Monday, June 19, 2023

concealment of a california aircraft plant during WWII

Above View from above of the spurious suburban neighborhoods that covered the Donald Douglas Aircraft plant in Southern California during World War II. Below in this post is a view of the same structure, as seen from the concealed factory level.

•••

Donald Albrecht, World War II and the American Dream. National Building Museum, and MIT Press, 1995, p 196—

Because the [Donald Douglas Aircraft] plant was dangerously near the coast, its buildings were camouflaged so that enemy aviators would see only what appeared to be an unbroken stretch of suburban subdivisions. Paint was applied to simulate streets and houses, and nearby trees were trimmed to the height of the plant buildings to present a uniform appearance from the air. The Santa Monica factory featured an even more elaborate deception scheme, with canvas houses, fake trees, and camouflage netting covering the entire plant.