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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 1477.PDF
7 October 1955 587 Politics and Tactics HAD President Eisenhower's novel sug- gestion of aerial inspection of the U.S.A. by the Soviet Union and vice versa been accepted by the latter country it is likely that the first sortie from the West would have been flown by the U.S.A.F.'s 10th Tactical Reconnaissance Wing. A part of the United Slates Air Forces in Europe (Lt-Gen. William H. Tunner), the Wing is a formation of the 12th Air Force, and is also ipso facto part of the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force. Until this year the Wing was equipped with Lockheed RF-80C Shooting Stars (centre photograph) and with piston- engined Douglas RB-26 Invaders. Now the latter have all been replaced by glisten- ing black Martin RB-S7 Canberras (above), fresh from Plant 2 at Baltimore. Far-ranging, and equipped with a very advanced camera installation, these machines could, if need be, photograph the whole of European Russia. The RF-80 Shooting Stars, on the other hand, are employed for more strictly tactical work, at all levels. From their base at Spangdahlem, in what was formerly the American Zone, the aircraft of the 10th Wing cover most of Germany in their incessant training mis- sions. Two of their low-level photographs are reproduced here: the beautiful schloss (castle) of Schonburg at Oberwesel (right, below) and the equally famous towers of Hohensalzburg, near Salzburg in Austria. A full account of tactical photography was published in our issues of October 1st and 8th, 19S4 (describing methods used Exercise "Battle Royal"), and anin A.T.A.F. conference on tactical photo- graphy was reported on November 12th. In the latter account appeared a photo- graph of the new F.95 camera, carried by the RB-57.
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