WWII 1943 New Guinea US Army Navy Pilot Pacific Theater Bailout Silk Survival Map
WWII 1943 New Guinea US Army Navy Pilot Pacific Theater Bailout Silk Survival Map
*Shows the Pacific Theater operations of Halmahera (Battle of Morotai), Ceram, and New Guinea were some of the most famous air combat and amphibious operations that occurred against the Japanese in the Pacific Theater.
Comes with C.O.A.
This very large near-mint condition pacific theater pilot bailout survival map is dated 1943 and was carried by WWII Army Air Force (A.A.F) pilots and A.A.F. bomber crew members as the U.S. began assaulting the Japanese help islands in New Guinea and the surrounding Pacific Theater. These cloth charts were worn as neck scarves or stuffed in the pant/jacket pockets by pilots during WWII as part of their survival gear. This map is rare in that is in near flawless condition. During WWII these silk bailout maps were produced in varying quantities by the British and American forces on thin silk (waterproof) material. The idea was that if an Allied pilot’s plane was shot down behind enemy lines they should have a map to help him find his way to safety if he escaped or evade capture.
This map is printed on a cloth-like acetate rayon and depicts the islands and sea where some of the most infamous air and sea battles occurred in the Pacific Theater campaign during World War II. At the time this chart was produced our understanding of the jet stream was rudimentary. High altitude wind currents are shown though not in as much detail as a modern chart/map. Our USMC, Navy and even B-17, B-25 pilots and their crews learned that there were some very strong air currents aloft when their aircraft's times to targets took much longer than anticipated and the return trips went faster. This chart/map reflects the limited knowledge of the time but was a tremendous help to the pilots and crews nonetheless. The map itself would have been carried by a U.S. pilot participating in the sea and air offensives of the islands.