WW1 Photos: The National Geographic Magazine - March 1918

Photographs and Other Images Sourced from The National Geographic Magazine Issue Dated March 1918. A part of a World War 1 Online Exhibit at the GG Archives.

Front Cover, The National Geographic Magazine, Volume XXXIV, Number 2, March 1918. Published by the National Geographic Society, Washington, DC. GGA Image ID # 18326175e8

Semaphore and Wig-Wag Signaling: Naval Training Station, Newport, Rhode Island. When a Young American Undertakes the Patriotic Job of Becoming a Fighting Sailor, One of the First Things He Has to Master at a Naval Training Station Is His “a, B, C’s,” for He Must Learn to Read, Not the Printed or Written Page a Few Inches From His Eyes, but the Wig-Wag Writing of Fellow-Seaman Hundreds or Even Thousands of Feet Away. The Radio and the Wireless Telephone Have Accomplished Marvels in Facilitating Communication Between the Units of a Fleet, but the Semaphore and the Wig-Wag Flag Still Have Their Place in the Service. Photograph by US Navy Department. GGA Image ID # 183359097c

The Greatest Flag in the World: 10, 000 Bluejackets Forming a Living Emblem of the American Union. This Animated Stars and Stripes, Formed at the Great Lakes Naval Training Station, Covered an Area of Seven Acres. the Ball Was Composed of 250 Men; the Pole (not including the Ball) Was 550 Feet Long, Four Feet in Width at the Bottom, Six Feet at the Top, and Required 700 Men; 1,600 Men Were Required for the White Stripes; 1,900 for the Red, 1,800 for the Stars, and 3,400 for the Blue Field. in Order That the Proportions Should Appear Correct, Many Niceties of Perspective Had to Be Solved. For Example, the Topmost Star Was Composed of 65 Men, in Order That It Might Appear the Same Size as the Star Nearest the Camera’s Eye, with Only 12 Men. Photograph © Great Lakes Recruit. GGA Image ID # 1832af64c5

Reconnaissance Training. “See All; Know All” Is Easier Said than Done. Without Training, Men See Many Things Which They Do Not Know That They See. Military Observers Must Realize the Significance of Whatever Comes within Their Field of Vision. To This End, These Signal Corps Men Are Testing Their Observation Powers on Their Own Cantonment and Telephoning Their Findings Back to Headquarters. Photograph © Committee on Public Information. GGA Image ID # 1832c18027

The Spirit of Camp Can Be Read in the Smile. Students of the Ground School of Aviation at Princeton Enjoying the Evening Hour of Recreation after a Strenuous Day. Photograph © Committee on Public Information. GGA Image ID # 1832f664fd

Hunting the Germans in the Blue Atlantic. the Speed Cruiser, Making as High as 35 Knots an Hour and Mounting Rapid Firers and Depth Bombs, Is an Effective Means of Combatting the “Tin Devil-Fish” of Prussia, and Abroad They Have Accounted for No Small Number of These Marine Monsters Appearing Within Their Cruising Radius. Photograph from M. Rosenfeld. GGA Image ID # 1833043688

Learning the Art of Making One Rope Grow Where There Were Two Before - in the Curriculum of the Sea the Gentle Art of Splicing Is Included, of Course. Photograph by Edwin Levick. GGA Image ID # 1833614a71

YMCA Barracks for American Fighters in Paris. Here Is a Home for the Soldier “Just in,” Where He Can Realize the Dreams of Months at the Front and Enjoy Freedom From Discipline, Hot Baths, and Sleep in the Morning! “Freshly Shaven, Uniforms Brushed and Pressed, Boots of a Dazzling Brilliance, Happy Faces, Happy Laughter, Happy Hearts”— by These Signs Ye Shall Know Those Who Are “Just In.” Photograph © Committee on Public Information. GGA Image ID # 183375c60e

American Battleship Firing Salute: National Ensign, Jack, and Rainbow of Signal Flags Displayed. GGA Image ID # 18338a35cf