NavWarMap No. 5 Southwest Pacific [and] NavWarMap No. 6 We fight a GLOBAL WAR

Two (of six) NavWarMaps designed to inform opinions at home and overseas.

This vibrant pair of maps printed on either side of a single sheet was prepared by the Educational Services Section of the U.S. Navy Bureau of Naval Personnel and printed by the Government Printing Office in 1944. The NavWarMap posters (six issued in total) were distributed by the Army Orientation Course in Washington, D.C. to provide up-to-date contextual information to service members on all theaters of the war. The group of images offers a fascinating overview of the global conflict to educate and boost morale. Inflammatory elements throughout toe the line between information and propaganda and carefully curated text omits much mention of Allied losses.

NavWarMap No. 5: Southwest Pacific – The vast distances of the South Pacific Ocean are compacted into this legible image, which presents the various disparate campaigns throughout the theater. Initial Japanese invasions (red) and American counter-offensives (blue) are accompanied by detailed information on the regional geographic realities (namely the vast distances). Also included is a fascinating inset showing the various ‘Peoples of the Pacific.’

NavWarMap No. 6: We Fight A Global War – This map underlines, at least from the American perspective, the global nature of World War II. In addition to sending troops to various theaters, the United States exported millions of tons of war material to Allied nations throughout the conflict. The distribution of such lend-lease equipment is shown here, with the United Kingdom receiving the majority, at least through 1944 (42.5% of total). Inset diagrams of both hemispheres highlight the vast aerial distances between points.