Captions for The Sky Spies

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The versatile de Havilland DH-4 played many roles in both military and civilian capacities. (56k jpg)

A-2 Camera
The mannequin in the DH-4 is holding an A-2 camera. The A-2 was developed by Kodak and was used for aerial photography in World War I. (43k jpg)

K-1 Camera
The K-1 Camera was designed by Eastman Kodak for use in World War I. It used 6-inch film and had a built-in magazine. (25k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Early aerial cameras were sometimes mounted rigidly on the outside of an airplane to obtain vertical views. Aircraft vibration, however, proved a serious problem. (48k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

In the 1920s, Sherman Fairchild designed the K-3, a revolutionary new aerial camera. (19k jpg)
From the Sherman Fairchild Collection

Photographer preparing to take high altitude oblique shots with a 24-inch focal length K-3 camera. (49k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

This K-3 camera was used between the Wars for experiments in long-range aerial photography. (35k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

The K-5 camera was another version of the handheld oblique aerial camera. (56k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

The Bagley Three-Lens Camera had one vertical lens and two oblique lenses to provide expanded ground coverage without distortion. (24k jpg)

Photos from the 3-lens camera. (40k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

As technology advanced, more and more lenses could be added. Fairchild developed a 5-lens camera around 1926. Actually five separate cameras linked together, the T-3 produced one vertical and four oblique images simultaneously. (36k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Prints from a T-3 5-lens camera. (51k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

An 18-foot long processing laboratory equipped with separate rooms for developing and printing. Inside the lab, which was equipped with its own generator, as many as 200 prints could be processed per hour. (38k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Flying Photo Lab
Rapid photo processing was take a step further by portable labs carried right on board reconnaissance aircraft. (30k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

This World War II portable darkroom was used for immediate processing of film right on board reconnaissance aircraft. Sometimes swift acquisition of photo intelligence was so important that photo interpreters went along on the reconnaissance mission to radio in analysis of the film developed in flight. (44k jpg)

George Goddard with a K-7 camera designed for high altitude photography. Goddard foresaw the need for high quality, long focal length lenses to provide detailed long-range reconnaissance. (46k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Goddard (left) with another variation on the K-7. (33k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Pictured here is one of George Goddard's first attempts at recording an aerial view of Rochester at night. (44k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Goddard's technique was used to photograph this night view of an anti-aircraft position camouflaged by smoke pots. (36k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Night photograph of New York City in 1931. (55k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

The zigzag pattern of World War I trench systems could be viewed best from the air. (53k jpg)
From the National Archives

The Fairchild K-3B camera was designed for both vertical and oblique photography. It could be operated manually or electrically. Developed in the 1920s, the K-3s were the standard Army and Navy cameras of their day and became the forerunners of many of the major World War II aerial cameras. (45k jpg)

Bridge on the "River Kwai"
Located on the Khwae Yai River in Thailand, the bridge in the background was built by prisoners of war as a vital segment of a Japanese supply route. It was successfully bombed in February 1945 by an American squadron of B-24s. (55k jpg)
Royal Air Force Photograph

Bridge at Nijmegen
Known from the book and movie "A Bridge Too Far", the bridge across the Waal River at Nijmegen, Holland was captured by the Allies after many losses, on September 20, 1944. (63k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Peenemunde
Reconnaissance photos show Peenemunde, site of German World War II rocketry research. Arrow indicates V-2 rocket lying on its side. Photos such as these helped Allies to understand the nature of reported new German "secret weapons" research. (74k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Peenemunde
Photos such as these helped Allies to understand the nature of reported new German "secret weapons" research. (46k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Rotterdam
Aerial scene of World War II bombing around Rotterdam, The Netherlands. (60k jpg)
From the Col. Roy M. Stanley Collection.

Monte Cassino
This air photo shows the abbey of Monte Cassino in southwestern Italy. Monte Cassino was the target of several concentrated Allied air strikes and assaults in the early months of 1944. (60k jpg)
From the National Archives

Monte Cassino
This air photo graphically depicts the destruction of the abbey of Monte Cassino in southwestern Italy, after concentrated Allied air strikes in 1944. (37k jpg)
From the National Archives

Corregidor
Aerial view of Corregidor, an island strategically situated in the mouth of Manila Bay in the northern Philippines. (17k jpg)
From the National Archives

Rabaul
Rabaul, located in the South Pacific east of New Guinea, was occupied by the Japanese in January 1942, and became a significant site for air and naval bases. (29k jpg)
From the National Archives

The Fairchild F-1 was a World War II aerial camera designed for taking hand-held oblique photographs in rapid succession. It was used extensively for high altitude photography of military installations. (41k jpg)

Auschwitz
An aerial photograph from 1944 shows the Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland. (73k jpg)
From the National Archives

Solomon Islands
The Solomons are an island chain in the South Pacific east of New Guinea. During World War II, Guadalcanal and other islands in the group were occupied by the Japanese. (30k jpg)
From the National Archives

Solomon Islands
During World War II, Guadalcanal and other islands in the group were occupied by the Japanese. Bitter battles in Guadalcanal's jungles resulted in the liberation of the island in 1943. (38k jpg)
From the National Archives

D-Day
Aerial photo reconnaissance view of the battles on the Normandy Beaches. Prior to the invasion, a massive photointerpretation effort was launched to identify enemy defenses in great detail. (20k jpg)
From the National Archives

D-Day
Another aerial reconnaissance view of the battles on the Normandy Beaches. (27k jpg)
From the National Archives

The K-20 was a lightweight handheld World War II aerial camera. Equipped with a high speed shutter, it was used between 1941 and 1946. (23k jpg)

Arctic Seaport
Soviet submarines viewed along the Kola Peninsula in the Barents Sea. (42k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Bomber Gap
During the Cold War, US officials feared our bomber capabilities lagged behind the Soviets. This 1956 U-2 photo showing details and numbers of Soviet bombers helped confirm that this was not true. (38k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Panmunjom, Korea
Aerial photo of Panmunjom taken during the Korean Conflict. Panmunjom, located on the dividing line between North and South Korea, was the site of the conclusion of the Korean peace talks. (76k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

San Diego
View of San Diego from a U-2 test run. (77k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Launch Facility
In 1959, a U-2 aircraft was used to photograph this view of the Soviet space and missile launch facility at Tyuratam. (64k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Atomic Test Range
Soviet nuclear test site, from a U-2 aircraft. (57k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Vietnam War
Column of North Vietnamese troops unloading at a railway siding. (51k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

Drones
Automated pilotless aircraft called drones were used for aerial photo reconnaissance during the Vietnam War. This drone is mounted beneath the wing of a military transport plane. (36k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

Granada
Aerial view of the Caribbean island of Grenada, where US troops landed in 1983. (41k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

This German photograph from World War II shows camouflage in the Kremlin. To the trained eye the "dummy" buildings are clearly evident. The clue is that the real buildings cast long shadows, while the flat false structures have hardly any shadows at all. (58k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

Oil storage tanks are camouflaged in this photograph. Telltale circular features are visible beneath the false roofs. (65k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

View of camouflaged Lockheed plant in Burbank, California. (57k jpg)
Photo courtesy of Lockheed Aircraft Company

Burbank, California Lockheed plant without camouflage. (62k jpg)
Photo courtesy of Lockheed Aircraft Company

Inflatable equipment can fool reconnaissance flyers. (52k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

Japanese boats concealed by local vegetation. (60k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

This U-2 reconnaissance photo showed concrete evidence of missile assembly in Cuba. Shown here are missile transporters and missile-ready tents where fueling and maintenance took place. (62k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Low altitude view of missile preparation area. The pilot taking this shot flew at an altitude of about 250 feet, and at the speed of sound. (51k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Photographed from an RF-101 Voodoo, this view of a Soviet SA-2 (surface-to-air) missile pattern provided additional evidence of the Russian arming of Cuba. (59k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Adlai Stevenson shows aerial photos of Cuban missiles to the United Nations in November 1962. (47k jpg)
From the UN Photo Library

President Kennedy meets in the Oval Office with General Curtis LeMay and reconnaissance pilots who flew the Cuban missions. Third from the left is Major Richard Heyser who took the photos on which the Cuban missiles were first identified. (53k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Karl Polifka
One of the most famous American reconnaissance pilots, Karl Polifka flew missions in both World War II and the Korean conflict. (39k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

Elliott Roosevelt
Elliott Roosevelt, son of President Franklin Roosevelt participated in numerous reconnaissance missions during World War II. (34k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Dicing Shot of the Normandy Beaches
"Dicing" was the term used for the low altitude daredevil sweeps required to obtain close-up oblique views of reconnaissance targets. The term is thought to originate from the phrase "dicing with death". (40k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Commander William B. Ecker
Cmdr. William B. Ecker took the first low altitude close-up shots of the missiles in Cuba. (28k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Major Rudolf Anderson
Maj. Rudolf Anderson, Jr., the sole casualty of the Cuban Missile Crisis, lost his life on October 27, 1962, when his U-2 aircraft was shot down during a photo reconnaissance run. (28k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

Wreckage of Major Anderson's U-2 aircraft which was downed by a surface-to-air missile. (57k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Francis Gary Powers
Francis Gary Powers was flying a U-2 reconnaissance mission over the Soviet Union when he was shot down in May 1960. He was later released in February 1962, in exchange for a Soviet agent. (50k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Francis Gary Powers in the Headlines of the New York Times. (121k gif)
Courtesy of CIA

Telegram from Soviet Premier Nikita Krushchev to Powers' father. (26k jpg)
Gift of the sisters of Francis Gary Powers
Photo Courtesy of Eric Long

Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to Powers after his death. (5k jpg)
Photo Courtesy of Eric Long

Insect repellent, whistle, water purification tablets, dye marker, monocular, compass, signal mirror, sun screen, sun goggles, survival manual, shark repellant. (63k jpg)
Photo Courtesy of Eric Long

Machete, sharpening stone, bip balm, tools. (64k jpg)
Photo Courtesy of Eric Long

Water bag, desalinization kit, battery, radio. (33k jpg)
Photo Courtesy of Eric Long

U-2 pilot's partial pressure suit and ejection seat. (40k jpg)
Photo by Eric Long

A US RF-4C Phantom reconnaissance jet shot down over Hanoi in 1967. (27k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

Lt. Col. James R. Brickel after a photo mission over the Thai Nhuyen steel mill on March 10, 1967. (22k jpg)
Courtesy of General James Brickel

The Thai Nhuyen steel mill photographed by Lt. Col. James R. Brickel. (65k jpg)
Courtesy of General James Brickel

North American O-47
A 3-seater observation plane used in the late 1930s and early 1940s, the O-47 was designed to provide a wide field of view for aerial observation and photography. (30k jpg)
Model by Ronald Lowery

Lockheed F-5 Lightning
A reconnaissance version of the P-38, the F-5 received widespread use during World War II in Europe, North Africa, and Japan. Usually flying without back-up fighter escort, the F-5 often carried five cameras in place of weaponry. (26k jpg)
Model by Richard Brant

McDonnell RF-101 Voodoo
A supersonic reconnaissance aircraft, the RF-101 Voodoo flew unarmed and could carry as many as six cameras. Missions flown have included low altitude reconnaissance of the Soviet missile buildup in Cuba, and photo flights over North Vietnam. (65k jpg)
Model by Bruce C. Radebaugh

Lockheed SR-71
First flown in the 1960s, the SR-71 has the unofficial nickname, "Blackbird". It has flown high altitude missions over such area as Southeast Asia and the Middle East. (14k jpg)
Model by Mark E. Young

Lockheed U-2
Developed in the mid-1950s by Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and his team, the U-2 was designed for high altitude photoreconnaissance. (35k jpg)
Photo by Eric Long

U-2 Camera
The U-2 B camera has a 36-inch focal length and can resolve features as small as .75 meters (2.5 feet) from an altitude of 19.5 kilometers (65,000 feet). (35k jpg)
Photo by Eric Long

President Franklin D. Roosevelt and George Goddard view an aerial photograph. (41k jpg)
Courtesy of Defense Visual Information Center

President Dwight D. Eisenhower discusses the role of U-2 aircraft. (50k jpg)
Courtesy of Dwight D. Eisenhower Library

President Lyndon B. Johnson views a three-dimensional terrain model constructed from the data gathered by aerial reconnaissance. (36k jpg)
Courtesy of Lyndon B. Johnson Library

President Gerald Ford studies a topographic model made from aerial photography. (63k jpg)
Courtesy of Gerald R. Ford Library

President Jimmy Carter is briefed on aerial reconnaissance. (43k jpg)
Courtesy of CIA

President Ronald Reagan addresses the Nation concerning evidence gathered from reconnaissance photography. (47k jpg)
Courtesy of Ronald Reagan Library

August 1962 Project Corona image of the Aral Sea. (42k jpg)
Courtesy of Courtesy of the National Archives

August 1987 Landsat image of the Aral Sea. (61k jpg)
Image from EROS Data Center

November 1999 Landsat image of inset area. (33k jpg)
Image from EROS Data Center

Aircraft catches 1960s era reconnaissance-type satellite during its reentry. (44k jpg)
Department of Defense Photograph

President Dwight D. Eisenhower with a successfully retrieved Discoverer capsule. (44k jpg)
Courtesy of Dwight D. Eisenhower Library