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

Printed for the members of the Seventh Armored Division in Germany before their departure for the United States.

This is a 1945 Lerman World War II pictorial route map of the 7th Armored Division in Europe. Illustrations, information, and geography combine to create a stunning visual summary of the 7th Armored's march across the continent.

A Closer Look

The map traces the route of the 7th Armored Division from Southampton (Southamton) and Portsmouth, England to the Baltic Sea. Illustrations appear along the way, including 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. An illustration of a German prisoner of war overlaid with the number 113,041, the number of German soldiers taken prisoner by the 7th Armored, immediately draws attention. A table containing the Division's ' box score' appears near the center and lists the number of enemy vehicles and armament destroyed and captured, 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 Division's campaigns in Europe. A photograph of Major General R.W. Hasbrouck is included 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.

The 7th Armored in World War II

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. 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 (Cathédrale 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 halt the German advance, they slowed the assault sufficiently for the Allies 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.

World War II Allied Route Maps

Maps tracing unit movements during World War II were created by both American and British forces during and after the war. As a genre, these maps represent a broad range of aesthetics, from the purely functional that label places and provide dates, to the artistic, even comic. Many combine the three and provide a visually striking but historically informative summary of the unit's peregrinations. The brutal reality of the war, however, was never very far away in any of these works.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn 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 for the invasion of Japan.

Condition

Good. Foxing. Wear along original fold lines. Blank on verso.

References

Rumsey 8901.000.