Low level flight video showing the Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany, at the end of the European War (Second World War) 1945

Published on January 6, 2020
Low level flight video showing the Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany, at the end of the European War (Second World War) 1945

This free video presents motion pictures and aerial views showing the Dachau Concentration Camp, Germany, at the end of the European War (Second World War). The Dachau Concentration Camp was the first of the Nazi concentration camps opened in 1933. It is located on the grounds of an abandoned munitions factory northeast of the medieval town of Dachau, about 16 km or ten miles northwest of Munich. Prisoners lived in constant fear of brutal treatment and terror detention including standing cells, floggings, the so called tree or pole hanging, and standing at attention for extremely long periods.

The Dachau Concentration Camp was liberated by U.S. forces on 29 April 1945. At that time, more than 30,000 Jews and political prisoners were freed. These film shots were not taken during the “Trolley Mission”, but within the “Special Film Project 186” of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). During the “Trolley Mission” as well as during the “Special Film Project 186” aerial photographs were taken from airplanes. However, the “Special Film Project 186” and the “Trolley Mission” were two completely different military missions. Finally, this film has been added below to illustrate the situation in 1945 for younger generations.

Source: National Archives and Records Administration (NARA)
Motion Picture Film, 5768/18 SFP 9517
Records of the Army Air Forces

Trolley Mission

This website analyzes extraordinary sightseeing tours of Germany at the end of the European War (Second World War). In May 1945, there were non-stop observation flights over Germany - subsequently referred to as “Trolley Missions”. During these low-level flights across Europe and Germany aerial photos were taken showing the bomb damages of German cities.