1945 World War II Pictorial Unit Route Map of the 228th Field Artillery Group in Germany

Commemorating the 228th Field Artillery Group's march across Germany.

This is a 1945 World War II pictorial route map of the 228th Field Artillery Group in Germany. This piece features a blend of serious and comical illustrations. It was published after the end of WWII in Europe and provides a window into the unit's experiences as it fought across Europe.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from Holland in the west to the Elbe River in the East and from Magdeburg in the north to Aachen in the south. Copious illustrations range from the deadly serious to the humorous and absurd - capturing the extremes of the war experience. On the serious end, Aachen is illustrated in flames in the lower left, and the ruins of Cologne appear along the Rhine River. Illustrations of military vehicles appear throughout, either in convoys or as individual pieces of equipment. The Siegfried Line runs vertically through part of the left quarter, including destroyed artillery pieces. Soldiers are illustrated climbing telephone poles and using field glasses to look over embankments. American artillery is lined up along the Elbe River, firing in unison. A caricature of Stalin occupies the upper right, and a sweating Hitler appears at top center. Refugees are illustrated walking both east and west. The insignia of divisions and armies to which the Artillery Group was attached decorate the border.

Even with all the serious aspects depicted here, the eye is drawn to the comical. A harried MP (military policeman) appears near the center, with his head turning both directions and his helmet flying off the top of his head to highlight his panic. A dancing Russian prisoner of war is illustrated along the bottom border, just to the right of a German woman labeled 'Verboten!' (Forbidden!). British and Canadian soldiers occupy the area labeled British and Canadian Armies. The Canadians are dressed in World War II uniforms, while the British wear the famous red coats and bearskin hats of the 17th and 18th centuries. A smiling POW is illustrated kicking a Nazi soldier in the butt just east of the Weser River near the top border. Along the bottom border, a dragon wearing Nazi swastikas is helping guard the Siegfried Line.

The 228th Field Artillery in Europe

The map refers to the unit as the 228th Field Artillery Group, which (per the map) was composed of 7 field artillery battalions. Each of these battalions had their own history and probably were not assigned to the 228th Field Artillery Group throughout the entirety of their time in the European Theater of Operations (E.T.O.).

World War II Allied Route Maps

Maps tracing unit movements during World War II were created by both American and British forces during and after the war. As a genre, these maps represent a broad range of aesthetics, from the purely functional that label places and provide dates, to the artistic, even comic. Many combine the three and provide a visually striking but historically informative summary of the unit's peregrinations. The brutal reality of war, however, was never far removed in any of these works.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by an unknown artist and published in 1945, likely in Germany, soon after the war was over. We are aware of only one other cataloged example, which is part of the collection at the Amelia Island Museum of History in Fernandina Beach, Florida. This is the second World War II pictorial unit route map dedicated to the 228th Field Artillery Group. The first, drawn in the same style and likely by the same unknown artist, is entitled History 228 F. A. Group in E.T.O. 1944-45?. The Amelia Island Museum of History also holds a copy of this earlier map, as does Texas A and M University.

Condition

Good. Wide margins. Wear along original fold lines. Slight loss at all 3 fold intersections. Verso repair to fold separations. Pinholing in margins in all 4 corners. Ink scribbles in left margin not effecting printed area.

References

Amelia Island Museum of History 2019.033.003.