Source： NARA via Fold3.com
上面兩張照片裡的機場被美國海軍列克星敦號航艦（USS Lexington, CV-16）的人員標示為台中飛行場，但事實上它是位於目前彰化縣福興鄉的彰化飛行場。儘管名稱有誤，1944年10月12日的拍攝日期應該是正確的。
The airfield in the above two photos were identified as Taichu Airdrome by the crew of USS Lexington (CV-16), whose aircraft conducted the strike. But in reality, this airstrip, which was attacked on October 12, 1944, was that of Shoka (currently Changhua) Airdrome.
下面這張彰化飛行場的高空偵察照片是1945年1月由一架美國陸軍航空隊第40轟炸大隊的B-29拍攝的，由此可以看出，上兩張照片的左手邊就是北方。
The following reconnaissance photo of Shoka Airdrome was taken in January 1945 by a B-29 of the 40th Bombardment Group, US Army Air Force. By comparing with this photo, we concluded that the left-hand sides of the top two images corresponded to the North.
Source： NARA via Academia Sinica 中央研究院臺灣文史資源海外徵集與國際合作計畫「美國國家檔案館典藏臺灣舊航空照片」
滄海桑田，以往彰化飛行場的位置如今已經是一片農地，看不出當年飛行場的輪廓了：
The location of the former Shoka Airdrome now looks like this:
這不是唯一一次列克星敦號的人員把地名弄錯，以下這張10月13日的攻擊照片上面雖然寫著Pescadores（澎湖），事實上被炸的地點是台南的新營。
The above case was not the only one in which Lexington’s crew misidentified the target name. The next photo, taken on October 13, 1944, and labeled Pescadores, was in fact that of Shinei (currently Xinying).
Source： NARA via Fold3.com
各位可以跟新營現在的衛星照片比較看看：
You may want to compare it with the satellite image of the modern Shinei:
Source： Google Earth
Dear Dr. Chang,
I really admire your dedication and aerial photo interpretation skills to delivery such professional analysis to Taiwanese folks, for which I never saw any Chinese professional historian is capable to do this kind of research for past 65 years.
However, there is a very tiny flaw regarding the Shoka South AD aerial recon photo taken by B-29 in Jan 1944. The first B-29 ferried from US to India in early April, 1944, arriving Chengtu, China latter in the same month, carried out the very first strike on Jun 05, 1944.
In Jan 1944, non of B-29 rolling out from Whichita was combat ready and all of the qualified crew, ground or air, were fighting for the battle of Kansas, also, all of the four air fields in the vicinity of Chengtu area were still under construction.
And it’s highly unlikely that any of “not combat ready” B-29 could be granted by Gen. Henry Arnold himself, have had taken of from Shangari La and have had fulfilled this recon mission.
Base on the time frame and USAAF/US NAVY arial recon capability at CBI then, I think P-38 modified F-5 photo recon plan under Gen. Claire Chennault command from China might be a viable choice for Formosa photo recon mission in Jan, 1944.
Best regards,
Samuel Chiou
The photo index provided by the US military says the photo date is January 24, 1944, and the unit responsible is 40th BG. However, a careful study of the photo of Shinchiku Airdrome reveals the signs of damage done during the October 1944 campaign. So I think the photo processing unit misdated the photos.
I have corrected the photo date as January 1945 accordingly.