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Vertical aerial photograph taken by the Luftwaffe in October 1939 of North and South Queensferry and the Forth Railway Bridge.

SC 372380

Description Vertical aerial photograph taken by the Luftwaffe in October 1939 of North and South Queensferry and the Forth Railway Bridge.

Date 10/1939

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

Catalogue Number SC 372380

Category On-line Digital Images

Copy of C 47673

Scope and Content Luftwaffe aerial photograph of the Forth Bridge and Port Edgar, City of Edinburgh On 16 October 1939, the Luftwaffe made their first attack on Scotland, launching a raid against Royal Navy ships near the Forth Bridge. This photograph dates from before the attack, and intelligence notes describe the construction of the bridge and the surrounding anti-aircraft defences. The naval supply depot at Port Edgar harbour is also noted here (B). The vessels on the Firth of Forth may be naval warships. 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. During the first months of the war, the Luftwaffe conducted an extensive aerial reconnaissance programme, photographing many sites such as the Forth Bridge and Port Edgar. English translation of German Text reads: Railway bridge over the Firth of Forth 2 steel bridge arches on 3 main pillars are anchored in 4 solid fundamental blocks each 1a) 2 viaducts with 17 stone piers total length of the bridge: ca. 2,500m, width: ca 8m 2. 5 depots ca 6,000 square meters 3. 6 tanks: 4 large, ca 35m in diameter, 2 small ca 5m in diameter, ca 4,200 square meters 4. Oil pier with railway siding 5. Quay with unloading cranes 6. Office building, used space ca 10,200 square meters Railway siding available Source: RCAHMS contribution to SCRAN.

Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/collection/372380

File Format (TIF) Tagged Image File Format bitmap

Collection Hierarchy - Item Level

Collection Level (551 155) Records of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe), Second World War Aerial Reconnaissance

> Item Level (SC 372380) Vertical aerial photograph taken by the Luftwaffe in October 1939 of North and South Queensferry and the Forth Railway Bridge.

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Attribution: © RCAHMS

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