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How do you read these?

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rhcraft41
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How do you read these?

Would someone please explain how to read all of the characters along the top of mission photographs.  These are two examples:
(455BG-5M242-2V8)(4-25-1203)(12-25000)(<-130)LINZ,AUST(743-561)
(99BG:5M394:4V1) (4:25:1346)(12:26000)(<-130)LINZ(725:347)
 
Some are easy to figure out, but others not so.
 
Thank you.
Ron C.
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    jpeters140
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    Re:How do you read these? (permalink)
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    WAG....(455 BG....455 Bomb Group.....(4-25-1203)....April 25, photo taken at 1203 P.M. (12-25000)...altitude 25,000 ft.  rest is ID of photo.
     
    (99BG...99th Bomb Group... (may be map co-ordinates) ?             (4-25- 1346)  date April 25, altitude 26,000 Ft  rest is ID of photo.
     
    Jim :-)_
     
     

    James S. Peters Sr. T/Sgt B-17 Flt Engr, 27 missions 99 BG, 348BS, 5th Wing, 15th AAF Tortorella, (Foggia#2), Italy My Tour was from 12/03/44-06/19/45 M/Sgt USAF (Retired)
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    k9iua
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    Re:How do you read these? (permalink)
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    If I recall correctly, the 12 in the example "(12-25000)" means a 12-inch focal length lens.  Used in establishing scale on the photograph, plus in measuring distances, particularly radial displacement from the center of the photograph or when a stereo pair is used to measure height differences of objects.
     
    Kevin Anderson
     
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    rhcraft41
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    Re:How do you read these? (permalink)
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    This is what I think I've been able to figure out:
     
    (455BG-5M242-2V8)(4-25-1203)(12-25000)(<-130)LINZ,AUST(743-561) means
    455th Bomb Group / 5M242-2V8 I have no idea / Date: April 25 / Time taken 12:03 p.m. /
    12 I don't know / altitude 25,000 feet / The plane was flying a heading of 130 degrees /
    Target Linz, Austria / 743rd Bomb Squadron / 561 I can't figure out.
     
    (99BG:5M394:4V1)(4:25:1346)(12:26000)(<-130)LINZ(725:347)
    99th Bomb Group / 5M394:4V1 unknown / Date: April 25 / Time taken 1:46 p.m. /
    12 unknown / altitude 26,000 feet / heading 130 degrees / Target Linz / 725 unknown /
    347th Bomb Squadron
     
    Kevin mentioned 12 being focal length of the lens.  Maybe the "5M" number is a means
    of identifying the mission photographs, since they are from the same mission.  I'll have
    to look over the other photos I have to see if they have the same common numbers.
     
    Thank you for responding Jim.
    Ron C.
     
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    DaveTW1
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    Re:How do you read these? (permalink)
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    For the 455th BG caption, the 561 is the last three digits of the aircraft serial number.  In this case it may have been 44-49561, a B-24L with the 743rd BS.
     
    Dave
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    Fabry
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    Re:How do you read these? (permalink)
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    Hi from Sicily!
     
    According to my research about 15th AF strike photos.
    - First of all I agree with Kevin, "12" is focal lenght; and I agree with Dave about squadron and aircraft numbers. So: (743-561) means 743rd BS, aircraft no. 561 (last 3 digitis of the serial number); (725-347) means 347th BS, aircraft no. 725 (last 3 digits of the serial number).
     
    - About "5M242" and "5M394": "5" is the year (1945) and "M" means "mission"; in fact, if you look 15th AF strike photos taken in 1944, you will find "4M".  
    "242" and "394" are the numbers of the mission, but there is a problem: "394" is correct because the 394th mission of the 99th BG was over Linz on April 25, 1945; instead the 455th BG mission over Linz on April 25, 1945 was the 252nd and not the 242nd (that was on April 11 over Italy: http://www.15thaf.org/304...G/Book/Book.html )
     
    Unfortunately I don't know yet what "2V8" and "4V1" mean...
    For the rest I agree with you.
     
    CIAO! 
     
     
    post edited by Fabry -

    Fabry
    Ernie Pyle wrote: "They died and others lived and nobody knows why it is so. There's nothing we can do for the ones beneath the wooden crosses, except perhaps to pause and murmur, 'Thanks, pal.'"
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