Help Identifying items in aerial photos

[tmac1397]

I'm looking for a little help in identifying what these items are in these aerial photos. A little background: these items were seen in photos taken from a B26 Marauder bomber in June 1944 over occupied France. I think it is German equipment of some kind but don't know for sure. I was thinking they may be truck mounted AA guns or radio equipment but I'm not sure. The row of reflective items are a total mystery.. Anyone have any ideas?

Edit: These two photos are of the same items from different angles.

[Michael Kenny]

This photo taken June 24 1944 appears to show an emplacement just north of Gavrus

Gavrus at the bottom

[Michael Kenny]

Shows better here

That area was pretty well covered on June 24 (run lines shown below) so it is possible the wreck could be visible. Do you have the location?

[tmac1397]

The crash site is just east of Gavrus. These items were seen to be about .5 miles SE of Gavrus in an open field. Can you explain the "run lines" map? Any idea what those items might be?

[Michael Kenny]

Can you explain the "run lines" map? Any idea what those items might be?

It is the path of each 'run' by a photo recce aircraft. The coloured line is the centre path and the 'dots' are every 4th/5th photo on that run of photos. I made it myself to index the photos on the period map. Because of the overlap of photos it means that pretty much everything in that bit of map(with the lines) is covered by the photo Recce mission that was carried out on June 24 1944.

[tmac1397]

Thank you! Can you direct me to where you find that info about the recce plane flight path? I'd be very interested in any photos of that area taken on June 23rd!

[tmac1397]

Sorry I just saw you made the map yourself. Well done. I'd still love to know about any photos from 6/23/44. I have the NCAP photos from 6/24/44

[Michael Kenny]

I have made an index of all the photos and for the NCAP 400-0283 set Gavrus appears on (from north) 3424, 4294 & 4423. With the overlap the photos each side of those numbers also have it. I have some 3000 reasonable 2200 x 2700 copies of the full area.
Do you have this site?

http://geocalvados.calvados.fr/wvsInter ... index.html#

[Michael Kenny]

This is 6 frames stitched together and reduced to fit here. Where is the wreck? Gavrus middle top.

I managed to find your 'objects'

[tmac1397]

The wreck is in the trees and open field to the right or east of Gavrus on the south side of the river bank east of the diagonal road that runs NE to SW into Gavrus. There are two bare spots in the trees. Part of the plane struck in the easternmost spot. Part also fell in the open field south of that.
Thanks for the maps and photos. I have them in bits and pieces but not as a whole like that.

[tmac1397]

You seem to have higher resolution than I can get of the area. Do you have a good image of this area? The plane debris is in the open field at the top, and in the open (left) spot in the trees closer to the river on the bottom of the picture.

[Michael Kenny]

Do you know that the 'Over The battlefield' book on EPSOM has a small chapter on Gavrus and mentions the aircraft being shot down? It say one crewman snagged his parachute on a Pylon and survived.

[tmac1397]

I'm pretty sure I have that book but don't recall that information. Do you know what chapter/page? The crash happened on June 22nd which was 4 days before epsom started.

[Michael Kenny]

Ian Daglish, Over The Battlefield Operation EPSOM. Page 257

[tmac1397]

Fantastic information! Thank you so much.