New resource tool/toy for researcher

[Kari Lumppio]

Hello!

In a small but lively Estonian military discussion group someone pointed out a new resource tool/ toy for (also) airwar enthusiasts/researchers.

It's a combined map/satellite picture site:

http://maps.google.com

The Map seems to work for US, but click the Satellite and start panning and zooming on the planet. It is absolutely fabulous, like lightspeed expedition! Much similar feeling when flying to a new place.

Good maps are hard to find of Russia (Soviet Union). The map side of the site doesn't work (it's beta version) but satellite pictures do. As a companion for the google satellite view one can use Expedia.com map service or Microsoft Encarta etc. programs. Expedia maps one finds at:

http://www.expedia.com/maps

Click "Find a map"

When at the page,
- tick "search for a place"
- Choose Europe, North America or World
- type in the name (transliteration)
- after that click "find a map" (again)

And then you are either served a map (pannable and zoomable) or list of similar names. Choose the right one or try new spelling etc.

(btw Russia is (now) not in Europe, but Ukraine is as far as Expedia service goes. IIRC this was not the way it used to be at the site in the past)

Doing the above I was able to find among others Idritza (base for many Luftflotte 1 units) and Rjelbitsa in Novgorod area, Bojarskaja (760 IAP etc.), Segeza (668 ShAP) and Tiiksjärvi ((T)LeLv 14, FinnAF) in Karelia also Gurkolovo (IIRC 10 GIAP, KBF), Siverkaja and numerous others in Leningrad area, Palanga (1 GMTAP, 51 MTAP) at Lithuania. Could even find the airstrip on the Seiskari island in Gulf of Finland not to talk about Lavansaari.

Many airfields seem to be abandoned but still recognizable, others are still in use and probable changed dramatically from WW2 (GPW) era, for example Pskov ("Süd"), Ostrov etc.

This kind of zoomable feature makes the picture of battle areas literally clearer. Once I was asked if I know what kind of landscape is Ssinyavino (near Leningrad) and was only able to send a digiphoto of microfilmed German aerial photo on screen (reflecting also myself with the camera). Now there is possiblity see the "arena" with God's eyes, so to say. It also creeps me somewhat to think that there also exist ability to send death with the same precison on any place on this planet.

The satellite photos seem to be older than two years (at least the Helsinki area). Some places (bigger cities) do have higher lever of detail pictures. I could recognize what is highly probaly my old Toyota on the parking area besides our workplace!

Only minus side is that at least I can't save the pictures, or link them anywhere. Have yet to try printing (no working printer at home).


Cheers,
Kari

PS This doesn't fall directly under Luftwaffe theme, but this "side" is the liveliest one. Tip others too.

[Dénes Bernád]

That programme is probably part of the larger Google Earth feature, which is truly amazing (http://earth.google.com/)

One would only wish for higher resolution photos (not only the major towns) and, ultimately, live satelite pictures (so I can check if my wife's car is at home when it suppose to be)...