Us Official Photographs

French Fliers of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force Are Masters

French fliers of the Allied Expeditionary Air Force are masters of the kind of quick-breaking attack pictured here. Flying American Douglas A-20 Havocs, they make hit-and-run forays into France, Holland and Belgium, operating from English bases. Favorite targets are airfields and scattered industrial installations too small to be worth a high level visit from heavy bombers. This photo is from an AAF combat film taken during a minimum altitude mission. It lends some substance to the myth that the low-flying French pilot finds his way over France by recognizing his own chickens. Shadow of a Douglas A-20 Havoc looms large, 20 feet above treetops. Planes fly straight course, climb over obstacles rather than around.