Remarkable military-used World War II Blondel map of the German battlefront, measuring 25 x 23.75, with copious markings in red wax pencil indicating the movements of troops and areas of Nazi resistance, and dated to the central panel, “May 6 [1945],” only a day before Germany officially surrendered to the Allies. Other notable markings include: the advance of Soviet armies from the East, with the names of the corresponding generals, and the advance of the 3rd Army, led by General Patton, towards Plzen, the easternmost point US forces were able to reach; compass-made concentric circles around Berlin, used to estimate distances from Nazi headquarters; areas of recent Nazi resistance such as Berlin, Bremen, Hamburg, Munich, and Lake Como in Italy (where Mussolini had recently been captured); the movements of the 1st and 9th, as well as that of Canadian forces into the Netherlands; and an accurate representation of the demarcation line between Western and Soviet forces. These crucial final moments of the European theater led to the capture of Berlin and the advance towards Prague, where the final major battle of Europe was fought. The map is laminated on both sides. In good condition, with splitting along the brittle intersecting folds. A splendid, albeit delicate, World War II artifact.
