Before D-Day, the US Army's 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, staffed almost entirely by women, created the most detailed aerial maps of Normandy ever produced. Working from RAF bases in England, they analyzed thousands of photographs, identified German defensive positions, measured beach gradients, counted enemy tanks and artillery, and drew by hand — since computers didn't exist — contour maps that commanders carried onto the landing beaches. Each map required up to 400 individual photographs. The women did this work with 1940s technology: light tables, magnifying lenses, and pencil and paper. The reconnaissance work identified that the hedgerow terrain of Normandy (bocage) would make tank movement nearly impossible — a critical piece of intelligence that influenced the development of the hedgerow cutter for Shermans. These women were not allowed to vote until 1948 and did not receive veteran status until 1977.