See the oil burn
Army security-of-information sheet: a red print of tall smoke and flame rising from a row of oil storage tanks, with four lines of verse beneath asking how the enemy learned of it. The technique is a fear-appeal that attributes the loss to someone speaking out of turn, aimed at the corps' own personnel.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1941
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- G-2, VI Army Corps (reproduced by Engineer Headquarters, VI Army Corps; artist: Pearson)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Military
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Own forces
- Purpose
- Warn or inform
- Themes
- Security and surveillance, War and the military
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
G-2, VI Army Corps. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1698 (NAID 515369).
Text on the object
See the oil burn How did the enemy learn Someone.... Spoke out of turn [signature: Pearson] # 10 G-2 VI AC REPRODUCED BY ENGR. HQS., VI ARMY CORPS
