The Destructive Effects of Aerial Bombardement.

On March 19, 1945 a reconnaisance photo was taken of the Lankwitz-Mariendorf area of Berlin. It is particularly sharp and reveals the destruction of Allied bombing in great detail. The area in question is approximately 3.4 X 2.8 kilometers. (1000 hectares/2471 acres. I have highlighted some details; the area is worth a careful inspection at 1000 meter altitude. Also, keep in mind that for every ten bomb craters you see, there is at least on that did not explode!   The destroyed factory was, in fact, a Daimler-Benz engine plant. As Sherman said - 'War is hell'. (Set your time slider at 1945)

GE80EB.kmz (2.66 KB)

LarryC1...take a look at Ponikve Aerodrome in Serbia for similar imagery from a much newer conflict.  The time slider tells almost all. At one time there was imagery with most of the craters still extant.  It has since been returned to light commercial/GA service and periodic jet service by JAT.


Ponikve Aerodrome.kmz (993 B)

Thanks for the info. A fascinating shot!

Larryc1 and Barnstormer, those are so interesting that they made me think of this one. This image of the Warsaw Ghetto in 1945, after it was burned to the ground by the Nazis, was posted in the old GEC. I could not locate it there, for some reason and don't remember the original poster. It is my favorite historical imagery on GE. The folder includes an approximate boundary of the ghetto and the Jewish cemetery to the west of it. It is especially sobering to compare it with the 1935 image.

The actual boundaries are complex and much larger, but I have marked only the area of almost complete destruction.  There are some excellent posts on that location, including a series by BeadieJay and another by PCEMilkman.

Warsaw Ghetto 1945.kmz (1.37 KB) 



Image is Public Domain from Wikipedia

Diane - I remember that post also but not who did it. I also found some interesting features in Warsaw which I posted in Historical. I also remember a decorative swastika in a courtyard found by someone!

And I distinctly remember seeing and asking about a military column marching down a side street, but couldn't find it this time.  Someone thought they were probably Polish troops, what was left of them, based on dates. Now, it's really going to bug me until I find that scene again!

I hadn't seen the troops but now you have me intrigued!  That image of Warsaw is so interesting.  Did you notice the downed bridges in the river?

Diane - those troops were probably Russian as the nearby airfield is full of Russian aircraft! They had taken the city by the time the photograph was taken.

Larry, I found the original post by Michaelangelo Antonioni. It was about the troops in the first place, which he found! (Notice how I gave myself credit for it in my memory.)  It's interesting to read the comments that follow and I remember doing a lot of reading about just what happened and when.


Column of soldiers Warsaw.kmz (814 B)