8 inches x 6 inches (21 cms x 15 cms). 93 town plans (51 Belgium; 11 Holland; 3 Luxemburg; 28 North East France), mainly printed both sides. A large folding frontispiece provides a key map of all the various towns. Most town plans are single-page; Antwerp, Brussels, Lille and Reims are double page and folding.
In fine and virtually original condition, as issued by the Wehrmacht in 1939. Stamped inoffensively "Army Map Service, Map Library, 26th July 1946".
A lovely copy of the first 1939 edition of the German army's atlas of Belgium (and adjoining areas) town plans, published in Berlin by Abteilung für Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen (Department for War Maps and Surveying), and intended Nur für den Dienstgebrauch! (For official use only) for the Generalstab des Heeres (German General Staff) as part of the German preparatory work for their forthcoming war plans for Europe prior to their invasion of those countries.
In short, this atlas of town plans is one of a number of confidential documents prepared at the beginning of the Second World War for the use of high ranking military planners, officers and their staff within the top echelons of the German war machine in Berlin.
This collection of German wartime town plans, most of which have never been republished, have immense historical significance as surviving remnants of World War Two German Wehrmacht material.
Some of these town plans have particular resonance for the American and
British units involved in the Ardennes and the towns in the vicinity of the Battle of The Bulge in December 1944, notably Bastogne and Dinant. Also covered is the area for Operation Market Garden, the Arnhem airborne landings in September 1944, including Eindhoven and Nijmegen.
The 93 individual towns and cities in the atlas are set out below (B=Belgium; F=France; H=Holland; L=Luxemburg). Anyone in the land forces in North East France, Belgium and Holland in 1944/1945 will have had to fight his way through the actual streets shown in many of these towns:
Armentieres (F), Arras (F), Ath (B), Audenarde (B), Avesnes (F), Bastogne (B), Binche (B), Blankenberge (B), Bouillon (B), Breda (H), Briey (F), Brugge (B), Cambrai (F), Charleroi (B), Charleville-Mezieres (F), Brussels (B), Chimay (B), Courtrai (B), Denain (F), Dierkirch (L), Diest (B), Dinant (B), Dordrecht (H), Douai (F), Eecloo (B), Eindhoven (H), Ettelbruck (L), Eupen (B), Fourmies (F), Furnes (B), Gent (B), Gorinchem (H), Grammont (B), Hal (B), Hasselt (B), Hazebrouck (F), 's Hertogenbosch (H), Heyst-sur-Mer (B), Hirson (F), Huy (B), Knocke-sur-Mer (B), Laon (F), Lille (F), Luttich (Liege) (B), Lierre (B), Lokeren (B), Longuyon (F), Longwy (F), La Louviere (B), Lowen (Louvain) (B), Luxemburg (L), Maastricht (H), Maubeuge (F), Mecheln (Malines) (B), Marche (B), Menin (B), Mons (B), Montmedy (F), Namur (B), Nijmegen (H), Nivelles (B), Ostende (B), Peronne (F), Peruwelz (B), Renaix (B), Reims (F), Rethel (F), Rocroi (F), Roubaix (F), Roermond (H), Rotterdam (H), Roulers (B), St. Nicolas (B), St. Omer (F), St. Quentin (F), St. Trond (B), Spaa (Spa) (B), Termonde (B), Thielt (B), Thionville (F), Thourout (B), Thuin (B), Tilburg (H), Tirlemont (B), Tongres (B), Tournai (B), Turnhout (B), Valenciennes (F), Venlo (H), Verviers (B), Vervins (F), Vouziers (F), Ypern (Ypres) (B).
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