1944 Chase Pictorial Map of the Pacific Ocean during World War II

This is a 1944 Ernest Dudley Chase pictorial map of the Pacific Ocean during World War II. Depicting from central Asia to the west coast of the United States, Chase identifies islands throughout the Pacific, many of which were points of contention during the war.

A Closer Look

The Caroline Islands, Marshall Islands, Mariana Islands, and Solomon Islands (including Guadalcanal) are all identified. Individual islands within the Philippines are labeled as well. Japan and Korea (labeled here as both Korea and Chosen, the Japanese name for conquered Korea) are shaded black. Major and minor cities are labeled throughout as well, and the rail network in India (then a British colony) is illustrated in detail. Icons mark British, American, and French possessions and anchors mark naval bases from India to California. Pictorial illustrations of warships dot the Pacific and Indian oceans. An inset in the lower right corner focuses on Japan and Korea and illustrates the distances between the Japanese Home Islands and Okinawa, which the Allies invaded on April 1, 1945, after this map's publication.

Publication History and Census

This map was created and published by Ernest Dudley Chase in 1944. The present map was compliments of the Austin-Hastings Co. Inc. of Cambridge, Massachusetts. This is the only known cataloged example of the 1944 edition. We note a single cataloged example of a 1945 edition (which appears unchanged from this 1944 edition), part of the David Rumsey Map Collection. The Rumsey example was compliments of a different company, suggesting that this piece was franchised for advertising.