Battle Route of the Famous XII Corps

Tracking the path of the XII Corps across the E.T.O.

This uncommon unit map was issued by the XII Corps Public Relations Officer (PRO) in 1945 as a commemoration of the corps’ efforts in the European Theater of Operations. A base map created by National Geographic has been overlaid with red arrows and dated blocks of text that summarize major actions and locations across the campaign.

The image covers from August 12, 1944 when the Corps became operational near Sartilly, France (off the page), to V-E Day, near Grafenau, Germany. Notable events include the crossing of the Rhine near Bad Kreuznach, an attack on the Maginot Line, the discovery of 100 tons of Nazi gold, the liberation of Mauthausen concentration camp, and the first American entry into Austria.

Apparently, this is the first of two maps celebrating the actions of the XII Corps, while the second and later edition incorporates many of the same elements across a newly drafted base map of France. This issue, unlisted in WorldCat as of April 2024, is far less common than the second, an example of which can be seen at Yale here.