1946 71st Infantry Division – World War II – Europe
DESCRIPTION
More than a campaign map, this engaging pictorial history chronicles the 71st Infantry Division's final drive across Europe through humorous illustrations, detailed battle annotations, and the route that carried the division from France to Austria in the closing weeks of World War II. Produced in 1946 by division veterans Emil Albrecht and Roland Wille, it commemorates sixty-two days of continuous combat between March 6 and V-E Day, May 8, 1945.
Across Europe to Victory
The map traces the division's advance from Le Havre, France, across Belgium, Luxembourg, and Germany before concluding at Steyr, Austria, where elements of the division made contact with Soviet forces shortly before Germany's surrender. Rivers crossed, towns liberated, and major engagements are recorded almost day by day, while a campaign chronology in the lower left summarizes twenty-seven milestones, including the crossing of the Rhine, the capture of key German cities, the destruction of the 6th SS Mountain Division Nord, and the division's arrival in Austria on V-E Day.
Rather than presenting the campaign as a conventional military map, the artists transformed it into an illustrated diary of the division's experiences. Small cartoons depict soldiers crossing rivers, storming defensive positions, accepting German surrenders, and celebrating hard-earned victories, while humorous captions and hand-drawn symbols reflect the camaraderie and personality of the men who served. Insets identify the division's infantry, artillery, service, and attached units, documenting the combined force that carried the campaign to its successful conclusion.
A Veteran's Record of the Final Campaign
Prepared shortly after the war by members of the 71st Infantry Division, the map was intended both as a commemorative keepsake and as a permanent record of the unit's achievements. While many wartime maps focus on strategy or battlefield intelligence, this example preserves the campaign from the perspective of the soldiers themselves, combining historical accuracy with wit, pride, and firsthand experience. Its rich detail, decorative style, and documentary value make it one of the more engaging divisional campaign maps produced in the immediate postwar period.
CONDITION
1200 W. 35th Street #425 Chicago, IL 60609 | P: (312) 496 - 3622