Knowledge of the principles of camouflage is as important to the vehicle driver as proper vehicle maintenance. A badly concealed vehicle can draw a bombing or strafing attack, which is even more crippling than a poor maintenance job. In either case, the result is a lost vehicle. In the case of poor camouflage, it may mean much more—enemy discovery of a unit, disclosure of all important tactical plan, or complete destruction of installations.

    Camouflage of vehicles depends not only on concealing vehicles themselves but equally on preventing and concealing their tracks. Methods of solving these two problems are covered in this book.

    Figure 1 illustrates the importance of track concealment. Three tracks cutting diagonally across the plowed fields lead enemy airmen to the position previously concealed in the lower part of the picture. This has been bombed out, Tracks like these are the result of either lack of training in adequate track planning or in proper camouflage discipline. This position Would have remained undiscovered if vehicles had made only one new track to the position, following the fence line and the line of bushes.

    It should be borne in mind that enemy ground and aerial observation is drawn quickest by anything which is moving, and that nothing can be done to conceal vehicles moving through undergrowth or along exposed routes.