More World War Two for the day UF

War History Online has an article about revisiting iconic photos from World War Two:

With the aid of Google Earth, we have revisited ten iconic Second World War locations originally immortalized in aerial photographs. 

Cologne Cathedral 1944 / 2016
The German city of Cologne was bombed in 262 separate air raids by the Allies during World War II, all by the Royal Air Force (RAF). A total of 34,711 tons of bombs were dropped on the city.
While air raid alarms had gone off in the winter/spring of 1940 as British bombers passed overhead, the first bombing took place on 12 May 1940. The most notable attack on Cologne was the first 1,000 bomber raid on 30/31 May 1942.
The city’s cathedral is clearly visible. It survived the war, despite being hit dozens of times by Allied bombs.
Cologne Cathedral 2016 

Pearl Harbor 1941 / 2016
The “then” photograph was taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island shortly after the beginning of the Pearl Harbor attack. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance.
A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Other battleships moored nearby are (from left): Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee (inboard of West Virginia), Oklahoma (torpedoed and listing) alongside Maryland, and California. On the near side of Ford Island, to the left, are light cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, target and training ship Utah and seaplane tender Tangier. Raleigh and Utah have been torpedoed, and Utah is listing sharply to port.
Japanese planes are visible in the right center (over Ford Island) and over the Navy Yard at right. U.S. Navy planes on the seaplane ramp are on fire. Japanese writing in the lower right states that the photograph was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry.
Photograph taken from a Japanese plane during the torpedo attack on ships moored on both sides of Ford Island. View looks about east, with the supply depot, submarine base and fuel tank farm in the right center distance. A torpedo has just hit USS West Virginia on the far side of Ford Island (center). Other battleships moored nearby are (from left): Nevada, Arizona, Tennessee (inboard of West Virginia), Oklahoma (torpedoed and listing) alongside Maryland, and California. On the near side of Ford Island, to the left, are light cruisers Detroit and Raleigh, target and training ship Utah and seaplane tender Tangier. Raleigh and Utah have been torpedoed, and Utah is listing sharply to port. Japanese planes are visible in the right center (over Ford Island) and over the Navy Yard at right. Japanese writing in the lower right states that the photograph was reproduced by authorization of the Navy Ministry. U.S. Naval History and Heritage Command Photograph.
Pearl Harbor 2016 

Iwo Jima 1945 / 2016
The first wave of U.S. Marines heads for the beach of Iwo Jima on February 19, 1945
150220105605-01-iwo-jima-battle-0220-super-169
Iwo Jima 2016 

Remagen Bridge 1945 / 2016
Aerial view of the Remagen Ludendorff Bridge on 15 March 1945, it was the only bridge across the Rhine river captured intact by the allies.
Aerail_View_Of_Remagen_Erpel_Ludendorff_Bridge_Alte_Strasse_15_March_1945
Remagen Bridge 2016 

Berlin 1945 / 2016
Brandenburger gate, looking toward was what to become Soviet-controlled East-Berlin.
Berlin in 1945
Berlin 2016 

London 1945 / 2016
London 2016

Pegasus Bridge 1944 / 2016
Aerial photo showing the three Horsa gliders at the eastern end of Pegasus Bridge. The circular object to the top-right of the bridge is the gun pit:

 

Pegasus Bridge 2016:

Pointe Du Hoc 1944:
Bombing the German gun batteries at La Pointe Du Hoc by Douglas A-20 Havoc bombers of the 9th Air Force: 

Pointe Du Hoc 2016:

 

Arnhem 1944:
Aerial reconnaissance photo of the Arnhem road bridge taken by the Royal Air Force on 19 September 1944, showing signs of the British defense on the northern ramp and the wrecked German vehicles from the previous day’s fighting. 

Arnhem 2016:

Auschwitz 1944 / 2016
Photo taken by the 60th Photo-Reconnaissance Squadron of the South African Air Force operating from southern Italy on 31/5/1944 for bombing intelligence purposes. The photoreconnaissance plane was actually looking for the nearby IG Farben war production factory and other war production facilities in the area. The photo material of this sortie was shared with the American 15th Air Force, which later bombed the IG Farben factory.
Two CIA researchers reinterpreted the photo in 1978, and they inserted the captions and arrows on the photo. The arrows are pointing at several groups of inmates inside the camp. Also visible are several railcars next to the ramp. Smoke billowing from the chimney of crematorium V indicates that people were exterminated in the gas chamber beneath it shortly before.
Auschwitz 2016 

All “now” images created with Google Earth

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