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CAMOUFLAGE in Steed’s Review (London) September 9, 1918—
Mr. Louis Sonolet [French author and historian] gives an interesting account of the rapid growth of the art of camouflage, in The World's Work [later The Review of Reviews]. He says that General de Castelnau is responsible for the development of this necessary addition to an army’s equipment. At least, he was the first great leader who showed a lively interest in the work of the camoufleurs. He fitted up a workshop for them at Amiens, which was as well furnished with tools as possible. Since then there has been great progress, and every army in the field today has a special section, attached to the first regiment of engineers and commanded by a sub-lieutenant.
The first man to apply the art of camouflage in the present war was an instructor of artillery named Guirand de Scevola, who had acquired some mastery in the painting of portraits. It struck him that his guns would be much less easily picked out by enemy airplanes if they were painted in exact imitation of the spots on which they were placed. His experiment proved immensely successful, and very soon he began to gather volunteers around him. For the most part the men who came to him were artists whose names were celebrated throughout France. He is now the head of the entire camouflage division and has general charge of all the sections. Each of these includes from eighty to ninety men, but of them only perhaps a dozen are artists. The greater part of the strength is made up with skilled workmen—joiners, plasterers, carpenters, fitters and setters. The manufacture of materials used in camouflage is a large operation. It takes place in Paris in a huge central workshop, where 2500 women are employed, and some 150 soldiers belonging to the reserve.
A commander of a group of batteries who wishes to screen his guns places himself in communication with the head of the section, who at once sends out a foreman by special motor car. This man reconnoitres the position, and makes out a list of what is required. He then returns to his headquarters at speed and the work of preparation is immediately begun. When the different elements constituting the camouflage are ready they are hastened by motor lorry to their destination, and are put in position. This always done at night, and the greatest care is taken to avoid any noise. It is a very hard task to set up camouflage in this way, especially in front trenches.
Camouflage operations fall into two distinct categories. The first deceives the enemy by means of perspective, and the second hides and protects something or someone from enemy blows by means of deception. The ingenuity of the camoufleurs is specially shown in the subtle imitation of the vegetable and mineral kingdoms. Behind the line entire villages of huts have lost that uniform and tedious wood coloring which conforms to the general pattern, and are painted almost luxuriously in tones of emerald or brown, while rustic thatch replaces the traditional corrugated iron. So well is the disguising done that M. Sonulet is able to tell of a pigeon house abandoned by the pigeons who were no longer able to recognise it when it was clothed with the colour of the forests round it! Horses with light coats must resign themselves to being painted from head to foot with a stone color, especially prepared for the purpose.
The camoufleurs, though they know how to improvise when chance brings them face to face with an unforeseen contingency, are none the less obedient to a mass of principles and rules. Camouflage is a science as well as an art, and has to be carefully studied. A series of lectures are given, and it is in the schools of the French camoufleurs that Englishmen, Americans and Belgians, entrusted in their armies with the same work, have been trained. The camoufleurs are very popular indeed in the army, not only for the services they render, but also for their “go" and liveliness and the spark of imagmation which they bring into the midst of the cruel realities of war.
Camouflage is, of course, no new art. It has always existed, and the famous Horse of Troy is perhaps the oldest example of it. Shakespeare tells us of how Malcolm's army advanced to the attack of Dunsinane screened by big leafy branches which each soldier had been ordered to carry. In the Middle Ages towers and walls were painted with black and white squares, the better to hide the loopholes.
RELATED LINKS
Dazzle Camouflage: What is it and how did it work? / Nature, Art, and Camouflage / Art, Women's Rights, and Camouflage / Embedded Figures, Art, and Camouflage / Art, Gestalt, and Camouflage / Optical science meets visual art / Disruption versus dazzle / Chicanery and conspicuousness / Under the big top at Sims' circus
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| Cover of Tambour Battant by Louis Sonolet |
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