(Sanitized)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: NGA Records (Formerly NIMA)
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78T05694A000200570005-0
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 14
• Document Creation Date: December 28, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 27, 2001
• Sequence Number: 5
• Publication Date: April 16, 1956
• Content Type: IM

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i
NAVAL PHOTOGRAPHIC INTERPRETATION* /
I
By Arthur C. Lundahl
Assistant Engineer
U. S. Naval Photographic Interpretation Center
All of us here assembled have probably heard the famous
Chinese proverb, "A picture Is worth 10,000 words." Some of us
have even read the quotation from former Chief of the German
General Staff, Werner von Fritsch, who, in 1939, said, "The Nation
with the best photographic reconnaissance will win the next war."
How many of us here really believe these statements, generally feel
that the impact of photography on modern warfare is more significant
than the impact of gunpowder on the warfare of its time? Yes,
without a doubt, in the last 35 years photography has become the
most widely used weapon of military conflict.
In the next twenty minutes I would like to tell you something
about military photographic interpretation and, in particular,
something about naval photographic interpretation. Further, I plan
to describe in some detail one of the most important recent Nava;
developments to be used for photographic Interpretation purposes.
In a general sense, anybody who looks at photographs and
obtains ins ormation from them--whether .- data be military, civil,
scientific, or spiritual--is a photo-interpreter. It seems unques_.
t.tonable, then, that we are all photo-interpreters of a sort. The
particular kind of photo-interpretation with which this paper is
..This paper has been released with the permission of the Director of
Naval Photography, Bureau of Aeronautics. The views expressed herein
do not neAesarily conform to those of the Navy Department.
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concerned is military photo-interpretation. The military or naval
photo-interpreter deals largely, but not entirely, with aerial
photographs. These photos may be positives or negatives, paper prints
or transparencies, color, black and white, ,or ozalid; they may have
been taken at any time, day or night, and may vary in frame size
from 16 run. to 9 by 18 inches or larger; the focal lengths of taking
cameras may vary from 1 Inch to 210 inches, and the photos may be
taken from altitudes ranging from less than 100 feet to more than
50,000 feet. Usually the only standard conditions are:
1. The photo will nearly always cover a situation or locality
not immediately accessible for direct observation from the gro'Andd.
2. The photo-interpreter must analyze the photographs and
clearly report his findings as rapidly as possible.
The ultimate objective of all this effort is up-to-the-minute
military intelligence--the collection, evaluation, and dissemination
of military information upon which to base firm and proper dec sicno
for tactical and strategic operations. Aerial reconnaissance is the
most important activity for securing general military information mind
other essential data. These data are essentially photographic or
photo supplements and include information about he enemy's hold'n._ w,
terrain, or meteoroiogic9l conditions as der'ved through visual,
infra-red, radar, maRnietometer, radiological, or other electror.-Iaz~;net i_e
means. The aerial reconnaissance phoz;o7raphy and supplementary d.~_'
are used to or oduce intellii;ence, whether In the form of rmaps and
c;'"-,arts or as detailed inf orrm .tion about enern,f installations or
activities. in most rapidly developing tactical situations the
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`nforration extracted by the photo-interpreter^ iS used direCtl
as in'Ic'1 { v ence . : `~k1e E'T', under more E!;enera l conditions photo-
W6
Interpretation Information or data goes not become intelligence
until another staff division (often including photo-interpreterrs
raking independent . interpretations) evaluo4tes the data, c.-)rr elatc._7
44d_-
it-with other information, rejects certain cont'adic ;ions,, and
generally synthesizes a final end-product which Is bona fide
Intelligence. In all cases, considerable care must be taken in
eval:zatin, the 4tnemy's use of camouflage, du:lmies, and decoys
designed to lure us into a false estimate of the situation.
Disastrous, indeed, is a lack of photo-r ecoru-ia is lance Over
wide areas bei,i nd the enemy .Ines. Here we mic ht recall the fate
of the German armies fighting the Russians blindly, without adequate
photo reconnaissance, on the Eastern Front in ig"4-~.}5; or the I nI t r_ l
success of the German armies during the Battle of the Bulge when
Lad weather foiled our reconnaissance ef''ort I=Iore recently this
truth was a ?=raa ~,rou ??;', .. is nn('!"..rPd i
QRrt obstructions and sui ar3_ne-nerisc:or,e pho`.qs nre gyn. errrater for,
._der+ 1' ies .. i. ice: of shin '-',nd o ' - c: r` et z' . Aerial abov_ nqr a hs x" ., ,,
be inteppreWl
industrial p-a ysec
= J
1.d T?-id 'rnnom j i
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t 2n mining studies, missile orientation let,erminatir-.rt;
rte.. ,.
'.11_-3LbmnrtfC- "i'_'e.:._:_ct, ": n& relative pr *orit,. of ?Fay"--- s to. .u r.-?.et c
u
or ^c punon s ther'oo _ . in < oiler to -i vC . , _ . ; ._
t
t . val nhr. o- 4r t eryr ps ore r 'ed to neen t ?. _ _wsJ v or
In r spe 1 " . ; flails. z
r` _a with intact developments in eoror?c '. _ "'. S _I' a'
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".u v i a !'7ho) ,,)- S`
o10 __ _; .'o.s t"ic ~.. .. .:s of s~_ n . t '..'~r : ??1 Io, : -1n rl
ievelcped inCiust'' al ' ne `.'tl~ : T1ecessi ; `.'esnlt s from t' fa
that all interpretation is essentially a %rocess of coipa.r'son
based on the mechanics ol~' recognition of an outline. A Katz
, r1.i s the nr1ule;:,, "What makes a pho o--1 .?t#'rpreter t i n that a
lithe gray blob on a piece of flat paper is the '_r ma -e of a medium
The U. S. Air Force 1s currently spot 3o Iri Important
research In the field of psychological select.' on, f;est to , and
subsequent training; of photo-Interpreters. Navy PIC is
endeavoring to establish some pattern of correlation between a
manes score on the General Service Classification Test and his
potential capabilities as a photo-interpreter.
Since photo-interpretation Is basically a process of comparison,
any interpretation not based on a previous review of a similar
installation or proper photo thereof would be merely a guess, anti, (uessInik;
i.s a forbidden practice in photo-interpretation repcrtin:n_. It is
therefore necessary that t'r)e Navy PIC maintain a fairly complete file
textual and graphic Information on fields related to photo-interp-
retation and photogrammetry work. These fields include Aircraft,
Airfields, Amphibious Intelligence, Electronics, Geography, Industry,
Ordnance, Urban Areas, Physical Vulnerability, Ships and Harbors,
Terrain and Terrain Model Making, Transportation, Vehicles, Defenses,
Communications, etc. In each field the photo-interpreter is generally
concerned with photos or drawings, exterior dimensions, design or
form characteristics, operating ehaacterist?cs, locations, orientations,
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physical characteristics, and scores of other details--any one or
combination of which may be all that is required to make a substan-
ti6lly complete, timely photo-interpretation analysis of a scene or
situation in the past, present, or future. Because photo-interpre
tation is basically a process of comparison, one of the most
important tools in the hands of the photo-interpreter is repeated
or comparative photo covert ge of an enemy-held area. The full scope
of the ener;y's Intention or evaluation of the area's Importance is
made manifest by the type and rate of growth of new construction,
defenses, communications, camouflage, etc. Contrariwise-, lack of new
constrl.Action, bomb damage repair, shipping, aircraft, or defensive
activity in general may mean relative abandonment of the site or its
relegation to a secondary role in the national effort.
These basic concepts and many others are well known to most
photo-9_nterpretea?s who ask for little and often produce much from
the photographs supplied them. Generally the photo-interpreter is
most happy to work with vertical aerial photos at scales around
1:10,000, with adequate stereo overlap and resolution of 10-11- liners
per millimeter. However, each aspect of photo-- 4ntE.-pretat-Lon has its
own photo requirements (2:3), some of which are more and others less
exacting. Photo-interpreters are also becoming more s).ilied in the
handling of oblique aerial photos. Here, much pioneerin7 ~v: rh has
been done by Navy photos rammetrists in the creation of proce-lures and
devices for rapidly translating the perspective '.r;pressi:o of gro~znd
objects ringed n oblique photos to the more s;.rni.Cica:nt plzaln and
(=,r:ens-_~ons . Des-)'t e the ?.c g3_1ai.tt. photographs and 1_ot er
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quality analytical equipment used in World War I1_, photo-ii
preters did a remarkably accurate Job as verified by postwar
studies of the U. S. Str&teglc Bombing Survey. Mos$3ble, thus permittinC" several types ;ofphc c?ictJti;S' `C e cti' '.re
f j :i a s-?.`11.x' m i Ss Ian. i'ne I`~ct'? _ s not the XCA-l`_ as
(w U fw
for e li our r econna I -s? _nce requirements. It _!s bfln-?
^ r t ~ d s an to our pow-alt:it ude ''`- peed h:) ,
., _, ? I'e v ;ion =Dnd phot mLapp in req ulZ'eme > .
of Images have I_so been cons{.ryered. ..''he
a ,.
1/2 rich Car"i:omeri lens dev ?lope`i ntr _~?,. _.. !h and Lomb D_-?b n
..) Xi~A-12 ~'7w_s been bertch-.testeu by he Th1T'F_'au of t`:+i~ i~~"'.' i and
aand
found to ' lY more than 0'.. I.Lnes pci' mi_- Ime`~er . Althournh
3',~'lC>T?~'"ie , C'_ associat.i'd T.~r:o ~roces3i'_t, rr:.n 'oni ~nr' .i~oauu:v
r, c 1,e -1r ed. for the .X A-1. '. ~_TI =.it~ t?t.otogra lr?. c +f'itcr' ~i'~ c _t^.? :
V' y carried oit on a s1 :'.tp contact ?,t 'ir'H ' {.he _. rc 1
r _ :='t~.~ is _ _ L~f ?(}...~,:"t .
frames of which are S#'nc?.r'c`l.':E;11 3t ?F?i]L7rt?
rir nlr: cs~ tri..; :'l 1.it t:~l x'ou 1 rtY'"3tI' or Fa 1. .. 'h _l. a- f:~T '1e o1. ket
t .ll ri b1
er eoscopt . Thu a `Ir- M e .x01.1 0f '..up to 11L("() `~ - e `~- be pC tsx - _1P.-,;-
~.
v oiyy quic;rl? rnd only ; he I?1. r important fr_3?"1- Lt`..C)~'e 'S j
c
for ' ! r;rE'ment, c ia005I t a_ves , o^.r other spec jai Y1c..dl.in-
Yi
=!'a i":1.i4iile the i+:av, I s h
?need, lour -c ltItu.:di: maps ing T?7''~?)loll
over bea --.es, coasts :. aeras, or Other= Swgn: f _^vt F.
i.?}~. 1.i ar ', or z r ag;enc I es in the -l ted S{?~- r._~ ,?' bl ch hove
ry"
;:a1..,nc
h and Lomb l'1i%il} t?; P2,o,1E?^t,:-:) ,'S tr) a .++ti;
I a "I T e.TiA i.!
w.1 th Ll`.UI.l-12 photo 7r4 V-
T-, t
11111 _? Ti t"_ meld .. ?CSS c i- f..'_~ ^f
t in p 1G to- _n ~E '.' +C e 9 E ion req .?'?;'!ent s _n in a -e
o .' ! t `r r, ~ '~>
..11'CI'c! * t, Despite the tine .;sE~: %1 'try _ ~ ~ :- + .,~:~'~* C? L continuous
a. (~
r J OkIl~:c~.. hE
er's'i off, 171 de Y th de ?'I'Is"ln f :+?i the 2 i ? I.'!f .I3 st _ '} r !i'tr ~'^
chi s o
Yl .L `> to 'C e at ?. r. Q `v ~ 1^i ~_ .^i - 6:~ f4 C1 E' ?..i t 1 ', ?') t 7" ~~ f w
X
! C
i r
f?f.nr .: i71c,>4
^. .'fc+x':11.~ the continuous strip (o5} ,emejr] metrical sense.
s is arrre]n, due to the, f: ^;. t the INC came'.`? r o `ti.'_.ns
}- '.le the CS c 'a is
? siI r 5
camera
t i J h riei t f r?. 4c'c ~31~: nor _ ii fl i}
.l c'"_ - o`r? Inn- to ? ac of >- n i --,
of the film velocf"~1 ref 1-e cted '.ti me,aslarement:, aIon:.7 the
iJO se(-- cond ::11'.: Ater) b n, tree i1,,fC came Ira i W 11j 10 the ft?i1 proT),- S ; -anote
x .,
ne of f li, .ht of the CS carers The MO a er !tom ,7 r, tl ,..
p I ec '.i o ror an __n';e'_'v-i of /x`00 om
.=11`21
def j n,'to fill'! plane' for Su,t,oe uent tr i 0, C!
The CS c a,itera , _.:. 'he
oth! :.r 'c. r.+1_, n S 1;eics -r , n ,-, is t ,
. ,., ens -'r~ t',y e z 1t .
+
'; it l!l nt beco es "or ,;. s'ue' atlo o 1 .
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un rrlr?i? zII t e c~ a ''r An* ~:~' ,- ?
E:'?':1 a....~~ r; he r'_1L~`?, ....a;:Y's
1c .,'ed ., rc.`T- the Char ?. In .`'it t tom. 02 ._" ('~ ec :9hen the '._ C !? "tiTC^^_ _C: ^1.` ,r 3
riches peg' secoi`i4 e
E: OC:1 " of the pl.ai -ie
_._.:i ,?I" '1't m 20 to `(, r Un1e? + Y!t
Nat; e limitat -on of fill- .. of r inches per se:'oi d, With a
around velocity ofy 3c)`5 .,:riots, : e alti.tu-ie Car; vrr~* f~'or; 3'+'^ to
x..00
f eet Yr1th a 3Fit"trY'.ile~ukirnaoe' iitcvemont of ? 0.002 inch. Ir- !1era_,
it appears that the ,^,S ca'..rie'c'a has "Crt".aln specific. limi.;,ed '.;SE'S
net discussed he2e (E,) , t lacks the i',, I de, erier'?l aipabil~.T. es of
the IYC camera which adopts the r+cvinE_ film principle without
completely, sacrifi c.''_.nv t '+e s.i_~'Is?le-point perspective so
important o
photogr animetric analysis, and is reintivel J'ree from fa *_lur. es of
f.i.lm-speed synchronization and air'craf't orientation.
Many other developments are being sponsored by the Navy for
photo-interpretation purposes but they must wait to be described ~t
some later meeting. I have chosen to describe the Xi A-12 in detail
'because it is one of the most important recent Nav -sponsored
developments for photo-interpretation purposes. Much more will be
heard of this development. However, despite our collective efforts,
much remains to be done and there is no time to waste. The manufae:-
turers mentioned in ths_s paper are only a few of mangy: who are helping
the Navy effort in photography and photographic interp.retatior:. The
con's inued development of better equipment and materiel by American
lndustryy, the sus tal.ned cooperation within our military, Services,
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and the steady contribution of ideas and inspiration by military
V and civilian personnel, particularly those working in technical
groups such as the Photographic Society of America, have done much
toward making photography the most widely used weapon of military
endeavor. Naval photography depends directly or indirectly upon
all of us in order to make continued progress and advancement for
the general benefit and defense of our country. We are strong, but
not strong enough to relax our efforts even temporarily. Our
enemies also work hard, watch us intently, and plan minutely. Let
us meet thew, where necessary in combat with the fullest application
of our collective civil and military strength at those points
indicated by our best military photographic intelligence effort.
Finally, let us each day apply our photographic talents unselfishly
and work diligently with another ancient Chinese proverb clearly in
mind-"The More We Sweat in Peace, The Less We Bleed in War."
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References
1. Katz, A.H., "Contributions to the Theory and Mechanics of
Photo-Interpretation from Vertical and Oblique Photographs,"
Photogrammetric Engineering, Vol. XVI.,No. 3, pp. 339-386, June,
1950.
2. Coleman, C.G., and Lundahl, A.C., "Symposium--Military Photo-
graphic Interpretation," Photogrammetric Engineering, Vol. XIV,
No. 4, pp. 453-521, Dec., 1948.
3. Thoren, Ragnar, "Photographic Intelligence and Photo-Interpre-
tation," The Swedish Society of Photogrammetry Publication. The
International Society for Photogrammetry. The Hague. 1-10 Sept.,
1948.
4. McNeil, G.T., "Photogrammetric Analysis of Image Motion
Compensation," U. S. Navy PIC Report No. 120-51, 28 May 1951.
5. Goddard, G.W., "Stereo Strip Camera Has Military, Civilian
Uses," Society of Aeronautical Engineers Journal, pp 64-67, Se p;.j
1950.
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