The Allied Geographical Section (AGS) (1942 - 1945) was formed after a series of directives was issued by General Douglas MacArthur's headquarters that called for the formation of a task force to compile all available geographical intelligence on the largely unmapped and unexplored south-west Pacific area. The AGS produced three different types of publications: Special Reports, Terrain Handbooks, and Terrain Studies. The most complex of these were the Terrain Studies, which were designed to provide the most comprehensive information available. These studies included diagrams, text, photographs, and maps of varying size and detail. All these reports were produced for planning and operational staffs.