ver sees at a 
tively clari- 
  
nent were the 
? 
tion! 
e to see more 
who interpret- 
types of tanks, 
could not. 
À reconnais- 
ossibility of 
f judgement 
10t have the 
f what they 
| calibers of 
the types of 
e figs. 5-6). 
targets. One 
ograph. An 
  
  
   
   
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
   
   
  
   
   
  
   
   
   
  
  
   
   
   
   
(675) 
officer who has received all-round training can determine types of guns, tanks 
and vehicles and also ascertain what has been observed in a much more reliable 
way than the patrol leader generally can. Measurements can be taken on the 
photos, which usually make accurate identification possible. 
Equipment. 
It is essential that the equipment used in fast reconnaissance be easy to 
handle. One must be able to photograph without first having to make tedious 
adjustments. The camera must be easy to carry. On this account, it has proved 
most suitable in making fast reconnaissance to use ordinary amateur cameras 
which have good optics, but which do not need a lot of adjusting. The distance 
need not be altered from infinity. The time of exposure should be adjusted to 
1/50 to “100 second. Longer exposure causes slight indistinctness through move- 
ment when working quickly, while shorter exposures means that photographing 
cannot be done under unfavourable lighting conditions without a fresh adjust- 
ment of the shutter. The shutter should be the only adjustment the photographer 
needs to think about, and even that ought to be adjusted to an average aperture 
which is to be altered only in case of considerable changes in the lighting con- 
ditions. Cameras with automatic catches to stop double exposures and blind 
exposures are to be preferred, but even simpler constructions may be used for 
these purposes. 
Experience has shown that a negative size of 2'/4 X 3'/4 in. (6 X 9 cm) is 
suitable. A larger size means a clumsier camera, and if smaller, the photo will 
be too small and have to be enlarged. With a focal length of about 4 in. (10 cm) 
one gets a negative scale of 1:5,000 at a distance of 500 metres, which is usually 
sufficient to allow the identification of vehicles and guns without difficulty. 
Under favourable conditions and when the photographer has had a steady hand, 
identification can be carried out up to 1000 metres and at still greater distances. 
In order to be able to get the results of the reconnaissance sufficiently 
quickly, it is advantageous if the film can be developed as soon as the patrol 
has returned. The developing process is relatively easy to do. A special box for 
this purpose, giving the possibility of developing the film in daylight, is suitable. 
Use. 
Fast reconnaissance is usually carried out by reconnaissance patrols behind 
the enemy front. The men chosen primarily as photographers, are rankers who 
are amateur photographers who have received short training in the special tech- 
nique of taking photos in action. Only in exceptional cases need specially 
trained photographers take part in such patrols. 
The fast reconnaissance is carried out in the same way as an ordinary 
patrol reconnaissance, the only difference being that the photographer is 
assigned the special task of photographing the targets indicated by the patrol 
leader, or, in cases of emergency, of photographing on his own initiative (see 
fig. 7). A reconnaissance photographer must be trained to act independently, 
especially in consideration of the fact that the patrol leaders do not always 
have time to indicate how the target is to be photographed. As far as possible, 
the photographer should make a list of the photos taken and also of the places 
from which they were taken. It may be mentioned that the terrain reproduced