Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1942-01-17

In the World war, camoufIaee involved
only the front lines and the suuulv-
communication area Just behind it In
1914 warfare, the front goes back to
the most distant boundaries OF the
nations concerned.
German bombers have extended Brit
aims camouflage problem TO the far
Their reaches Of territory where the
British flag flies, and the same goes
for Germany.
It also goes for the United States,
IN her preparations against attack.
Camouflage Of military works and vital
defense plants from coast to coast is
a matter of primary concern to United
States army engineers right now.
Camouflage may yet turn out to be
q primary means Of defense against
bombing Of strategic centers- although
Of course it can never stop haphazard
bombing.
Given a perfect bombsight, the
bomber still has to focus it on his
target. Most bombing Is at night, when
finding the target is hard enough at
best. The additional complication Of
good camouflage might be Just enough
Of an additional handicap TO make
night bombing futile operation.
This possibility has not had rep
resentative test In England, where the
Germans have had 20 years of oppor-
tunity to locate, map and even aerial
photograph every factory and fort
down to the last inch, and camouflage
work has necessarily been hurried,
11th-hour improvisation.
In the United States the situation is
different. even assuming that foreign
agents have had plenty of chance to
report the location of vital works. Con-
struction of defense works on a wide
scale has Just gotten under way. and
the recognized problem of camouflage
can be pursued simultaneously and CO.
ordinated with construction to a con- j
siderable extent.
Factories CamOufIaged
1t was reported some time ago that
the camouflagtng Of several large air
ports and important war material fac
tories, in unspecified places, was under
way.
There is a project for camouflaging
several factories in Kansas City, in
stigated by the Kansas City Art insti-
tute, which last fall started a course
in camouflage with 81 students. The
Buffalo Art institute also started one
One big plant In the southwest has
been reported undergoing face-lift-
Ing to make 1t look from the air like
3 golf course. The army is camouflag-
ing an air base In Connecticut so
that 1t viii look from the air like
any crossroads village.
Along with the bomber-i induced need
FOR camouflage has come the problem
Of camouf1aging the bombers them
selves. All the principal powers have
been experimenting intensively at dis
yllising planes. This is much more diff
hcult than ground camouflage. The
main element In camouflage Is back
ground, and a planes background Is
Always changing. Tt has to be painted
on top and bottom, to
merge respectively with the sky and ,
he ground. And a good disguise at
700 feet may be no good at 10000
With the density and color Of the at
nosphere fluctuating constantly.
Last August the Germans said the :
British had coated their planes with /
soot-like black varnish which made
hem invisible. The British pooh /
,oohed the assertion as an excuse for :
lot having nailed the planes. But it's :
safe guess that If the British-and
Everybody else-have not developed
UGH paint they would like to and
re trying to.
lays Are Absorbed
The United States army has tried
ut a buff paint which officers say
bsorbs searchlight rays instead Of re-
Letting them, so that there is little r
Or the eye to see; and, for daytime, a
wo-tone blue-brown top-bottom COM
nation to blend with ground and
Ky.