1945 Ciafalo and Helstrom WWII Pictorial Map of Europe: Advanced Supply Unit

This is a 1945 John Ciofalo and Clifford Helstrom World War II pictorial map of ADSEC (Advance Section of the Communications Zone), the forward supply unit of the American army. This unit built bridges, operated hospitals, evacuated wounded, and delivered supplies.

A Closer Look

Red arrows highlight ADSEC's movements: beginning in London the unit moves to Bristol before the marshalling areas in Normandy, where on June 21, 1944 they established a headquarters at Catz. The Channel crossing is marked by ships and a P-38 dogfighting. South from Catz, the Red Ball Express is identified and a railroad bridge in northern France is marked as having been constructed by ADSEC. ADSEC then moves to Le Mans and Etampes, before arriving in Rheims (cathedral and champagne) by September 1944. Paris is highlighted, both because of general romanticization and the fact that ADSEC soldiers were granted weekend passes while in Rheims. The Eiffel Tower makes an appearance, as do a pair of Can-can dancers. A wolf dressed as a GI chases after a Frenchwoman. (A common theme in these route maps - American GIs chasing European women.)

After six weeks in Rheims, ADSEC advances to Namur, Belgium (with a V-1 flying overhead). Brussels is marked by the Mannekin Pis (fountain of a little boy urinating). Here we encounter 'The Bulge' (Battle of the Bulge), illustrated by a German cross as a graver marker. Liege, Bonn, and Koln are labeled, and a column of surrendering German soldiers appears just above the cartouche.

Advance Section of the Communications Zone

ADSEC, short for Advance Section of the Communications Zone, was the farthest forward supply unit in the European Theater of Operations. ADSEC was responsible for establishing the Communications Zone within days of the June 6, 1944, D-Day landings. This zone is defined as the rear part of the theater of operations (behind but up to the combat zone) where lines of communication, supply, and evacuation operated. As such, ADSEC never maintained a stationary base, but moved just behind advancing armies, establishing field hospitals, building bridges, and supply depots. ADSEC used railroads to transport supplies (rebuilding where necessary) and was in charge of the Red Ball Express. ADSEC was the first logistics unit operating in France after the D-Day landings, coming on shore as soon as the beachhead was secure. This map's verso provides one of the best available histories of the unit.

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 Sgt. John Ciofalo and PFC Cliff(ord) Helstrom, printed by the engineers of the Advanced Section Communications Zone, and published by ADSEC, c. 1945. We note two examples in OCLC: Army War College and Texas A and M University. An example is also part of the David Rumsey Map Collection.