Patton's Eyes in the Sky Usaaf Tactical Reconnaissance Missions North-West Europe 1944-1945

They were the first on D-Day and the last on VE-Day, flying essential, dare-devil, low-level photographic missions over the invasion beaches of Normandy and then in support of the Allied armies as they fought their way through the Ardennes, across the Rhine and into the Reich itself. The 10th Photo Recon Group flew the F-6 Mustang and the F-5 Lightning and for nocturnal missions, the F-3 Havoc. In its ranks were more Aces than any other such group. The extremely low-level missions flown by the 10th PRG over the Normandy beaches in May 1944 and later over the Seine and Moselle rivers areas became known as "Dicing Missions", from the British expression, dicing with death. Over Normandy's beaches they flew at an average altitude of 25 feet, and always during low tide when the broadest area of the beaches could be seen and the maximum number of German obstacles would be exposed to the camera's eye.Ivie, Tom is the author of 'Patton's Eyes in the Sky Usaaf Tactical Reconnaissance Missions North-West Europe 1944-1945' with ISBN 9781903223260 and ISBN 1903223261.