Purchased by the Benton Museum of Art at Pomona College on August 12, 2020 from Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York.

Clouds No Longer Protect Germany: Taken from a U.S. 8th Air Force Flying Fortress during a raid on the important German port of Emden, this striking photo shows Fortresses dropping their bombs through a solid cloudbank onto the targets below. This type of bombing is made possible through the development of a new bombing technique and secret devices. The new technique has been used with success on missions involving over 5000 bombers.

8th Bomber Command's early operations in 1942 and 1943 showed them that because of the weather conditions in the European Theater, the Command would need to be able to bomb through overcast in order to conduct a successful bombing campaign. Eighth Air Force formed the 813th Bombardment Squadron on August 20, 1943. Specially-selected aircrews would act as "Pathfinders", using radar-equipped bombers to lead each wing's bomber formation. The squadron flew its first mission on September 27, 1943 against port facilities at Emden. The squadron earned a Distinguished Unit Citation for a mission on January 11, 1944, leading bombers to targets such as aircraft factories in central Germany. During Big Week (February 20-25, 1944) attacks, it led raids on aircraft factories at Gotha, Braunschweig and Schweinfurt. On March 4, 1944, a crew from the 813th Squadron was leading Eighth Air Force's first B-17 raid on Berlin. Because they were in the lead, the 813th lays claim to being the first B-17 squadron to bomb Berlin.

Ferrotyped prints are processed in such a way that they are shiny. The print has a sensitive surface, usually thinner, because it was put through a press while still wet.

On recto: Label in bottom right corner, "DISPATCH / PHOTO NEWS / SERVICE / INC. / NEW YORK".

On verso: Typewritten label attached in center, "CLOUDS NO LONGER PROTECT GERMANY / Taken from a U.S. 8th Air Force Flying Fortress during a raid on the important German port of Emden, / this striking photo shows Fortresses dropping their bombs through a solid cloudbank on the targets below. / This type of bombing is made possible through the development of a new bombing technique and secret / devices. The new technique has been used with success on missions involving over 5,000 bombers. / Produced Exclusively by Dispatch Photo News Service, New York City". Handwritten in graphite in top left corner, "DP-WW2-061".

Ferrotyped prints have a sensitive surface, usually shiny and thinner, because they are put through a press while still wet. Ferrotyping makes the surface of the photograph smoother. Light does not scatter as much on a smoother surface, so this increases contrast. That makes ferrotyped images better for press photography.

This object has the following keywords:

• Aerial photography
• Air raids
• B-17s
• Bombs
• Clouds
• Emden
• European Theater
• Radar
• U.S. 813th Bombardent Squadron
• United States Air Force
• World War II

This object is a member of the following portfolios: