RAF Reconnaissance Photograph – Loaded LCT Wreck with Jeep On Deck (WWII D-Day Coastal Intel)

Description

RAF Reconnaissance Photograph – Loaded LCT Wreck with Jeep On Deck (WWII D-Day Coastal Intel)

📸 Item: Original RAF Air Ministry Reconnaissance Photograph
📅 Date: 1944 (D-Day operational period)
📍 Location: English Channel / Normandy approaches
🛩 Mission Type: Maritime wreck survey, equipment-loss analysis & hazard charting
📏 Size: 13.5cm x 13.5cm

Condition:
Operational wartime print with light emulsion wear and camera-port framing visible. Excellent clarity over the wreck, with cargo, deck plating, and structural damage all captured in detail.

Markings:
No handwritten notes on the front—typical of rapid-sequence maritime hazard plates. Matches the same reconnaissance run as your other Channel images.

Description:
An exceptional RAF aerial reconnaissance photograph showing the wreck of a Landing Craft Tank (LCT) that still holds a military Jeep or light utility truck on the deck at the time it sank. The rectangular deck segmentation, stern superstructure and bow flooding identify the vessel as an LCT Mk. IV/V, widely used during the Normandy landings.

The presence of a clearly identifiable Jeep makes this plate particularly rare—loaded LCT wrecks were only photographed when they represented operational losses, equipment write-offs, or immediate navigational hazards. Reconnaissance units captured these images to update naval charts, assess damage, and record logistical losses during the D-Day campaign.

A highly desirable and historically significant image for collectors of D-Day vehicles, landing craft operations, naval history, and RAF coastal intelligence.

Please note: The reverse side of all RAF photographs in this listing set carries the same “A.M. – Crown Copyright Reserved” watermark.
For clarity and to avoid unnecessary duplication, we have scanned the back of one photograph and used it as a representative example.