Recon Lightning & Mustang at Charleroi 1944 - 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group - National Archives

We start with bits of evidence to identify this film. The old caption card from the National Archives says it was made at Charleroi, in Belgium. The dates on camera slates are November 17 and 18, 1944. The aircraft include unarmed photo reconnaissance variants of the P-38 Lightning -- F-5 models and an earlier F-4 variant. Mustangs are seen as well -- photo recon F-6 versions.
All of this is consistent with the 67th Tactical Reconnaissance Group of the Ninth Air Force,, which flew from Charleroi to assist with the vigorous Allied offensive against Germany's Siegfried Line during this time.
Aerial reconnaissance was a crucial tool allowing Army leadership to make battlefield commitments based on frequently updated photography as the Allies pressed the German army on the continent.
We see film magazines and reconnaissance cameras unloaded from a Lightning. A natural metal F-5 ended up on its belly, and the cameraman was there as a crane arrived to remove the Lightning. The footage appears to be documentary background material that shows details of wartime reconnaissance group activity as Lightnings are serviced, and cameras and film magazines are shown in detail.
Mission symbols painted on some of the Lightnings include dice -- probably a reference to dangerous low-altitude photo missions called "dicing missions" by the pilots because they were, well, dicey. The outcome was like a roll of the dice -- fraught with chance. That may also explain the forward-looking camera port visible on some of the Lightnings in this film, helpful for low-level photo documentation of enemy installations.
A silver Mustang with the aircraft code letters AX-G rolls past the camera. The code AX identified F-6 photo recon Mustangs belonging to the 107th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron assigned to the 67th Group. Another Mustang, marked J-VX, passes the camera. the VX indicates the 109th Squadron, also part of the 67th Group.
The scene at Charleroi includes a dog herding a cow on the field past antiaircraft gunners equipped with an M45 quad fifty-caliber machine gun mount, introduced in combat that year. The war brought together curious mixes of pastoral Europe and the pressures of combat.
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[@airailimages]

We had the opportunity to shoot this air-to-air footage of the Planes of Fame P-38 from the tail position in their B-25; enjoy! ua-cam.com/video/4oo71eRN4Ew/v-deo.htmlfeature=shared

[@luckyguy600]

Those men had balls of steel/ and no way to fight back.
How many lives did they save by bringing back visual information?
They had a very dangerous job to perform.
Everybody did their part in winning the overall war.
NEVER forget them.

[@williamallen63]

I was the historian for the 67th Cyberspace Wing and I've informed the current historian of this video on your channel. Our wing was bestowed the honors of the group so you're viewers may like to know where this history now resides.

[@airailimages]

Thanks! I appreciate it. I spent many years as an Air Force historian at the 62nd MAW - later AW - at McChord, and then in the AFFTC/HO office at Edwards.

[@adriaanboogaard8571]

My uncle was an aireal photographer for about forty years. He's retired and in his eighties. I'm going to show this to him. He will probably recognize the equipment. He doesn't go out much anymore. I can tell he misses it.

[@airailimages]

I'm glad this film could be of interest to you and your uncle. Thanks for watching and sharing.

[@ChiefAUS]

I have always loved the P-38 as a fighter. Now this shows how versatile they were with the recce role as well. Thanks

[@airailimages]

You are always welcome! Yes, the P-38 was an elegant design. It looks especially suited for the low-level dicing mission because a forward-looking camera could be installed in the nose, unlike in a single engine airplane.

[@Boatperson]

Great footage! Thank you!

[@airailimages]

You are very welcome!

[@dmw7320]

Thanks again !

[@airailimages]

Our pleasure!

[@giljeep]

encore une vidéo géniale!! avec plein de détails sur les caméras, merci!!

[@airailimages]

Comme toujours, vous êtes les bienvenus. C'est un plaisir de retrouver ces films dans les archives.

[@wgs6606]

A couple slates say the cameraman was Bates. Maybe it was Jim Bates who filmed the tank duel at the Cologne Cathedral?

[@airailimages]

Very interesting -- could have been since it was all Signal Corps photogs, I believe.