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4a% • ' •**v.vvv.'.v’.;« v*“.v »WVW y v.r *.'•VvV.’/iVv;! iv.vi-• * ' lt;» * ♦ rW i ■ *V-. *.Vlt; ' * • * 4* * * 4 ' • • ► •lt; . ,T ♦ ♦ ♦ »* • » r' ‘ • * * rr - 4 ► » » rmvisit every air force unit in England within the next few months.“ All the men could not get to the school,” said 1st Lt. Thomas B. Lee, New York City, assistant camouflage officer of the Eighth Air Force Service Command, “ so we are taking the school to them.”The traveling school, first of its kind, was designed by Maj. Charles M. Ackley, Clearfield, Pa. With a personnel of 20 enlisted men and officers, this school will demonstrate to 100 men a day the proper procedure for the erection of gun emplacement nets, for draping vehicles, putting up a plane net and mixing powdered camouflage paint. While defensive camouflage will be emphasized, tactical camouflage for use in front line positions also will be given at the school.In this respect, instructors are equipped with sniper suits for concealment on various types of terrain to demonstrate the tricky business of sniping to air corps personnel.“ Camouflage,” Maj. Ackley indicates, “ is anything which misleads the enemy as to your location, your strength, or your purpose. It is any and every means of hiding or disguising yourself from the enemy.”Instructors at the traveling school willPlanet PhotosAt top—A U.S. soldier in sniper's dress lies alongside of a soldier dressed in ordinary khaki field dress. At bottom—Pfc Chester Rogers, Chicago, and Pvt. Harry Dover, Sentry, Ark., exhibit the camouflage uniforms.A Signal Corps color film constitutes part of the inside schooling. The fils illustrates the proper use of the multi* colored sniper suit, and its effectiveness ; in combat.The instructors of the school havedesigned a “ combination Thunderbolt-P38—Spitfire ” made of a fibre spunfrom a rayon-like thread made from sea* weed pulp. This mock plane can be sewn together in great numbers and used as s decoy to lure bombs from enemy planes.*stress the importance of personal concealment.44 The object of personal camouflage,”Lt. Lee said, ” is to identify yourself with something that is already there. If that is impossible, an alternative is to get yourself or your vehicle close to two strongly contrasting objects, so that your contrast to your background is relatively slight in relation to the natural contrasts.”In the concealment of vehicles breaking j the outline is of extreme importance. s“ Good camouflage does not mean which might otherwise be dropped m l completely hiding the object. If the out- the McCoy.line and shadows are broken, the object These decoys are also important as t| will not be readily visible from the air or 5 means deceiving the enemy about ! from a distance on the ground. ’ i movements. An outfit can move otrfConcealment in Grass I overnisht and by settins up lhe dumnJTroop discipline is important for the maintenance of a concealed position. If the men are allowed to break a maze of paths, the position will be obvious to an enemy air observer.44 When grass is growing normally,” Lt.Lee explains, “ each blade casts a smallshadow, and gives grass a dark appearance from the air. If troops are allowed to trample on it, the blades are turned over and the flat side shines.”Part of the traveling school's collection of props is a walk-through exhibit, demonstrating the various ' types and tricks of camouflage. The art work for this exhibit was done by 2nd Lt. James O. Mahoney, Dallas, Texas, a mural artist before the war.squadron of cloth planes the move can be kept from the enemy obserar I planes. • 'I Lecturers on the tours will be 2nd 11. Jack A. Barber* Lubbock, Texas, iadl i 2nd Lt. Samuel C. Carpenter, Lincolntoo,I N.C. Lt. Lee will lecture to the officers, while Lts. Barner and Carpenter will | lecture to the enlisted men at the airfW Enlisted personnel of the. school will carry out practical demonstratein the field are: T/Sgt. Robert R. KeBy| Jr., Houston, Texas; T/4 James R. Bsfrf nett, Elfrida, Ariz.; T/5 Harry L. Dover, Gentry, Ark.; Pfc George H. Frazee Jr* Lansdale, Pa.; T/5 Charles H. Moeller* Baker, Ore.; T/5 Joseph G. Chizar,Kct York City ; Pfc Albert Stremlow, Clink®, Iowa; Pfc Joe Martino Jr., San Anton®, Texas; Pfc Chester P. Rogers, Chicago*
Newspaper Details
London Stars and Stripes
London, Middlesex, GB
Thu, Jan 07, 1943
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
CO, USA 20 Jan 2020
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