Re: Hi Res V Weapons Sites (Noball)
 

I found the following on another site:

"I have a copy of a document from the NA that gives details of all NOBALL sites.
AIR 40/1674."


And although in French, this book may be useful:

http://www.aviationmegastore.com/v1-...d=1&art=101774


Ed

Re: Hi Res V Weapons Sites (Noball)
 

Hello Larry

My father brought two big boxes of photos back from the war. One of them was lost at sometime unfortunately. The remaining box contained a number of original prints of the aerial photos. Most of them were taken by my father and most of them were high altitude photos taken from a Spitfire MK XI. These original prints are roughly 7 inches by 8 inches. The photos from the F-5 P-38 variant are square and are approximately 10 inches by 10 inches. In this set of Noball photos I have connected the pilot/photographer to the photo whenever possible. This is based on the sortie numbers written on the back of the photos. Unfortunately I haven't been able to make a connection in all cases. This set represents a very small number of the Noball photos taken by 7th PRG pilots BTW.

If you are interested in the airfield photos they can be found in other sets. Try Googling sgblyth flickr Halberstadt for example.

Cheers

Scott Blyth

Re: Hi Res V Weapons Sites (Noball)
 

Thanks for the elaboration, Scott. Your dad and his fellow PR colleagues were real busy over northern France Feb-Aug 1944, not just on the No-Ball sites but on the field airstrip satellites the Germans were building in great numbers. The Allies seemed to catch scent of them through ULTRA and the next day the PR boys were sent over to photograph them. They had to act fast because it only took the Germans about two weeks to clear and level a runway and then build some aircraft blast bay dispersal sites in an adjacent woods.

I will work on that Google link you provided and see what I can find.

Thanks again!

L.

Re: Hi Res V Weapons Sites (Noball)
 

Ed (and anyone else interested in V-1 operations),

This book is an absolute 'must have' in which the author Mr Delefosse has made this second edition as a completely reworked edition with lots of detailed drawings and many photographs on the subject of the V-1..!

It compares then and now, there are lots of different photographs and drawings of the buildings, ski ramps, etc.

I bought this edition last summer when we were camping near The Blockhaus d'Éperlecques in the Saint-Omer region... I picked my first edition up at Helfaut-Wizernes at the book shop of La Coupole some three years ago, this newer version in the bookshop next to the bunker at Éperlecques last summer. No need to hesitate - a much improved version of a fantastic first edition..! The only disadvantage of the book - it's in French and there are probably lots of people who don't speak that language... But for them - the photographs and drawings (some of them in 3D..!) will make up for that, I guess...

Happy New Year..!

Piet Bouma
The Netherlands

P.S. If you get the chance to visit one of the sites mentioned here, they are both worth a visit..!

Re: Hi Res V Weapons Sites (Noball)
 

Hello Scott, hello Larry!

Happy new year!

Concerning the field airstrips there is only one related photo in Scott's collection, this is the one indicated by "LW Aircraft Near Orleans France"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/2455401...57609636214338

This was created either as a far away camouflaged dispersal area or a bona-fide satellite or subsitute to Bricy. The clarity of the photo allowing to see the tracks left by the aircraft on taxi toward the airbase, alongside the road makes me think the former...

Concerning a former intervention about "V1 mobile launching site" it is a mistake of the B24 website writer: there was no such thing...these sites were just having a much smaller footprint than the ski sites they replaced and were better camouflaged, often using a farm or hamlet to that purpose.
Also the standard payload of a V1 was 1800 lbs, not 1000 lbs...no wonder it was so destructive! The V2 pushed it to 2200 lbs (again, not 1000 lbs!)

JV

Re: Hi Res V Weapons Sites (Noball)
 

Hi JV - many thanks for pointing that out! Yes, that's a good example of what I was describing. The Luftwaffe started building these dispersal and satellite strips in France in February 1944 and they were still working on them as late as Aug 44. They did the same thing in Germany, too, as well as Belgium and Holland.

L.