To keep from being discovered most rail movements in North Korea were made at night. Equipment coming from Vladisvostok Russia through Rashin, Korea, were made at night. We needed proof of this, so the RB-29 was sent to accomplish night photography of Rashin. The K-19 camera was installed, which used a photoelectric cell to trip it. The plane carried 40 magnesium bombs. When these exploded about 1500 feet above the ground the resulting flash triggered the photoelectric cell which tripped the camera.

One such flight on which I was the photographer produced such a reaction. After dropping our bombs, our RADAR man Capt. Ridge, notified us that several aircraft were flying out of Vladisvostok and headed our way. We were going full speed over the ocean back to Japan, and after many anxious moments they turned back. That ended either bombing or photographing Rashin. Truman at this time was worried over Gen. MacArthurs aggressive actions and curtailed many such flights. Also the large buildup of Mig-15’s around Sinuiju and the Yalu was taking its’ toll on the B-29’s.

There were many other variations of camera setups on different planes for different purposes. Some planes were modified to carry long focal length cameras, as well described by Bill Welch in this website. There was also a provision for but seldom used camera station in the aft unpressurized section near the APU and in front of the lower aft turret.

FINAL ANALYSIS

The cameras used in the Korean War are now real antiques. Mapping companies today use distortion free lenses, gyroscopic controlled mounts, GPS for determining flight lines and coordinates, and contour maps are made on analytical plotters instead of analog. Even so, the quality of the photos taken in Korea by the RB’s were more than adequate for their intended purposes. That purpose was Surveillance and Bomb Damage Assessment.