The Wilmington morning star., 1943-11-14
ThreeN. G.. Firms Makino
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

~ oloi 9e tanks, etc. j. X. Wilkes,
OF Charlotte, is president of the
07-year-old firm.
In the manufacture of steel
stake driving caps and camouflage
net supports the Mecklenburg Iron
Works is using approximately L.
l00,O00 pounds of pipe in the full
flllment Of its contract. One inch
black, standard steel pipe is used
in the construction of the camou-
flage net frames, Is or 16 pieces
being required for each frame. The
Charlotte manufa cturer has gear
ed his plant to this essential war
production so that the flow of work
is continuous along 250-foot pro-
duction line
The stock is first cut to length
of an abrasive cutoff saw. Next,
feet are welded to the cut pipe
sizes by unilue process Of cleo
trio arc welding. The pipes are
then notched for the eyelet holes
of the nets they will support. Aft
err all burrs are removed, the
frame. sections are given a primer
coat of paint, on which an olive
drab finishing coat is super i'm
posed. Olive drab is universally
used by the Army because it is
the most suitable single color
blend for all terrain throughout
the world The completed frames
are made up into bundles of eight
and shipped in carload lots to sub
depots for distribution.
At Kinston and Carthage respec-
lively, the firms of o. L. Shackel-
ford Co.. and the Carthage Weav-
ing company, are busily engaged
in the manufacture of camouflage
nets urgently needed by the gov
eminent. Occupying spacious, and
well-Hghted quarter and employ
ing hundreds of workers, mostly
women, these firms are turning
out both cord and wire camouflage
nets at a surprising rate.
Three Blends
The nets, manufactured in three
primary BLEND s--desert sand, sum-
mer dark green and winter earth
brown-are made in variety OF
net being approximately 45x45 it.
Burlap material Of various hues
is cut to two and three inch width
and five foot lengths, and used to
garnish the nets.
Iopo fhrnl1Ch the
use of large revolving box racks.
The net to be camouflaged is plac-
ed over a pattern net, which is
secured to the wood frame, and
as the garnishing of a particular
section is completed the frame is
rotated. The average employe is
able to completely garnish one
net per work day, remarkable
achievement considering that none
of the employees have had any
pre- war experience in this type
work.
The. completed nets are folded,
compressed by powerful hydraulic
lifts and placed in heavy, water
proof paper, three nets to a pack
age. An interesting feature in the
shipment of these nets is that the
packages are marked with special
Identification symbols so that the
articles can be readily identified
and unloaded by the illiterate ma
tive stevedores and porters of ev'
ery race in the many lands In
volved IN the present global war.
From modest beginnings, mark
ed without any previous expert
ence in the manufacture OF cam.
outage nets, both the Kinston and
Carthage firms are today equip
ped to handle the manufacture Of
any size camouflage net required
by the War department, 0. L.
shackelford and V. B. Sharp, re
spective presidents, pointed out
a typical example of private In
dustry converted to war produc'
ton.
The history Of camouflage is as
old as the world itself. Animals
have been taking advantage OF ii
for ages by blending their color
with that of their natural habitat.
The principles of concealmen'
were well known and utilized tc
good advantage by American In
dams as well as by our Revolu
tionary Patriots. Every schoolooy
is familiar with the story OF no"
the British Red Coas, conspicu
GUS by reason Of thei, gaudy uni
forms. met deadly fire at thu
hands of American woodsmen who
well knew the value of camou
fage in combat. Camouflage, as
applied to modern warfare, hac
it's beginning in World War l,
when two American artists, or
leave in France, were given the
lob of camouflaging certain mill
tarv installations. Most OF the
work consisted of so-called zlg-zag
nainting. Later, when experience
had demonstrated the value OF
1aree-scale concealment, especial
" as aerial observation progress
ed more thought was devoted 10
camouflage, and today, in World
War II, camouflage is a hlgnly
developed art, and, actually one
of our most valuable weapons o.
attack. tho af-
Just how important are the Ell
forts of the North Carolina calll'