AAF Cloth Chart – Philippine Series No. C-40, Luzon Island [and] No. C-34 Southeast China

Evasion map of Luzon issued during the American recapture of the Philippines.

This fascinating relic from the Second World War shows detailed information on the Philippine island of Luzon, as well as the southeast coast of China and Taiwan. The map, printed on silk, was designed to be distributed to pilots operating in the region in order aid their escape, should they be shot down over water or hostile territory.

This example is particularly interesting because it was issued during the U.S. attempt to recapture the Philippines from the Japanese. Fighting was particularly heavy around Manila, which saw the heaviest concentration of U.S. troops in the entirety of the Pacific campaign. A glossary of geographic terms, information on coastal currents, and details on the local transportation networks are just a few examples of the useful data provided by the map’s image.

More information on these silk evasion maps can be found on my blog post here.