[henkster]

Not being a flyer, I can only speculate. One would be that even the close support guys have to fly at altitude to orient themselves and locate the target. Normally you see the Jabos (as the Germans called them) circling their target from about 5,000 to 10,000 feet and then making their runs. That also allows them to spot flak, and more importantly, to spot any dangerous terrain features and avoid them in making a run.

If the ceiling is too low, they can’t spot the target, and more importantly, can’t fly safely.

[Hebrews 11:6]

Your reply makes perfect sense, of course, and is roughly what I expected. Nevertheless, in extreme infantry need I'd expect those normal and natural precautions to be minimized somewhat.

In the absence of any official declaration or news dispatch explaining this, we're left to speculate about a matter that recurred frequently and apparently had important ramifications.