Hi Hans, You sure picked a difficult one to start Frame 3032 is in Bayeux with many new roads and buildings camouflaging your frame: I had to confirm the location using IGN cover flown in 1947 to be sure of the location -see this frame covering your AoI: To answer your question regarding orientation - I have never found a frame which is exactly orientated due north; they are almost invariably off by some number of degrees. IGN cover is much better in this regard. To view and download these frames from their site, have a look at the instructions on the thread 'How to Search for IGN Cover' Regards, Pat
Hi Pat, the '47 picture has definitely a better resolution. You got it! I found this one: Cimetière Saint-Gabriel 14000 Caen, Frankreich 49.190387, -0.378045 Frame 3039 [hr] Frame 3039 Google print screen
Well done Hans, Haven't had a chance to look at any myself today - been looking to find the fault in the Christmas tree lights all afternoon - far less fun Regards, Pat
Hello Pat Amazing isn't it - you put the Christmas lights away in perfect condition on 12th night, but as soon as you get them out in December to put back on display they suddenly develop a fault!! I believe Murphy has a law to cover this situation!! regards Allan
Hi Allan, The fascinating thing about the recon photos is that they are like frozen time capsules. Just for that 1/500th of a second when the pilot pressed the camera trigger, time stood still. It's like that woolly mammoth found in Siberia after something like 40,000 years - they really are a window to the past. I never tire of looking at them, even those showing just empty fields - just wondering what the farmer was doing with his holding and what his decedents are now doing with the same fields - fascinating stuff - unlike looking for a faulty connection in what feels like 40,000 blooming light bulbs Regards, Pat
Hello Pat I felt a similar thing when I walked the ground around B.11 Longues-sur-Mer and other ALG's that Dad was at, wondering if I was really walking in his footsteps as well as doing it metaphorically. kind regards Allan p.s. tree up - lights on - but then again my other half, and two daughters, did the hard work!
Hi Pat, All, I do believe I resolved frame 3033 with the help of IGN as well. Today nothing left but 1947 was still all there. Please see the 2 attachements. Giving the info available sortie 1730 did continue following the D613 into Caen. The sortie started somewhere documented with pictures in La Seulles Rivere (frame 3003), was going west over Banc de Madeleine (3010,3011), changing most likely to east again in Montebourg( from flightplan), than the find from Pat (patch in the field;frame 3015), Pouppeville(3023), Bayeux(frame 3032 Pat's find, frame 3033 mine from today ), Caen (3039,cementary St Gabriel). Hans
Hi Hans, You are making great progress on this sortie Yes, it's a good idea to put yourself in the mind of the pilot, but watch out as some pilots were taking the odd 'tourist' shot as well as their assigned targets on the 6th of June – can’t blame them I suppose as it was a momentous day in history. I note several of the oblique shots seem to be taken of the same location as the aircraft circles. Also check for pairs of port/starboard shots, as only one side may be marked in the database as being 'un-locatable' while the caption on the photos from the other side may show the location. Keep up the good work – will join you as soon as I can! Regards, Pat
Hi to All, I was looking today into the beach photos. I'm posting 3010 vs 3020. I do think it is the same spot under a different angle. Frame 3010 Banc de Madeleine Frame 3020 Same spot different angle I inserted a hyperlink for both frames..... Frame 3020 shows the same tip upwards as frame 3010. Both frames show the small uptick towards the beach (3010 left banc and 3020 bottom banc in the picture) and both carry a crater to its right. For me: Frame 3020 Banc de la Madeleine Google Maps puts Banc de la Madeleine here 49.400378, -1.157394 What do you guys think? Hans
Hi to All, not related to a frame. Found a match from IGN 1947 with a roadcorner and today close to Foucarville. Screenshot from the IGN data point included. Hans
Hi Hans, In relation to frames 3010 and 3020, you are correct; they are indeed partially overlaid: Image Credit: RCAHMS/www.ncap.org.uk The location is difficult to nail down exactly, but using frame 8025, I was able to tie the sand bars on the 3010/3020 combo to the dark brackish pond at centre bottom of this frame to 1947 IGN cover and came up with this: The location on GE is shown below: Well done Hans, two more nailed down Regards, Pat
Hi Pat, I think your way to connect both frames is removing any last doubt. Also the 1947 picture and todays picture showing the same spot. Several indications. Frame 8025 links it all together. Hans
Hi Pat, All, Frame 3019 > a maybe! Frame 3019 shows a location next the shore line. See the waves top right corner. Two 2 big crater at the shoreline. The one in the center has next to it 2 thin parallel lines, turning soon towards country side in a right angle. In the screen from GeoPortal from 1947 I can see also the 2 big crater and these two smaller lines. See the paint. I have to assume the many more road in 1947 are from D-Day landing and from bringing in all the supplies. The U-type structure in the 1947 cover-fleight ties it to the area of the Banc de la Madeleine. Frame 3019 (http://ncap.org.uk) Marais de Contentin 49.422687, -1.181341 [hr] Hi Pat, All, I do believe frame 3028 is resolved. Frame 3028 (http://ncap.org.uk) A long building with a garden surrounded with trees. The IGN cover filght from 1947 has the same details. (Source: IGN) Frame 3028 La Pecherie Marais de Contentin 49.428249, -1.199311
Has anybody 'mapped' the several sorties anywhere yet? So we can see what route a recce plane possibly took for a given sortie?
Hi Hans, In relation to 3019, there are indeed at least three good ties to your 1947 IGN cover: Chalk up another one I'll do you up a finder chart for 3028 later tonight, but yes, you have the location without any doubt - well done again! Francois, no one has joined the dots on any of the NCAP sorties as far as I know. Regards, Pat
Hi Pat, two more off the list Frame 3018 Sortie: US7/1730 Frame 3027 Sortie: 16/0373 Frame 3028 US7/1730 matches Frame 4028 La Pecherie 49.428228, -1.199301
Hi Pat, All, I nailed 1 more Frame 3016 with the help of Frame 4016 and could locate both precisely into the Marais de Contentin . Both are close to D67, which links Utah Beach with St Mere Eglise. Source NCAP Frame 3016 US7 Sortie 1730 Source NCAP Frame 4016 US7 Sortie 1730 La Petite Crique 49.412070, -1.216938 Source Google See the attachment with locates them on the map. Forgot to mention the help from IGN Cover Flight 1947 (Source IGN)
Hi Hans, As promised. here is the GE finder chart for frame 3028: The location is known locally as 'La Pecherie', a few hundred meters inland from Widerstandsnest 8. Well done again on this and more recent discoveries! Regards, Pat
Well each sortie pilot made out a Flash Report with highlights of his mission and where he took photos and also a sketch of the sortie path to the best of his knowledge. Here is a sketch (I inverted the image color to see the path more clearly. The sketch is an overlay over a 1/250,000 map. [IMG=850x614]http://i1182.photobucket.com/albums/x446/sirjahn/Sortie_Sketch_US30-4091_6_June_44_zps2e9df833.png[/IMG] Here is a copy of a report which was sent up the chain of command. I have gotten these from the Maxwell AFB Air Force HIstorical Research Agency as part of the squadron's history. (www.afhra.af.mil) for the 30th PRS. I am sure you could do the same for the 7th PRG to get this kind of summary for a fee as I did. Just specify the unit and the time frame and they will send you a CD with the files that you can look through. These files were on microfilm so the quality is highly variable from clear to illegible. That is why I inverted the B/W images to see the route on the sketch. Edited by Pat to reduce first image width to 850 pixels.
That's great ! I was thinking that with all the research being done here by forum members, we could build our own plotted path based on photo serial numbers and researched locations?