1945 Harney World War II 84th Infantry Division Campaign Route Map of Europe

84th Infantry Division's during World War II.

This is a 1945 George D. Harney World War II campaign route map chronicling the movements of the U.S. Army's 84th Infantry Division across Europe. This map is distinct within the genre as Harney eschews extraneous geographical detail, focusing attention on the places where he and his comrades traveled and fought. The central map traces the division's principal campaign route, while three insets document its deployment and actions in key combat zones.

A Closer Look

Coverage extends from Paris to the Elbe River, following the 84th Infantry Division's advance across Western Europe. Dated arrows identify troop movements and combat operations, beginning with the division's motor march from Paris to Gulpen in the Netherlands and ending with its occupation of the Elbe River Line in mid-April 1945 and its meeting with the Red Army on May 2. Cities, towns, and villages along the route include Geilenkirchen, where the division first entered combat, as well as Liège, Houffalize, Köln, and Hannover. Near the right border, Berlin is represented by a shattered swastika.Three inset maps provide additional detail. The upper-left inset traces the division's history from its activation on October 15, 1942, through embarkation, the Atlantic crossing, training in Britain, and the English Channel crossing of November 1 - 4, 1944. Two circular insets in the lower-right corner illustrate operations along the Siegfried Line and Roer River and in the Ardennes, the latter associated with the Battle of the Bulge. Each identifies towns, troop movements, and actions undertaken by the 84th Infantry Division.

Engineer Topographic Units during World War II

After World War II began in Europe, American military planners recognized that existing maps were inadequate for modern artillery, navigation, and tactical operations. The U.S. Army consequently expanded its engineer topographic units, which supplied surveying, drafting, reproduction, and map-distribution services to troops in the field. These specialized units produced accurate multicolor topographic and operational maps, often under difficult and rapidly changing battlefield conditions.

World War II Route Maps

American and British military units produced campaign route maps both during and immediately after World War II. The genre encompasses a broad range of styles, from utilitarian records of places and dates to elaborate pictorial compositions incorporating humor, symbolism, and wartime imagery. At their best, these maps combine visual appeal with a concise historical record of a unit's movements and combat experience.

Publication History and Census

This map was drafted by George D. Harney and printed by the 663rd Engineer Topographic Company in 1945. We note four cataloged examples, held by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Veterans Museum Research Center, the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and Texas A and M University.

Cartographer

George Daniel (Red) Harney (July 15, 1918 - April 2, 1999) was an American artist, cartographer, and sign maker. Born in Los Angeles, California, Harney worked as a sign painter before being drafted into the U.S. Army on December 22, 1942. He was assigned to the 84th Infantry Division and became a cartographer, making maps for the 84th using aerial reconnaissance photographs. He was also a talented violin player and entertained his comrades with his skill as a musician. Harney served overseas from August 1944 and even found his mother's former home in Germany while there. He also located an uncle still living in Germany who had been imprisoned in a concentration camp 'for a time'. Harney was discharged on January 5, 1946, at the rank of Staff Sergeant, and he returned to making signs in Pomona, California, advertising in his local paper that he was 'Out of the Army - Back on the Job' and 'gold leaf my specialty'. He became a member of the fire department in January 1951.   Further Details...

Condition

Very good. Light wear along original fold lines. Some toning.

References

Texas A and M University World War II Service Maps Collection G5721.S7 1945.H37. OCLC 183884567.