Read on Twitter
1/ As @CaryKaracas and I have argued, maps were the lifeblood of the planning and prosecution of US Army Air Force raids against urban Japan.
What I'm only now beginning to appreciate is how this campaign also spurred innovation in geospatial modeling.
A few highlights:
What I'm only now beginning to appreciate is how this campaign also spurred innovation in geospatial modeling.
A few highlights:
2/ No city was modeled more than Tokyo.
These ranged from simple 1:62,400 scale models of the Kanto plain (left) to massive replicas (right), constructed in Hollywood film studios, used to film flight paths for training purposes.
These ranged from simple 1:62,400 scale models of the Kanto plain (left) to massive replicas (right), constructed in Hollywood film studios, used to film flight paths for training purposes.
3/ A lot of this was done with a multiplex projection system, pioneered by Bausch and Lomb, that enabled cartographers to painstakingly convert aerial photographs into 3D terrain models.
4/ One of the larger collections of models were durable "rubber relief maps," often carried onboard warships, that were used for pre-mission briefings.
Here, e.g., is a group of Naval officers, en route to the scene of a battle, studying models of Japanese held territories
Here, e.g., is a group of Naval officers, en route to the scene of a battle, studying models of Japanese held territories
5/ Of course, these all pale in comparison to the reproduction of Tokyo built for target practice at the Midland Bombing School in Texas
6/ One might also argue that the model Japanese village, erected and burned down at the Dugway Proving Ground as part of a series of experiments into refining incendiary bombs, also fits into this project.
7/ Cary and I touch on these 3D maps in an article here:
https://www.japanairraids.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/A-Cartographic-Fade-to-Black.pdf
Images of these and other models (about a dozen so far) will soon be uploaded to http://JapanAirRaids.org , which is back online after a few months of web maintenance.
https://www.japanairraids.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/A-Cartographic-Fade-to-Black.pdf
Images of these and other models (about a dozen so far) will soon be uploaded to http://JapanAirRaids.org , which is back online after a few months of web maintenance.
