NAVAL PHOTO INTERPRETATION 
By 
RAGNAR THOREN 
Captain Royal Swedish Navy (Ret.) 
In my report to the World Congress of Photogramme- 
try in Washington, in September 1952, as Chairman of the 
Military Section of Commission VII, entitled 'Photo Inter - 
pretation in Military Intelligence'', I dealt with both photo 
reconnaissance and photo-interpretation and their strategi- 
cal and tactical application, as well as equipment and 
teaching. 
As an example of strategic photo reconnaissance I 
mentioned the very comprehensive photographing activities 
which usually precede an invasion, as regards the agressor, 
to gather pictorial material from the areas in question, 
traffic-routes, harbors and anchorages, sectors of beach 
suitable for landings, as well as uplands in the rear, with 
airfields and constructions of various kinds which may be 
of interest to the command from an operative point of view. 
The defender, on the other hand, uses photo reconnaissance 
to gather reliable intelligence about the enemy s intentions 
and preparations, as example information concerning pre- 
arranged places of embarkation, number and types of ships 
suitable for an invasion, assembled at these places, and the 
traffic along the roads leading to them, etc. Through in- 
terpreting such reconnaissance photos, one can calculate not