1945 Lovett World War II Pictorial Route Map of the 13th Armored Division in Europe

WWII 13th Armored Division: from Le Havre, France, to Austria.

This is a 1945 World War II (1939 - 1945) pictorial unit route map drawn by Technician Fourth Grade Wendell Lovett, a member of the 13th Armored Division. The map highlights the division's deployment in Europe from January 1945 until the end of the war in May 1945. Small illustrations of tanks are scattered throughout, underlining the division's role as an armored unit. It was published in June 1945 in Europe before the 13th Armored Division returned to the United States.

A Closer Look

Coverage extends from London, England, to Austria and from Le Havre to Braunau, Austria. Cities are labeled throughout, not just along the 13th Armored Division's route, including Paris (marked by the Eiffel Tower), Chartres, Metz, Luxembourg, and München (Munich).

A black line follows the 13th Armored Division from Le Havre, France, to Braunau, Austria. Tanks are illustrated zooming east across France through Soissons and Nancy, to the German border. After crossing the demolished Siegfried Line into Germany (illustrated by massive gun emplacements), the map highlights Zweibrücken and Idar-Oberstein, where the division acted as an occupation force. From there, the line continues northeast but then backtracks to where the division enters combat near Köln as part of the effort to close the Ruhr Pocket. From there, the line follows the division southeast toward Austria and the end of the war. Cities and towns along the route are all illustrated with factories, churches, and other buildings. Tanks continue to appear along the route. Braunau, Austria, is marked by a baby Hitler in a crib, since, as the division's unit history described Braunau, 'that medieval Austrian city whose only claim to fame was that Hitler was whelped there'.

The 13th Armored Division

The 13th Armored Division was activated on October 15, 1942, at Camp Beale, California. The division trained in California until it was sent to the East Coast for embarkation to Europe. The 13th arrived at Le Havre, France, on January 29, 1945. It spent a few months in and around Le Havre on occupation duty before moving east toward the combat zone. They then operated as an occupation force in the Saar in March 1945 before crossing the Rhine on April 5, 1945. The 13th first saw combat during the Ruhr Pocket operation, April 10-18, 1945. The division then headed southeast toward the Danube River and crossed the Danube on April 27. After crossing the Danube, the 13th continued southeast, passing through towns and villages, and ended the war on the banks of the Inn River across from Braunau, Austria. Now that the war was over, the division became an occupation force again and spent some of its time weeding out high-ranking Nazis. The 13th expected to be redeployed to the Pacific for the invasion of Japan and remained in Germany until June 25, 1945, then left Le Havre, France, for the United States on July 14, 1945. But after the atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Pacific War ended, and World War II was over. The 13th Armored Division was inactivated on November 15, 1945.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Technician Fourth Grade Wendell Lovett and printed by 660th Engineer Base Topographic Battalion in the European Theater of Operations in June 1945. We note cataloged examples as being part of the collections at Texas A and M University and the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center. An example is also part of the collection at the Controvich Library.

Cartographer

Wendell Harper Lovett (April 2, 1922 - September 18, 2016) was an American architect and university professor. Born in Seattle, Washington, Lovett's father was a roofing contractor, which meant that Lovett was exposed to construction from an early age. Lovett graduated from Queen Anne High School before entering the University of Washington in 1940. He majored in architecture. During World War II, Lovett served in the 13th Armored Division. After the war, Lovett returned to the University of Washington and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture degree in 1947. He immediately entered graduate school at MIT, where he earned a Master's of Architecture degree in 1948. After MIT he returned to Seattle, where he began working for the architecture firm Bassetti and Morse, where he worked for three years, rising to the position of Associate, before starting his own architecture firm in 1951. Lovett joined the faculty of the University of Washington's Department of Architecture in the fall of 1948 as an instructor, and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1951. In 1960 he was promoted to Associate Professor and, in 1965, was appointed as a Professor in 1965. He retired as an emeritus in 1984. Lovett's architectural style was international in perspective, and synthesized influences from Germany, Scandinavia, and Italy, as well as the United States. He designed several iconic houses and also designed furniture, including the Bikini Chair. Lovett married Eileen Whitson (a talented ballerina) on September 3, 1947, with whom he had 2 daughters.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Light wear along original fold lines.

References

Texas A and M Library G5701.S7 1945.L68. OCLC 1322843200.