1942 Invasion and Total War Victory Maps
Published in Winchester, Massachusetts by Ernest Dudley Chase during the height of World War II, this ambitious propaganda map presents the conflict as a truly global struggle fought across every ocean and continent. The world is presented as a network of military fronts, shipping lanes, air routes, and strategic bases, emphasizing the immense geographic scale of the war and the degree to which modern transportation and logistics had transformed global conflict. The map is filled with information intended to help civilians understand the progress of the war. Naval bases, railroads, roads, international boundaries, and major transportation routes are carefully identified, while accompanying legends explain the symbols used throughout. Germany and Japan are rendered in solid black, creating a stark visual contrast with the rest of the world and reinforcing the Allied narrative of a united globe confronting the Axis powers. Rich illustrations of warships, aircraft, artillery, tanks, and military scenes animate the composition, while decorative borders incorporate insignia representing ranks, branches, and specialties within the United States armed forces. One of America's most celebrated pictorial mapmakers, Ernest Dudley Chase became known for transforming complex geographic subjects into visually engaging works of art. His wartime productions combined practical information with bold graphic design, making them both educational tools and effective pieces of propaganda. The phrase "Certain Victory Will Be Ours!" prominently displayed on the map leaves little doubt about its intended message of confidence and determination, while period commentary throughout reflects the patriotic fervor and rhetoric common to wartime publications. A Veteran's Journey Annotated Particularly fascinating is the manuscript itinerary drawn by a former owner directly onto the map. The route appears to trace a wartime deployment beginning in San Francisco on January 2, 1944, continuing through Pearl Harbor and onward across the Pacific to locations including the Marshall Islands, New Hebrides, Tasmania, Perth, Colombo, and Indonesia. This personal addition transforms the map from a wartime publication into a unique historical artifact, documenting one individual's journey through many of the same regions depicted on the printed map itself.