1945 WWII Unit Route Map of the 32nd Armored Regiment in Europe

This is a 1945 World War II pictorial unit route map of the 32nd Armored Regiment in Europe. The map illustrates the Regiment's movements from its departure from England until it was taken off the line for the final time in late April 1944.

A Closer Look

The map depicts from Normandy, France, east across Europe to Berlin, Germany. A red line highlights the Regiment's movements throughout its war. The 32nd's involvement in the fight to liberate Europe began when the Regiment left from Weymouth and Portsmouth, England, crossed the English Channel, and landed at Omaha Beach. From Omaha Beach, the red line follows the Regiment as it fought its way across France, Belgium, and Germany with the 3rd Armored Division. Two circular insets focus on fighting around the Siegfried Line from September through November 1944 and the Regiment's actions during the Battle of the Bulge in the Ardennes in December 1944 and January 1945. 50 numbers mark specific actions undertaken by the Regiment and correspond with an index along the bottom border. 5 black brackets 'divide' the map into different sections and illustrate the 5 campaigns the 32nd Armored Regiment participated in and how it earned its 5 battle stars. These are Normandy, Northern France, Ardennes, Rhineland, and Central Europe.

The 32nd Armored Regiment in World War II

The 32nd Armored Division was activated at Camp Beauregard, Louisiana, on April 15, 1941, and assigned to the 3rd Armored Division as the 2nd Armored Regiment. The unit was redesignated as the 32nd Armored Regiment on May 8, 1941. Between 1941 and August 1943, the Regiment trained at various locations across the United States, including the Mojave Desert, Camp Picket in Virginia, and Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania. The Regiment left for Europe on September 5, 1943, from New York Harbor. After arriving in England, the Regiment set up camp in Wiltshire-Codford. The Regiment first arrived in Normandy on June 23, 1944, and first entered combat on June 29. It fought across Europe through France, Belgium, and Germany and came off the line on April 25, 1944. The Regiment remained in Germany on Occupation duty until it was inactivated on November 10, 1945.

Publication History and Census

This map was created by an unknown individual and printed by Ravensteins Geographische Verlagsanstalt u. Druckerei in Frankfurt am Main c. 1945. This map does not appear in OCLC. We note 2 cataloged examples. One is part of the Controvich Library in Springfield, Massachusetts; the other is part of the John David Goodin Collection in the Archives of Appalachia at East Tennessee State University.