CAMOUFLAGE SECTION WORKS IN SECRET

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23746, 18 September 1942, Page 4

CAMOUFLAGE SECTION WORKS IN SECRET

SOUTH ISLAND'S DEFENCES

(By our Defence Correspondent.)

Camouflage is playing an important part in the development of New Zealand’s defensive organisation, though few people are aware of it. The Army in the South Island has its team of experts working long hours on caimouflaee but. just as they cloak vital points with secrecy, so their own doings are shrouded. A corner of the cloak was lifted the other day for a short interval, so that the writer could see a little of the secrets of this mysterious unit, enough to-give some idea of the magnitude of its operations. Probably the full story will never be known to more than a few' men, tout there can be no doubt that an impressive effort is being made to deny information to the enemy. If enemy raiders come to New Zealand, by sea or by- air, they will not find it-easy to discover the vulnerable points. Large buildings merge into their backgrounds when seen from a distance, cunning devices conceal important installations, even fields are treated to deceive an enemy. Discretion Essential The men in the camouflage section have to be chosen as much for tneic discretion as for the very considerable technical ability they must possess. Airnost all their work is secret, very secret. The greatest confidence must be reposed in them, for they know where every defence installation is, from a tiny observation pomt to oil and ammunition dumps. In addition, they know what few know, what those installations look like. There aie n secrets from them, and fvp high officers cannot have the detailed informa tion that they have. It is no wonder that no man, whatever his qualifications may be, will be admitted to the unit until' the most searching inquiries have been made into record and charthe activities of the camouflage section which forms such an important part of the c °nntrys defensive organisation is the officer charge, who, by reason of his technical qualifications, specialised knowledge, and experience in camouflage, is well qualified to cope with his heavy responsibilities. Assisted by a Headquarters Staff of competent camouflage technicians he has, in the results achieved in camouflage to date, made a most important contribution to the defence scheme as a whole. Further, all the information on new practices and discoveries received from abroad, coupled with technical data from every available source is exam* ined and made full use of in the camouflage schemes being propounded from time to time. The section is composed of- a wide variety of experts and craftsmen, including landscape artists, architects, draughtsmen, carpenters, painters, mechanics, and others with ability in special directions. ’ . Generally speaking, the first steps in the camouflage of any object are the taking of derial photographs and the painting of aerial perspectives by land-

scape artists. The object is phota, graphed from several angles saj heights, and the coloured sketches done in the same way. The artist' ha to forget his usual technique, or ratW adapt it, because colours do not W the same from a height of 5000 feet jJ they do on the ground level. p both sets of pictures a scheme o| i camouflage is worked out. Whatever material is used lor job, it must conform with the land, scape in the tones of colouring; as sem from the air, the texture must be the same as the texture of the surrhundiw features, and it must reflect the same way. The scheme of cQa flage for the object is cornpleteyfr then again come aerial photograph and observation to make sure that the desired result has been achieved. The aerial photographs are studied with the greatest care. A tell-tale absence d a shadow or the presence of one at cei, tain times of the day would spoil th| whole effect. The detail might be miaute, but no chances can be taken with it and something must be done to ptf it right. Variety of Methods No two objects are treated in quit* the same way. In the first place tki surroundings are never quite the same; and in the second repetition of gojj ideas would entail the danger that once one piece of camouflage had bhaj pierced by enemy observation other) like it would immediately become ohyi. ous to trained observers. v The methods adopted vary widely according to circumstances. Most peopli have, seen large buildings down" so that they are less visible from the air and melt into the landscape, Garnished nets over gun positions have been seen in photographs of fighting' overseas. The general public and many men in the services, however, have riot' seen and will not see the more compli. cated work of the camouflage personnel. The work of the section is not cqn) fined t6, concealing something that hat already been built. Its experts givi advice to commanding officers onwher) best to site installations so that'th) greatest possible advantage may taken of natural concealment, such at shadow or the avoidance of regularity, They give instruction, too, to troops fo personal camouflage of their trenches and weapon pits. The work of the section is good. It has happened sometimes that an officer going up to inspect an installation'riftef the job has been finished has walked right into it without seeing it, perhaps putting his foot through a net, when he thought he was walking over sihd ground, -y The work has to be made to last, .defying the ravages of the weather. Some materials have lasting qualities of their own. Many others, however, havf to be specially treated, and that is becoming one of the major branches of?,the section’s activity. Special plant ihai had to be installed for the purpose.: