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REPORT OF COMMISSION VII 75 
It is also important that photo-interpretation reports with their annotated 
photos, etc., can be sent to the staffs and headquarters coricerned by wire, and 
at the same time be very well reproduced as regards both their tone scales and 
photo details. Experiments with easily transportable telephoto apparatus for 
speedy forwarding of such reports, have given good results. Improved equip- 
ment of this kind is, however, desirable. 
TEACHING 
A well known saying from World War II is: “Lack of reconnaissance can 
lose the battle.” That is certainly very true, but the situation can become just 
as disastrous for forces which lack well trained and skilled photo-interpreters. 
Great stress must therefore be laid on teaching photo-interpretation. 
A first demand for methodical training is that before the start, the pupils 
should be proficient in reading not only topographical maps, but also photo 
maps and air photographs of various kinds. In other words, they should have a 
solid foundation to build upon, before the photo-interpretation is commenced. 
To make possible all categories of personnel of the Swedish armed forces 
receiving fundamental training of this kind, I took the initiative, in the 
spring of 1951, in starting special correspondence courses in map reading and 
air photo reading at the Defence Correspondence Institute. In this way, even 
the ordinary private has the possibility of finding his way about in terrain in 
an appropriate way with the help of an air photograph, and also of making out 
a report on the basis of this photograph. At the same time, I naturally counted 
on the fact, that in this way, we should get a more plentiful supply of persons, 
both male and female, suitable for training in photo-interpretation. 
Besides the desirability of finding candidates for such training sufficiently 
proficient in map reading and air photo reading, one must check, by testing, 
that all have the ability of being able to see stereo relief (effect). But it is per- 
haps still more important that they have what is called a photographic memory, 
i.e. a sight memory. The better their photographic memory, the greater their 
qualifications for becoming skilled photo-interpreters. 
The object of the teaching varies in the different branches of the armed 
forces, depending on whether the interpretation and study is intended for acquir- 
ing intelligence from an army, naval or air force operative point of view. 
The elementary teaching is first and foremost intended to impart to the 
pupils the technique of interpretation and intimate knowledge of types of enemy 
equipment, such as tanks and other vehicles, standardized field fortifications, 
various ships and their armament, aircraft and airfields, communication con- 
structions, methods of camouflage and decoys, etc. They must be taught to 
identify the various objects, both in ground and air photographs of different 
types—verticals and obliques—single photographs as well as stereo photos. 
In conjunction with this the pupils should receive special training in two- 
dimensional measurings in the pictures, which in practice often occurs in the 
analysis of large and medium scale verticals used to obtain detailed intelligence 
for tactical purposes. Three-dimensional analysis takes longer and, therefore, 
there is seldom time for it when the tactical situation is changed quickly. In many 
cases, measuring the height of the objects is quite unnecessary, but is required, 
among other things, for topographical intelligence, such as the assessing of 
beach gradients, heights of banks, etc. A study of the objects and the terrain 
in three-dimensional pictures, i.e. in stereoscopic relief, however, greatly facili- 
tates the interpretation and should always be pursued. In ground photo recon- 
naissance, unfortunately, only single photographs are all too often procurable. 
In considering the necessity for speed, particularly in tactical reconnaissance