IX Engineer Command

the closing days of the war included the 820th, 826th, 832nd, 833rd, and 834th. Still other units were as busy with tactical and occupational fields.

Air and ground reconnaissance of airfield sites was one of the most important phases of airfield construction on the continent. Ground recce teams moved with infantry and armored columns in armored half-tracks during most stages of the campaign. Air recce teams were used extensively for the first time in aviation engineer history in locating virgin sites and inspecting know nones. During the move across France three air teams in Piper Cub observation planes covered thousands of square miles of territory determining the suitability of scores of sites, and saving incalculable time and effort.

But in the Spring of 1945 the tactical situation had so changed that both ground and air recce teams could not be expected to furnish advance information on airfield sites. The sites were still held by the Germans.

The Air Forces were using a plane known as the "Droop-Snoot" as a lead ship in some bombing missions. It was a standard P-38 Lightning fitted with a plexi-glass nose for observation instead of guns. The use of two of these planes was obtained for the command's air reconnaissance section. With these fast ships it was now possible to fly into enemy territory and inspect enemy held airfields that were soon to fall into the hands of the Allies.

Visual reconnaissance from the air was done during daylight hours and at low altitudes.