1945 Yank World War II Map of Luzon, Philippines
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Mapa de las Yslas Philipinas. Luzon. Here's a prewar highway map for roving jeep drivers. You may even discover a road or two that the map doesn't show.
Winding down the Philippine Campaign.
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Winding down the Philippine Campaign.
This is a 1945 YANK Magazine map of Luzon, issued for U.S. Army personnel stationed in the Philippines during World War II. As this map went to press, the Philippine Campaign was ongoing, with Japanese forces doggedly holding out in Luzon's central highlands.A Closer Look
This map was issued in the February 15, 1945, issue of Yank, the Army Weekly. The map tries to capture the large and mountainous island's complex road system, distinguishing between roads of various classes, those proposed and under construction, and even cart trails and footpaths - all of which may have been of use to American servicemen attempting to navigate the island. It also notes ferry crossings and, in the far northeast, 'unexplored territory'.The red decorative cartouche, in the upper left, is drawn from the 1734 Murillo Velarde map of the Philippines, though modified somewhat to accommodate the Luzon, titling.
The verso contains a wealth of compelling content, including letters from Yank readers, ranging from advice on how to avoid rashes from dog tags to a call for education in tolerance as the only way to avoid a third World War.
Historical Context
When this map was issued on February 16, 1945, the campaign to liberate the Philippines was advancing rapidly but remained fiercely contested. American and Filipino forces had broken out from the Lingayen Gulf beachhead on Luzon. They entered Manila on February 3, beginning a brutal month-long battle against Japanese troops who defended the capital street by street while committing widespread atrocities against civilians. On the very day the map was published, American airborne and amphibious forces launched their assault on Corregidor, while operations to secure the Bataan Peninsula and reopen Manila Bay continued. Although General Douglas MacArthur's forces controlled much of central Luzon, General Tomoyuki Yamashita's main Japanese army had withdrawn into the mountainous interior, where it prepared for prolonged resistance. Across the archipelago, Allied troops and Filipino guerrillas continued fighting to eliminate isolated Japanese garrisons and restore the Philippines to Commonwealth control.Yank, the Army Weekly
Yank, the Army Weekly was a magazine published by the United States Army from 1942 to 1945 for American enlisted personnel serving during World War II. Written, photographed, edited, and illustrated largely by enlisted servicemen, it combined frontline reporting, candid photography, humor, cartoons, sports, entertainment, and news from home, offering a distinctly soldier-centered view of the war. Distributed in multiple regional editions worldwide, Yank became especially famous for its pin-ups and George Baker's popular Sad Sack cartoons. Free from commercial advertising and often more informal than official military publications, the magazine documented both the hardships of combat and the everyday experiences of millions of American service members.Publication History and Census
This map was compiled and published as a double-page centerfold on February 14, 1945. Yank enjoyed wide circulation and is well represented institutionally in all issues, but we see little evidence that the map is cataloged separately anywhere.Source
Yank The Army Weekly, February 16, 1945.
Yank, the Army Weekly (June 17, 1942 – December 28, 1945) was a magazine published weekly during World War II by the U.S. military. The magazine, which was first available only to U.S. Army personnel overseas, appeared on June 17, 1942. Enlisted soldiers wrote the magazine and a few officers served as managers. Soldiers serving in the United States could get copies of the magazine beginning with the fifth issue (July 15, 1942) but Yank never appeared on newsstands for purchase by the public. Its circulation exceeded 2.5 million with 21 editions in 41 countries. This meant that articles and photographs printed in Yank were written and created by soldiers for their fellow service members. One such article was the first English language interview with Marshal Josip Broz Tito, the communist revolutionary leader fighting the Nazis in Yugoslavia. The magazine featured sketches by artists Howard Brodie, Robert Greenhalgh, and Victor Kalin, along with numerous cartoons, among these were the famous Sad Sack cartoons by Sgt. George Baker. Yank was also famous for its pinups, which included Ingrid Bergman and Lauren Bacall. The magazine closed its offices on New Year's Eve 1945. Yank was revived by the 1st Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division in 2014
Condition
Good. Wear and toning. Some slight loss and reinstatement on verso, with no content loss. Yank magazine content on the verso.