Those trees are watching you: The incredible role of 'camouflage trees' in WWI

"Camouflage trees", also known as "tree-observation posts" or "tree-stump observation posts," were artificial trees created and used during World War I as a means of covert surveillance.

The concept of camouflage trees developed as need for better concealment when observing the enemy positions.

Carefully designed and crafted by skilled artists, they blended in seamlessly with the surrounding environment.

These trees were typically made from a steel frame, covered in painted canvas. As a result, they were light weight and hollow to allow sufficient space for observers or weaponry to be housed.

They allowed military forces to track troop movements, identify artillery positions, and even warn of impending attacks.

While the term 'camouflage' is now a staple in military lexicon, it was relatively new during World War I.

It came from the French word 'camoufler', which means 'to disguise'.

Even though the art of concealing and deceiving the enemy had been practised for centuries, World War I's rapid advances in technology, such as aerial photography, significantly increased the need for effective disguising methods.

Soldiers often climbed trees to gain a vantage point for surveillance, but this presented a clear target for enemy forces.

To mitigate this risk, armies began to explore options that offered better concealment.

The German army, in particular, exhibited great ingenuity in developing fake tree observation posts.

They would mould a hollow interior that could accommodate an observer or a machine gun, and an exterior that would blend seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

The creation and installation of a camouflage tree took a lot of patience and precision.

First, a real tree from no-mans-land was selected. Its details were sketched, and if possible, photographs were taken.

The camoufleur artists would then painstakingly recreate an identical looking artificial tree in a safer location, off-site.

The artificial tree was made with an internal ladder or steps and a viewing slit.

Then, under the cover of night, the original tree would be removed and replaced with the artificial one.

If the substitution was successful, the enemy would be none the wiser, allowing for critical intelligence to be gathered from right under their noses.

The effectiveness of camouflage trees during World War I is demonstrated by the significant investment of time, effort, and resources that both the German and Allied forces poured into creating and installing them.

These trees were particularly useful in areas where the landscape had been denuded by artillery fire.

This meant that a few surviving trees could serve as suitable platforms for observation and sniping.

However, it's worth noting that while they proved to be effective in many instances, they were not infallible.

A slight inconsistency in the imitation or a flawed installation process could reveal their true identity to the enemy.

Additionally, as aerial reconnaissance became more effective, the usefulness of these trees gradually declined.