The Cruise of U.S.S. Zeal AM-131

Uncommon souvenir commemorating the WWII service of the U.S.S. Zeal.

This fascinating composite image was published in 1946 to celebrate the World War II service of the U.S.S. Zeal (AM-131). The Auk-class minesweeper was commissioned into the U.S. Navy in July 1943 and participated in numerous operations across the Pacific Theater, including the invasions of Ulithi, Palau, and Leyte. The ship traveled over 120,000 miles during its two cruises, marked with dotted and solid lines, respectively, in the central map of the Pacific. While doing so, her crew destroyed 138 Japanese mines and one Japanese plane – all proudly commemorated in the far left photograph. Other photos present a view of the ship, a detonating naval mine, and many of the crew.

The images are credited to the Thompson Photo Service of Los Angeles. This example includes the original mailing tube, noting the origin as Stuart’s Photo Service in Manchester, New Hampshire. Because the U.S.S. Zeal had such a limited complement of crewmembers (about 100 at any given time), the number of souvenir maps issued would have been minimal (probably less than 250 total). The map is unlisted in WorldCat or other online repositories as of January 2025.