STUDIES IN
l s]
INTELLIGENCE
A colteclton ol articles on the historical, operational, doctrinal, and theoretical aspects ol Intelligence.
All siaiements of fact, opinion or analysis expressed in Studies in Intelligence are ihose of
the authors They do not necessarily reflect official posiiions or views of ihe Central Intelligence Agency or any other US Government entity, past or present. Nolhing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying US Government endorsement of an article's factual statements and interpretations
Use and misuse of an old, felici-lous device for theof intelligence.
THE MAP IN FIELD REPORTING Louis Thomas
Maps have long been essential tools in intelligence reporting because, in locating features of Intelligencer interest withto one another and with respect to geographicor other reference systems, theyasic Job that cannot be done as quickly or as satisfactorily by verbalNotap constitutes the heartield report, conveying the whole message with little need for support in the accompanying text. More commonly,the text tells What and the map tells Where. Maps accompanying reports also serve to some extent as graphic abstracts to help end users confrontedultitude of source documents decide quicklyiven report offers anything pertinentroblem at hand. In this role the map often has much to do with determining whether thetextual body of the report is rend and used. Clear maps invite follow-up reading; cryptic or confusing ones discourage
With some risk of oversimplification it can be said that the maps commonly used In reporting intelligence data from the field are of three basicre-existing printed maps or charts on which the newly acquired intelligence data areield-prepared sketch maps based in partas regards background informaUon) on pre-existing maps or charts,ketch maps based solely on field observation, no data of any kind being taken fromaps. All three of these types of map have been and are being used, successfully and otherwise, as integral parts of field reports. Which one is most suitableiven purpose depends, infer alia, on the nature and Importance of the data being reported, the map and intelligence know-how of theofficer, what maps and other faculties are available to him, and the anticipated end use of the reported data.
skewer*
Map
Advantages and Hazards
The first type, data plottlngsre-existing printed map, since it generally gives good orientation In relation to known features, facilitates rapid interpretation by those who receive and exploit the report. It is particularly suitable for areas of continuing intelligence interest, those often reported on. An obstacle todta use ls.that expendable".'copies of suitable 'up-to-date maps, or facilities for. reproducing them,-are not always available where the reports are assembled. "An' example of tnls type Is shown in Figureydrographlc chart on which circled letters referring to the body of the report are used to identify features reported on.rief legend naming the features designated by these letters had been superimposed on the face of the chart its valueeporting tool would have been enhanced.
The second type, the sketch based in part on one or more pre-existing maps, is the one most commonly used In field reports. It has many advantages and disadvantages.among the former are the freedom It gives to select and adapt features of existing maps, the fairly good orientation it generally provides in relation to known features, and the case with which it can be interpreted if it is well compiled. One disadvantage is that maps of this type can give falseof information from other sources unless they sharply distinguish the data taken from pre-existing maps from the data being reported as current observation. Another is that this method invites preparation of cryptic, incomplete maps. Reporting officers sometimes assume that the base maps to which they orient their observational data will be readily available at all places where their reports arehey then limit their sketches to the bare outlines of features on which they are presenting new information. This causes much waste and gnashing of teeth in offices where the reports could and should be used but can't because the large-scale maps needed to interpret them are not available.re good and bad examples, respectively, ol this type of report map.
Fionasxample ol an Inadequate compiled reportotrief version of the message Is conveyed on the face. Full ! Interpretation requires the0 topographic sheet Compare
with Fioom 2.
i
The third type of map, the sketch based on field observation only, is one of man's oldest intelligence vehicles. When well prepared and clearly Identified as to origin, the field sketchreat advantage in that it causes little confusiondata reflecting current observation and priorrepeated from other sources. Field sketches are virtually worthless, however, when they are so poorly prepared that
s an example of this type.
Ultimately, the greatest weakness of sketches based solely on observation may be the latitude they allow for individual expression? People see the same things In different ways and often, despite training and briefing, with entirely different conceptions of what is important. Observation sketches of an industrial plant prepared Independently by two observers at about the same time may be so different that the reader can hardly believe they both saw the same plant.
Some Precepts
The many different purposes field report maps serve make it difficult to lay down universally applicable rules forthem. Exceptions, special cases, and unique problemsarise to becloud the guldeposta. Nevertheless, It is reasonable to believe that observation of the principles set forth below would contribute significantly toward making such maps as useful as possible.
he map should be such as to convey quickly at least the gist of its message on the single page, without requiring reference to the body of the report, large-scale maps, grid systems, or other aids. This means, for one thing, that it should Invariablyegend on its face, ifrief version of one given in detail in the body of the report.
"An attempt has been made to ease this problem by dlstrlbuUng to there-prlnted sketch grid accompanied by simple(Sketch Map Orld. This plotting aid la Intended to encourage sketch mapofBcera ortake note of direction and distance and. roost Important of all, to try to bring Into their sketches the clement of scale. To date. It has been helpful ln some cases, but whether It can bo regarded as asuccess Is still uncertain.
f
some special purpose to be servedapthat it be orientedarticular base map or grid, a
second identification or orientation should be included In order to permit more general exploitation also. If the observations being reported must be oriented, forin relation to the Universal Transverse Mercator grid or to the sheets of an Army Map0 series lnechnical requirement,"theySho&'d^iso be oriented to geographiclace names, or prominent landmark features to make the report'sclear to all readers, Including those who do not have quick and easy access to large-scale maps orof the UTM or other military grid systems.
Reporting officers should tell, insofar as possible, how their report maps got thatho observed what, when, from where, and under whatharp distinction should be maintained between data based on observation and information drawn from other sources such as pre-existing maps.
Officers preparing or revising report maps should bein including orientationnames,features physical and cultural, distance andto well-known features, etc. Better too many of these than too few.
Reports from the field and maps that accompany them are often processed by middleman reviewers and editors before being distributed to the intelligence community at large. In the opinion of this writer, the principles outlined above should ln general be applied by the middlemen as well as by the
"The special purposes of some members of the Intelligenceare best served by locations! data expressed in terms of military grid references, whereas others prefer geographic coordinates (lautude andhich permit working out locations on almost any map without recourse to large-scale coverage, detailed explanations of grid systems, conversion formulae, etc. Giving key locations (or at least one locations! fix on each report map) both by geographic coordinates and by military grid reference seems to be the only certain way of serving both needs. If giving both Is impractical, it seems to the present writer that geographic coordinates should be chosen: locations so expressed can be Interpreted quickly and easily at most points In the Intelligence community with materials on hand, its not all military grid references can be.
The Mop
field reporters, provided, first, that any doubts indicated by the original sources be left In unless they can be resolved, and second, that the middleman's corrections, additions, and comments be set unmistakably apart from the data that came from the field.
More prior planning between field personnel andmay alleviate some of the problems that report maps
of the needs, interests; and requirements of all those likely to use the prospective reports. Prior planning oriented sharply to the interests and preferencesew smallof the intelligence community may work against the interests of the whole. Forield man being briefed in Washington may be sold byn theofarticular foreign mapase in preparing sketch mapsertain subject. From the special viewpoint ofhe foreign map Is Ideal, but from theof the whole intelligence community, which will also try to use the reports, an Army Map Service sheet would be more satisfactory.
It has become conventional in preparing field report maps not to rely on symbols but to use words or legend-oriented letters and numbers to Identify important features, asbelow.
Symbols alone areule used only to Indicate relatively unimportant background data. This conventional procedure has been developed empirically, and the present writer, for one. believes that no overall good would come fromto replace lt In the foreseeable futureystem of symbols.
Any experienced Intelligence officer should be capableood reportd'drawing"
ability can contribute, but they are not essential and do not in themselves guarantee that the map willgoodtool.ield report map locates things of Intelligence Import, In relation to each other and ln relation to known features or fixed points, clearly anday that any reader can interpret quickly, itood map even If lt Is notneat or pleasing to the eye; if lt does not accomplish these objectives ltoor one, regardless of aesthetic excellence.
The field report map hasasic Intelligence tool since time Immemorial. The foreseeable crowding of man and his works on the surface of the earth augurs greater rather than less use of such maps ln the future. The general application of simple principles to improve their quality and clarity can contribute significantly to the accurate communication of loca-Uon.il relationships and thus to the ultimate effectiveness of many Intelligence operations.
Original document.
Comment about this article, ask questions, or add new information about this topic: