1944 World War II Allied Target Map of Qingdao (Tsingtao), China

This is a 'top-secret' or 'confidential' Allied 1944 map of Qingdao (Tsingtao), China, probably by the United States Army Air Forces, with potential bombing targets labeled throughout (Despite the fact that Tsingtao was never priortized for heavy bombing). The map depicts the city from Qingdao harbor to across the city to Iltis Bay and from the Great Harbor (Tai Kiang) to Tsingtao Wan. Ninety-four different locations, strike targets, throughout Qingdao are numerically identified and correspond to a numerical index located along both the left and right sides of the map. Most are Japanese military installations, including several different Japanese military barracks, the Japanese Army Intelligence Headquarters, Japanese Navy seaplane hangars and ramps, and the Japanese Army motor pool, but Japanese schools, businesses, and transportation facilities are also singled out. Dispersed throughout the city, these targets appear to not be prioritized in any manner, simply identified.

We have been unable to locate any comparable examples of this type of target map, suggesting that very few survived the war. Although it is undated, and the military branch responsible for its creation are not named, the map surely was created after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor (December 7, 1941), and the U.S. Army Air Forces' Air Command South-East Asia was not formed until November 1943. This allows for the presumption that this map was created no earlier than 1944, although there were USAAF forces in Southeast Asia before November 1943. A 'Confidential' map appears in the upper right.