[German Luftwaffe Map – Europe]

Reference map of North Africa and the Middle East made for German aviators during World War II.

This rare WWII-era cloth map was published in Germany by the Generalstab der Luftwaffe (Air Force General Staff) in 1943. Issued at the scale of 1:4,000,000, the double-sided image offers a high-level overview of major areas of engagement.

Each map was designed for use by Luftwaffe aviators and support crew; for preparatory and planning work, as in-flight references, and even as escape guides in the event they were shot down behind enemy lines. Lines of magnetic delineation (with accompanying tables), elevation data, primary transportation routes, and general geographic features are all noted on each page. Red overprinting highlights details of specific interest to pilots – radio stations, navigation beacons, flight paths, restricted areas, and beacons.

Nine different sheets of the treated ‘Textoplast-Stoffenkarten’ were created on the ‘Kegelprojektion’ at this scale, covering the majority of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. This example is sheets seven and eight; showing the Eastern Mediterranean (side 1) and the Caspian Sea/Middle East (side 2). The base map is dated 1940, while additional red text identifies the last printed update in February 1943.

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