Cagny and the Pak 43s

As there has been some argument about the location of this image, and whether it was actually taken at Cagny, there seemed to be a good case for further investigation. The location of a Pak 43 in the little wood on Cagny's northwestern edge is demonstrated by air imagery from 1946, when a single gun was still in situ, but was this Operation Goodwood photograph taken in the same wood? Clearly, it shows a Pak 43. It also shows ash trees, which appear in other ground-level images of the wood. But are there any other clues?

The most notable feature visible in the background of the photo, other than the gunners and their 17-pounder, is a telegraph pole or pylon (A), leaning at a slight angle - presumably due to battle damage.

The ash wood has long since disappeared, but this photo (Google Earth, Street View) was taken from where it once stood. While the cultivation pattern has changed completely, the general appearance of the terrain is very similar to the 1944 image, if not identical, and the posts remain in place. I have marked a second post (B), next to the D228 road out of Cagny, as this can be observed in one of the vertical images captured by 16 Squadron on 18 July 1944.

Initially, it was impossible to see the poles/pylons (A and B) in the 1944 vertical. However, by superimposing modern Google Earth imagery over the 1944 photograph, the two objects could be identified. Their location today is exactly the same as in 1944. The reluctance of the French to relocate such objects over time has helped to establish the locations of numerous historic photographs.

The D16 road between Chambois and Montormel in
August 1944; note the telegraph post on the right
hand side of the road.

This ground view from after the war provides another perspective on the Cagny ash wood. The source that specifically identifies this location as the Cagny wood is not known to the author, but the features in the foreground are extremely persuasive. Moreover, an apple tree can just be seen in the background, and the 1944 imagery shows that the ash wood was located next to an orchard.

One of the last apple trees from the Cagny orchard, sadly cut down since this photo was taken. The ash wood was located in the foreground, between the camera and the tree.

The 1946 image proving the location of at least one Pak 43 in the ash wood on Cagny's northwestern boundary.