1944 Turner World Map During World War II

This is a 1944 Stanley Francis Turner world map detailing the events of World War II until mid-1944 specifically commemorating the Normandy landings on June 6, 1944. The map depicts the world from the Atlantic coast of North America and the whole of South America across Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific Ocean to the North American coast and the Pacific coast of South America. The different combatants are illustrated using color. Green for the Axis powers: Germany, Italy, and Japan. Red illustrates the United Kingdom and the British Empire and the United States is colored orange. Countries that became allies of the Allied Powers over the course of the war are shaded yellow, including the Soviet Union, as they did not join the Allied cause until after Hitler and Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union on June 22, 1941, codenamed Operation Barbarossa. Land conquered by the Axis is shaded gray, including both Occupied and Vichy France, most of Eastern Europe, and a significant amount of the land conquered by Japan in the Pacific. The American Pacific War had not made significant gains by June1944, but land reconquered by the Americans in the Pacific and the Allies in North Africa and Europe is shaded red, such as the Solomon and Marshall Islands. By mid-1944, the Allies had reconquered North Africa and had faced brutal fighting in southern Italy. Rome had been liberated on June 4 (marked on the map).

Myriad small boxes of text are placed throughout the map, each one bearing a bit of information about the progress of the war. Some recount Allied defeats, such as the fall of France. Others commemorate Allied victories, such as the invasion of France or the back and forth of the North African campaign. Diplomatic benchmarks are included as well, such as the Casablanca conference, the signing of the Atlantic Charter between Roosevelt and Churchill, or the Lend-Lease Act. The date that a certain country joined the Allied cause is also reported for numerous countries around the world.

An inset map along the bottom border details the reality of the Allied invasion of France. Distances between different points along the English coast and the French coast are given. Countries that remained occupied by the Nazis are labeled as such, Nazi Occupied France and Nazi Occupied Denmark are two good examples. A big yellow arrow proclaims the INVASION in block lettering. Just above the inset map is a sort of inverted compass, entitled Closing In On Berlin, detailing the distances aerial bombing missions had to travel from European capitals to reach Berlin. The same sort of inverted compass is included along the bottom border giving distances from various locations around the Pacific theater to Tokyo.

World capitals are labeled throughout the map, along with numerous other cities in countries the world over. The flags of the nations of the world are also depicted, including the American flag, the Union Jack, and the flags of Imperial Japan and Nazi Germany. Ships, some of which are illustrated with the camouflage paint schemes that were popular during World War I and World War II, are depicted throughout the world’s oceans. A legend explaining the different colors and symbols employed on the map is located in the lower right corner. A title stating that this map was printed to commemorate D-Day, as an Invasion Map of Fortress Europe, is included, along with a decal stating that this particular example of this map was furnished compliments of United Air Lines.

This map was drawn by Stanley Francis Turner and published by C. C. Peterson. This is the 18th edition of the Dated War Map. We are aware of 25 different editions, although there could be more. Each example that we have seen also was furnished by a different company, thus giving each example a different look. This map is very attractive and covered with incredible information. It truly is a piece of history.