Review of Wartime Studies of Dark Adaptation, Night Vision Tests, and Related Topics (1949)

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Review of Wartime Studies . , TT-T: I.r.L1 ,\j Of FOR LIBRARY Dark Adaptation, Night Vision Tests, and Related Topics &.<')» i/ On 30-day loan from Committee on Vision and CHABA 2101 Constitution Ave., N. W. Washington, 0. C. 20418 Armed Forces—NRC Vision Committee DECEMBER 1, 1949 This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United Gtates within the meaning of the Espionage Act, U.S.C. SO: 31 and 32. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents 5n any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.

MEMORANDUM June 22, 1953 TO: Members of the Armed Forces-NBC Vision Committee FROM: H. Richard Blackwell, Executive Secretary SUBJECT: Visibility — A Bibliography Compiled by M. Leikind and J. Weiner Edited by J. R. Gibson Library of Congress Reference Department Washington, D. C. 90 pp. July 1952 The subject publication has been prepared by the Refer- ence Department, Technical Information Division, of the Library of Congress, at the request of the Armed Forces-NRC Vision Committee and the Office of Naval Research. It provides a survey of the liter- ature published from 1925 to 1950 inclusive on the subject of visibil- ity as influenced by the various physical, physiological, and psycho- logical factors inherent in the observer, target, background and at- mosphere > and the engineering applications of visibility data. The plans for the publication of this bibliography were announced in the Minutes and Proceedings of the Thirtieth Meeting of the Vision Com- mittee, April 4-5, 1952, page 99. One copy of the bibliography is being sent herewith to each member of the Vision Committee. Additional copies are availa- ble upon request to the Secretariat, 3433 Mason Hall, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.

THE ARMED FORCES NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL VISION COMMITTEE Review of Wartime Studies of Dark Adaptation, Night Vision Tests, and Related Topics • by WILLIAM BERRY, Ph.D. Historical Foreword WALTER R. MILES, Ph.D., Yale University Some Comments on Night Vision Selection Tests and Procedures WILLIAM S. VERPLANCK, PH.D., Indiana University PUBLISHED BY VISION COMMITTEE SECRETARIAT 304 WEST MEDICAL BUILDING UNIVER*ITY OF MICHIGAN ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN This document contains information affecting the national defense of the United States within the meaning of the Espionage Act, U.S.C. 50: 31 and 32. Its transmission or the revelation of its contents in any manner to an unauthorized person is prohibited by law.

ACKNOWLEDGME NTS The courtesy and cooperation of Captain Winfred P. Dana (MC)USN and Commander H. A. Smedal (MC)USN, in providing desk space and the use of the files in the Bureau of Medicine and Surgery is gratefully acknowledged. A special note of appreciation is due to Chief Yeoman Anne T. Black who, in addition to her regular duties, gave invaluable assistance in locating reports and documents and in typing all the abstracts.

TABLE OF CONTENTS Page Preface 4 H. Richard Blackwell Historical Foreword 5 Walter R. Miles Some Comments on Night Vision Selection Tests and Procedures 7 William S. Verplanck Review of Wartime Studies of Dark Adaptation, Night Vision Tests and Related Topics William Berry Introduction -. 10 Evaluation of the Wartime Literature 11 Tabular Summary of Reports 13 Abstracts of Reports 27 Topical Index of Abstracts 94

PREFACE H. Richard Blackwell Vision Committee Secretariat It is by now common knowledge that an impressive number of scientific and technical reports were prepared during the war years which record the intense, often frantic, efforts of scientists and technicians to satisfy the demands of the military machine. The reports were issued in part by permanent scientific and technical institutions, but in large number by military units enlarged to meet the wartime demand and by temporarily established scientific and technical groups. The reports were nearly all classified since they represented significant military resources. The issuance of the reports served to disseminate information among military and civilian scientific and technical organizations, thus permitting a maximum of research coordination and planning. At the close of active hostilities, the military and special civilian research groups underwent gross reduction in scope or were terminated and the scientists and technicians returned to their permanent occupations. With them went their knowledge and special experience gained from wartime service, but in most cases, due to classification difficulties, the scientists were unable to take with'them their research data or even copies of the research reports they had prepared while engaged in wartime duties. Except in rare cases, the wartime reports were stored in a few permanent libraries, but they were barred from the usual scientific publication because of classification. Not only are the full implications of wartime research hidden from the general scientific community, but the status of the report files makes it difficult for military personnel and for civilian scientists cleared for classified material to enjoy the full benefits of the wartime research. Since the termination of hostilities, the Vision Committee has attempted to make available the results of wartime research in vision in every way possible. Immediately following cessation of hostilities, attempts were made to obtain declassification of all possible vision re- ports. Reclassification of the "Bibliography of Visual Literature 1939-1944 Supplement" to Re- stricted was arranged. The Committee has maintained a lending library of the wartime reports in vision, available .to military personnel and civilian scientists who have appropriate clearances. The logical next step is for the Committee to prepare reviews of the wartime reports to be circulated as widely in the scientific community as classification will permit. The present review of the wartime reports of dark adaptation, night vision tests, and related topics was undertaken as the first in a proposed series of such reviews. Dr. William Berry, working for the Vision Committee, undertook the tedious task of locating, reading, and abstracting the wartime reports. He has prepared tabular summaries and a topical index of the reports. In addition, Dr. Berry presents his general reaction to the research programs in night vision and related topics undertaken during the war years as obtained by examination of the reports. In order to supplement Dr. Berry's review, the Committee arranged for two of its members who were intimately concerned with night vision research during the war years to prepare general comments on the status of night vision research. The comments prepared by Dr. Walter R. Miles assumed the form of an historical foreword. Anyone who was concerned with night vision problems during the war years will recognize how eminently appropriate are such comments. Dr. Miles represented the Committee on Medical Research of the Office of Scientific Research and Development on the Vision Committee from the latter's inception in 1944. In addition. Dr. Miles was a member of the Committee on Aviation Medicine of the National Research Council. Dr. William S. Verplanck has taken the opportunity afforded by Dr. Berry's preparation of the review to reconsider general aspects of the night vision selection program undertaken during the war years. Dr. Verplanck, formerly a naval lieutenant at the U. S. Submarine Base, New London, Connecticut, was personally in the forefront of the Navy selection program, and he is, therefore, eminently qualified to take stock of the program from the detached point of reference afforded by five years separation from the problem. The review takes the form, therefore, of a series of informative abstracts, indexed and sum- marized. General comments are presented by Drs. Berry, Miles, and Verplanck. The review

11 serve as a convenient source of information on night vision and related topics through the in- rmative abstracts. The general comments should serve to orient the reader of the abstracts. ic complete review should serve, therefore, as a basis for decisions concerning future research development of Q.ight vision testing devices or other items of military equipment concerned th night vision. The reports abstracted are retained in the library files of the Vision Committee and may be rrowed by military personnel or civilian scientists possessing appropriate clearances. HISTORICAL FOREWORD Walter R. Miles Military advantage lies on the side of those who early make the best provision for selecting sn with good eyes, who adopt the best available optical equipment and develop superior methods training their fighting personnel in observational techniques. There is a certain resistance on j part of soldiers against being told how to see by someone else. Vision is such a convenient d all-purpose sense and normally provides what seems such adequate experience in a wide lati- le of distances and illumination conditions that the uninstructed naturally feel they already pos- ss the know-how. But skill in the use of visual aids is not native. Furthermore, in general, :n prefer the naked eye and dislike wearing gear on the face. Visual testing and training equip- ;nt therefore must be practical and comfortable. The tasks must be made to seem pertinent d useful, if the procedure is to win approval and willing use, and stimulate good motivation on • part of those who are examined. Visual military tasks merit most careful scientific analysis. forts should constantly be made to improve the toolj and techniques in terms of field experience, ssent operational needs, and projected plans. Thoroughly good instruction and training must be nstantly encouraged. The efforts expended by military agencies and civilian scientists in the United States on the ablem of night vision in connection with World War II set forth in the following report consti- es a most instructive scientific story. It is not only instructive for military men and civilian Lentists who are interested in the specific topic of night vision, but has a wider significance and •fulness. In general outline it reveals the plot for numerous stories of military-scientific de- lopments on many topics involving equipment, technique, and procedures for operation by mili- •y personnel. Research at best is slow and tedious. When the objective is military applica- n, the research process faces added handicaps. Military leaders have ideas on what they be- ve to be their needs and what might be workable or expedient. Research workers have ideas what they think ought to be done. There is often some difficulty in arriving at a mutually ac- jtable program. Each side has much to learn from the other. The results of most laboratory .dies cannot directly be taken over as a routine or basis for military use. The conditions and juirements in military service cannot easily be transferred to the civilian laboratory. To meet s general situation and work it through to a solution requires, what to the uninitiated may seem, arge amount of duplication of effort. Military leaders sometimes must experience difficulties in picking their civilian scientific risers. Fortunately, in our recent emergency, the National Research Council and the National fense Research Committee—later the Office of Scientific Research and Development—were of isiderable aid in reference to these matters. These agencies brought military officers and entists together in conferences for the consideration of a vast number of technical problems. rough the N.R.C. a Committee on Aviation Medicine was organized. This among other f unc- is served as a steering-working group under which the specific subject of night vision could :eive attention. Applicable for the military problem of night vision, there was of course a scientific back- • u.'.ti extending to the work of Aubert in 1865.1 More immediate research interests had 1 The most useful available summary of the literature on this subject was, Dorothy Adams, II rk Adaptation (A Review of the Literature) Special Report Series, No. 127, Medical Research London, 1929.