Vertical air photograph of the south side of the River Clyde, Glasgow.

Description Vertical air photograph of the south side of the River Clyde, Glasgow.

Date 1939

Collection Records of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), Second World War Aerial Reconnaissance

Catalogue Number C 47625

Category Photographs and Off-line Digital Images

Copies SC 797414

Scope and Content Luftwaffe aerial photograph of shipyards and engineering works, Glasgow Four shipyards are shown in this photograph, with Yarrows & Company (A), the Scotstoun shipyards (C), the Fairfield shipyard (F) with the Clydeholm shipyard directly opposite (D). The King George V Dock (E) is also clearly visible on the south bank of the River Clyde. Other important works shown in this image include the Albion Motor Company (annotated as B), situated between the Yarrows and Scotstoun shipyards, while the large complex of buildings in the bottom left corner of this image represents the Hillington aeroplane factory. Although the Luftwaffe flew intelligence-gathering sorties throughout the war, the majority were flown in 1939 and 1940. In addition, the German national airline, Lufthansa, covertly took photographs across Britain in the years before the war while ostensibly surveying new routes for flights. Aerial reconnaissance photographs were used by Luftwaffe intelligence officers to identify new targets for bombing sorties, to assess the damage caused by earlier raids and to gather information about the strength of defences. Taken during aerial reconnaissance in October 1939 by the Luftwaffe, this aerial photograph shows shipyards and other engineering works which were based on the River Clyde. Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

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