WW2 AERIAL RECON STUDIES
The Red Army at the Oder River: February - April 1945
The Red Army arrived at the Oder River on 2 February 1945, establishing several bridgeheads before the final attack on Berlin was launched on 16 April. Except for several Luftwaffe target graphics, there is little imagery coverage of the Oder Front. On 20 February one Luftwaffe sortie did provide good coverage along the river between Küstrin and Gross Neuendorf -- the area occupied by the 1st Belorussian Front (Map & Mosaic Graphic). Later, on 18 March, a USAAF sortie provided intermittent coverage on both sides of the river between Aurith and Gross Neuendorf.
Soviet River Crossing Sites
Evidence of flooding could be seen at Gross Neuendorf on 18 March, when a bridge/causeway had been built across the flooded plain on the east side of the river. Work appeared to be in progress on the west end of the bridge and a bridge landing could be seen on the river bank nearby. It is not clear if this bridge had been completed before the flooding occurred, since there was evidence of roads immediately south of the bridge site.
As seen on an 11 March target graphic another crossing was located at Kalenzig (Kalensko), 12 km to the south (Graphic). By that time, the bridge there had been damaged. A ferry crossing probably was operational. The main crossing site was defended by five occupied anti-aircraft sites. Three kilometers to the southeast, another bridge was under construction at Alt Schaumberg (Szumilowo) on 8 April.