Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hi

I have scanned several more photos to add to this set of aerial photos taken by my father John S. Blyth in 1943 and 1944 flying a Spitfire MK XI. He was with the 14th Squadron of the 7th PRG stationed at Mt Farm, UK and apparently really enjoyed violating Luftwaffe airspace during this period. I have no idea what some of these new scans are of and would appreciate any suggestions.

Thanks
Scott

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2455401...7609636214338/

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello Scott!

Your last photo shows the Wellensberg Kazern at Siegen. The buildings in the center have been rebuilt and still exist. On the left of the photo was a large shooting range (in your left frame), which is still existing but now cut by half.

The "Somewhere near Munich" photo shows the BMW AeroEngine plant in Allach, NW suburb of Munich. The plant now belongs to the MAN company and produces trucks, using the original buildings. Note the interesting camouflage on some of the building roofs...

I have also identified another one of your photos (Nr 29, "Kassel Germany") in an answer to one of your former messages (Henschel plant at Altenbauna)

Please give more...

Amically,

JVM

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Thanks once more JV

I did manage to identify Siegen and did a GE overlay of it although I have not yet figured out how to share these overlays with others and had no idea what was in the photo for the most part. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the main attraction in that town is the old "gasometer" which was clearly visible in my father's photo. Is the Kazern the large bowed building? This looks to me like the headquarters for a small military outpost although I really have nothing to base that on. I did note while doing the overlay that the building still exists with an addition. As for the BMW AeroEngine Plant at Allach I was surprised to learn of the camouflage trompes-l'oeils building treatment. I am not too sure how effective this would be given the general inaccuracy of USAAF bombing. So far I think you may have been one of the few to realize that these photos can be seen in their original size on Flickr. That is why I uploaded them there. No one other than you has really commented on what is visible on the ground. I was definitely surprised that no one ID'd the many aircraft visible on the high res aerial shots. In the Kothen series of 3 photos there are dozens of aircraft but there has been no feedback. Maybe these aircraft are too boring? Thanks again for your effort my father is getting a big kick out of it.

Best Regards
Scott Blyth

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello Scott,

Well, I have been looking at these pic's with great interest too. I believe a lot of people are delighted because of the high quality. Indeed, if you have more, please show them!

Thanks,

John

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello Scott!

Photo interpreting is something I have always loved (as well as map reading, Google Earth etc). There is still a Germany photo which is eluding me (photo 34)...without orientation and approximate area, it is very hard to identify!
You are right about the planes; I will look more!
In the "Bois de l'Alleu" photo, the small airfield just south of Orléans/Bricy airbase, you can see a bunch of JU-88 or -188. One can even distinguish their white or yellow color band around the rear fuselage...
In the Dessau photo (remember Dessau was Junkers home) there is a B-24 with a small bit of the left wing missing! The silhouette is a lot more consistent with a B-24 than with a Ju-290 (the latter would be expected in Dessau)
Otherwise going clockwise on the photo starting at the B-24, I would think a Ju-252 or more probably 352 (large twin or three-engined A/C with a forward fuselage a bit out of the usual proportions), then in front of the hangar, maybe another 352 and a visiting He-111, then 2 Ju-188 (maybe 88: that would be clear on the original, not so much on the scan!), then another 352 and a 188 (closer to the hangar).
The next one is another story: it does not seem to be a transport (narrow fuselage), the outer wing dihedral is rather high and they have quite a wide wingspan: the general shape would make me think of a He-177. The last one I believe it to be another 352.
Now what's interesting is the aircraft visible inside the camouflaged pen beside the upper large hangar...a very large aircraft (app. 42 m wing span, based on comparative measurement with the 352) which must be a Ju-290 (42 m wingspan!)
In the Köthen series, one can see several Ju-52, Ju-88 and Me-109: there are two larger ones in large earthmound-protected pens, but I could not identify them. They may be JU transports??
The Laon-Athies is an interesting one: no A/C visible (all of them have their own half-moon hangar), but two runways are lighting equipped, and the taxiways seem also to have at least guidance markings, perhaps even lights, going up to the hangar entrance. Laon was home of various NachtJagdGeschwader all along the war.
On the Laupheim photo, one can see several Bf-110, including at least two destroyed.
On the Stendal photo, a gaggle of Bf-109 can be seen in the upper left corner.

And to conclude, I must say that the Ghent/St Denis airfield photo is one of the most beautiful airfield photos I have ever seen...your father must not have flown very high for this one!

Amically,

JV

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hi Scott,

Many thanks for making these very nice high quality aerial photos available, especially the one of Ghent airfield.
This airfield ,situated at Sint-Denijs-Westrem, was originally built by the German during World War I . During World War II the airfield was expanded by the Germans and used by the Luftwaffe as a diversion airfield for fighter units.

In September 1944 – when that area of Belgium had been liberated – it was used by the several fighter units of the Royal Air Force (as B-61) (including 3 Polish squadrons – 302, 308 and 317 Squadron – flying Spitfires.) On January 1ST, 1945 the airfield was attacked by II./JG1 (Operation Bodenplatte). After World War II the airfield was used as a civil airfield till 1985, when the exhibition hall Flanders Expo was constructed.


Best regards from Belgium


Luc

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Just wanted to add my thanks for your efforts in making these superb images available for us all to see Scott... Like many here, I've just spent hours looking at them and it makes you appreciate the role your father and other recon pilots played during WW2... not as romantic as the fighter pilots, but just as important...

Cheers
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Thanks JV, John Luc and Peter

Did anyone figure out what the AC are on the ground in the Halberstadt photo? The HE 111Z is pretty easy but what about the AC on the runway and the camouflauged AC in the fake bush in the upper right corner? there was apparently a big air battle in the area that day. Also in the Stendal photo one 109 is separate from the others lower down the photo to the left. Concerning Laon Athies there was apparently to be a big B-26 strike early that day but they must have missed the target. The series of photos (of which I have only this one) shows over 150 AC hidden away.

Best Regards

Scott

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Thanks a million Scott,

As I am not skilled enough to get them in to Goggle Earth, I made the GE community aware of your photopages and now Josie has been kind enough to place some of them in GE, have a look at this thread and check it out. I think it makes the pictures value very visible to us.

http://bbs.keyhole.com/ubb/showflat....page/0#1269816

I hope you don't mind me doing this.

Regards
Peter

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello Scott!

On the Halberstadt photo you have indeed two Gotha-242 gliders (with a He-111Z nearby, it makes a lot of sense) in the middle of the field (there was no concrete runway in Halberstadt). I believe the A/C in the pens in the upper right of the photo are also Gotha-242. But what about "the camouflaged AC in the fake bush in the upper right corner"? I did not see any (maybe more obvious on the original?); are you are referring to the one just over the small black mark? there is indeed a fuzzy shape of one aircraft, but it may be wishful thinking; the scan is showing its limits! .
On the Laon Athies photo, I found only one A/C (lower right corner of the upper left ninth of the photo! A fighter I think)...only 149 to go...just kidding!

JV

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Let's add, that the airfield was littered by Focke-Wulfs courtesy to Polish Spifires. Oh, to find an aerial photo taken after the battle!

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello JV

The camouflaged AC at Halberstadt are just above the ink spot as you have noted. Hopefully you are viewing the photo at the original resolution of 2219-2566. I can clearly see two AC. I was told that there was a major air battle going on that day (July 7, 1944) and that a number of LW aircraft landed at Halberstadt to refuel and rearm. My father was unaware of this air battle.

Thanks again

Scott

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello JV

Concerning the Ghent/St Denis photo my father says this mission was flown at about 30,000 feet. The cameras were pretty good apparently as the photo has not been cropped. This altitude was typical for Spitfire MX XI high altitude work although the V-weapons sites were shot from about 15,000 feet. The F-5s from the 7th PRG did oblique photos from an altitude as low as 50 feet.

Regards
Scott

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Great stuff Scott
Mt Farm is not far from me :)

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello JV

What you have identified at Dessau may very well be the basic ingredients of a JU-287. The nosewheels of a B-24, the fuselage of an HE 177, the tail of a JU 388 and the undercarriage of a JU 352. I hope I am making some sense since I had not heard of the JU 287 until about 2 weeks ago.

Thanks
Scott

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello Scott! I thought that too, but the proportion and size would be wrong the Ju-287 had only a 21 m wingspan, where the one on the photo is 32 m. Besides the Ju-287 wings are made in one panel where the photo shows a dihedral on external panels!

JV

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

That is Polish flown English Spitfires, right?

The Polish Squadrons took a pounding as well with 25 a/c lost against claims of 25 a/c in the surrounding area.

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Polish Spitfires because they were leased by the Polish government. Indeed a number of them was lost on the ground, just as on other airfields. In the air there was a massacre of Focke Wulfs.

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello Franek, Kutscha et al

I am almost certain that photos of the airfield in question from that time are out there somewhere and could have been taken by pilots from the 7th PRG. Unfortunately they stopped keeping records of their sorties after November 9, 1944 although many missions were flown before and even after the end of the war. My father was sent back to the states in November to instruct new F-5 photo recon pilots.

Regards
Scott

Re: Additional High Res Aerial Photos Germany
 

Hello JV et al

I did not mean to imply that there was a JU 287 on the ground just the basic ingredients. Maybe that new JU 287 book published by Peter Evans will answer some questions. Everytime I look at the photo I find new aircraft. I cannot recall if you IDed the aircraft visible in the Oschersleben AF photo. Can it be assumed that they are FW 190s?. Additionally I think there are at least two flak batteries visible to the left of the left runway. There are also two distinct blobs which appear to be casting shadows on the left runway one is gray and the other is black. There is also a mysterious object casting a barrel like shadow in the upper left corner to the left of the building. Any ideas?

Regards

Scott