. Albright
Talbot L. Marcy, assistant chief
photographer; Lester Brown, Miss
H. P. Casey; James w. Leap, Miss
A. r. Talbot, who. is in charge OF
the filing and cataloguing of Aims
and prints, and Miss M. L. Goss
who Is in charge of the distribu-
ton of motion pictures to schools
educational societies and similar
organizations.
The Army Air Corps not only
refrainS as a matter of policy
from encroaching on the field OF
commercial aerial photographers
but stands ready to aid in the de-
Yelonment of aerial photography