Defense Map of the United States Showing the Mobilization of Our Military and Economic Resources

“Cry ‘Havoc!’, and let slip the dogs of war.”

This eye-catching map of the United States was published around 1941 by C.S. Hammond & Company of New York. It presents an imposing overview of the United States military, starting with a map that pinpoints War Department facilities and various components of the defense industry. Industrialized areas – presumably targets for enemy attack – are highlighted in blue. The central map is surrounded by illustrations of America’s fighting machines; simplified renditions of artillery, aircraft variants, support vehicles, and naval vessels. The battleship is front and center, reflecting the common belief that it remained the supreme weapon of the high seas; rather than the submarines and aircraft carriers that would be its undoing.

The outer border is composed of insignia from different branches of the U.S. Armed Forces – Navy, Coast Guard, Army, Marines, and Air Corps. While the piece is an impressive celebration of the machinery and organization used to wage war, it seems to purposefully omit the soldier, sailor, and pilot. The map is undated, but the various symbols reflect a massive reorganization that took place in March 1941. Text in the lower left reads, “There may be some omissions due to the rapid growth of our armed forces.” This may indicate a date of issue after America entered into the war.