Dated Events War Map – 3rd Edition

The scarce third edition of the Dated Events War Map Series.

The Dated Events War Map Series was first introduced in 1942 as a collaboration between artist Stanley Turner and the C.C. Petersen Advertising Firm of Toronto. Audiences on the homefront were eager for information about the major battles, strategic locations, and important leaders of World War II – especially as their loved ones began deployment overseas in large numbers. The brightly colored images were regularly re-issued with new information on the global conflict, with nearly 30 different serialized editions and numerous variants. Local businesses, purchasing in bulk, would overprint advertisements prior to distribution.

This is a vibrant example of the early third edition of the Dated Events War Map, published in mid-1942 and originally sold for twenty-five cents. Territory is colored according to political alignment and military bases are identified throughout; the legend in the lower right offers further details on both. Insets in the upper corners show the Battle of the Atlantic and Africa. Small vignettes and historic notes offer further elements of interest. Important wartime events, somewhat skewed to favor the Allied narrative, are listed and dated across every affected region. The most recent entries can be found across North Africa, with the First Battle of El Alamein in July 1942. Other contemporary events include the loss of Sevastopol and Voronezh to the Germans – the summer of 1942 held bleak days for the Allied war effort.

A similarly updated black and white map of the Pacific Theater is printed on the verso showing the difficult situation of the Allies. Of particular note are the losses of Corregidor, Bataan, Singapore, and nearly all Pacific island possessions except Australia and New Guinea. Numerous historic events (i.e. the wreck of the Bounty, death of R.L. Stevenson) are included, possibly to soften the blow of so many defeats in the region. Fortunately for the Americans, victory at the Battle of Midway and the Battle of the Coral Sea began to turn the tide. in the Pacific. For more information on Dated Events War Maps, check out my blog post here.