1943 Japanese Pacific Situation Maps - World War II (5 maps)

This is a rare set of 5 Japanese maps of the Pacific War, also known as the Pacific Theater of Operations, during World War II. Each map depicts a wide area of the Pacific: two stretch from Africa to the Atlantic coast of North America and the other three illustrate from India to Hawaii and from Siberia and the Bering Sea to Australia. Each map illustrates a few months of the war in the Pacific, with the first depicting the Japanese onslaught that began on December 7-8, 1941, including their attacks on Pearl Harbor, Singapore, and the Philippines and the final map in the set illustrating the events of Spring 1943. All the maps feature red overprinting marking all the actions undertaken in the theater of war during a given length of time. Icons of bombs and sinking ships are used to mark Japanese offensives and victories. All the actions are dated as well, allowing the viewer to trace the ebb and flow of Japanese and American forces in the theater. Most of the dated actions on the maps are naval engagements text boxes are included detailing how many ships of what type American forces lost. As these maps were most likely produced during World War II, the numbers given here are most likely not the true count of ships sunk by the IJN, as there was a tendency within the IJN to report inflated numbers of enemy craft damaged and sunk.

Two of the maps feature inset maps of areas of particular importance during those months of the war. The map which focuses on Fall 1942 includes inset maps of the Solomon Islands (where the Battle of Guadalcanal raged) and of New Britain and the east coast of new Guinea, where several bombing campaigns are marked along with sunken ships. The second map to include insets illustrates the events of Spring 1943. An inset of the Aleutian Islands is situated on the upper left and marks the American landing on Attu, which the Japanese had occupied since June 1942. The other details the continued fighting in the Solomons, where the Battle of Guadalcanal would rage until February 1943, New Britain, and New Guinea.

These maps were most likely issued during World War II and, though undated, serve as a way to trace the progress of the war from the beginning of American involvement following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 until the spring of 1943. We are aware of no other examples.