1945 Lerman Pictorial Map of Europe, the 7th Armored Division during WWII

This is a 1945 Lerman pictorial map of the route followed by the 7th Armored Division during World War II. The map depicts Europe from southern England and northern France to the Elbe River in Germany and the Baltic Sea. The map traces the route of the 7th Armored Division from Southampton (Southamton) and Portsmouth, England to the Baltic Sea. Along the route several illustrations are included, such as tanks, half-tracks, and P-47 Thunderbolts. A profile of Hitler is included in Belgium, where the 7th Armored participated in the famed Battle of the Bulge. In the top half of the map, an illustration of a German prisoner of war is overlaid with the number 113,041, the number of German soldiers taken prisoner by the 7th Armored. To the left of this graphic is a table containing the division’s ‘box score.’ Listed here are the number of enemy vehicles and armament destroyed and captured, along with the number of miles traveled, the amount of gasoline consumed, and ammunition expended, divided by caliber. The campaigns in which the 7th Armored participated are also listed, along with decorations awarded to the division and important dates in the history of the division’s time in Europe. A photograph of Major General R.W. Hasbrouck appears along the left border, to the left of the ‘box score’. The patch of the 7th Armored Division also appears in the lower right corner.

From Southampton and Portsmouth, the 7th Armored Division was transported across the English Channel to Omaha and Utah Beach, where they landed on August 10, 1944. Illustrations in England include a portrait of Winston Churchill against a Union Jack and two depictions of V-1 buzz bombs, which the Germans used to attack British cities from June until October 1944, when the last V-1 site within range of Britain was overrun by Allied troops. Troop and tank transports are illustrated in the Channel, and from there the 7th advanced from Coutances to Chartres and Melun, France, where they fought two major engagements. A tank and a half-track are illustrated near Chartres, along with P-47 Thunderbolts, which are illustrated attacking Melun. The world-famous Chartres Cathedral (Cathedrale Notre-Dame de Chartres), with its distinctive twin spires of differing size, is also illustrated. An illustration of the Eiffel Tower appears, even though the 7th Armored never officially made it to Paris (Chartres lies 56 miles from Paris).

The 7th then proceeded to Chateau Thierry, Reims, and Verdun, the site of one of the major battles of World War I. The advance across Europe was stopped at Metz, France, and the 7th turned north, toward Belgium and the Netherlands. The 7th took part in the Battle of Overloon in October 1944, and then played a critical role during the Battle of St. Vith. St. Vith, Belgium was a vital road junction and fell within the advance of the German army during the Battle of the Bulge. Although the 7th Armored and other elements of the U.S. VIII Corps were unable to completely halt the German advance, they slowed the assault to such a degree that the Allies were able to stand fast. Once the weather improved, the Allies used their air superiority and other advantages to begin pushing back the German advance.

Following their involvement in the Battle of the Bulge, the race was on. By May 1945, the 7th Armored had crossed the Elbe and reached the Baltic Sea.

This map was created by Lerman in 1945. The map was printed by Gebauer-Schwetschke in Germany not long after V-E Day and was issued to every man in the Division. Although the exact date is unknown, it had to have been printed before July, when the low-points members of the Division were transferred back to the United States for training in preparation before the invasion of Japan.