No Fireworks Over Burbank
July 4th, 2008 - 7:52 am
How do you hide an entire aircraft plant from enemy attack?
You put “suburban camo” netting over the entire damn thing.
Those are before and after pictures of Lockheed’s Burbank plant in 1942, when in the wake of Pearl Harbor, a Japanese air raid seemed like a real possibility. I don’t know who came up with the idea of suburban camouflage, but it has a kind of simple brilliance to it.
Happy Independence Day, and thanks to all those who made it possible — even the ones who thought up, built, and rigged giant nets.
I went through Marine Corps boot camp in San Diego in 1943. A Consolidated aircraft plant was just across a fence from our parade ground. It, and the Marine Corps base, were camouflaged with paint to look like residential areas. Even being there in the middle of it, it was difficult to see the buildings as they actually were.
I believe the Boeing plant near Seattle was camouflaged the same way. It sounds like a stupid idea when somebody tells you about it, but when you see the photos… wow.
Actually they took advantage of the other significant industry in the area…
Within 4 miles are NBC, Warner Brothers, Disney and a host of smaller production companies. So they recruited loads of hollywood set designers/builders.