Comes with a hand-signed C.O.A.

This rare and museum-grade WWII artifact is an original New Guinea combat map from the infamous 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron (Eight Ballers) used during aerial missions in the Pacific Theater.

The 8th Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron (8th PRS) operated under the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF), specifically part of the 5th Air Force and the 6th Photographic Reconnaissance Group (6th PRG). Referred to as the 8th Photographic Squadron, 8th Photo Recon Squadron, or 8th Photo Recon, the unit was initially outfitted with the F-4 Lightning, a specialized photographic reconnaissance variant of the P-38 Lightning. Camera equipment was installed in the nose section in lieu of traditional armaments. Conducting missions above Japanese-held territories and airfields, the squadron captured vital imagery utilized in the creation of aerial maps and target intelligence for subsequent combat operations. These reconnaissance flights were inherently perilous, with pilots often flying solitary missions through adverse weather conditions and challenging navigation circumstances. While over target areas, pilots maintained a steady flight path at lower altitudes to ensure high-quality photographic results, braving risks such as anti-aircraft artillery and potential interception by enemy planes. In later operations, F-4s received protective escort by armed P-38 Lightnings to enhance their defensive capabilities.

The 8th PRS, also known as the 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron, earned a renowned reputation for its exceptional service during campaigns across various regions including the East Indies, Japan, China, Papua, Guadalcanal, New Guinea, Northern Solomons, and Bismarck.

This incredibly rare original “Provisional” combat mission map shows the area of MADANG WEST - NEW GUINEA. This map was created and used from the exact aerial photographs taken by the 8th PRS during aerial missions in New Guinea in 1943. This map was a part of a large 8th Photo Recon Squadron bring-back collection of TYPE-ONE mission photographs (the same used to make these combat maps) as well as original combat maps used by the pilots and other members of the 8th PRS during their operations in the Pacific Theater.

The 8th PRS and this map are documented in the book The Eightballers: Eyes of the Fifth Air Force - The 8th Photo Reconnaissance Squadron in WWII by John Stanaway and Bob Rocker…”Post scored again today on his trip to New Britain. Finding the area clear at ten o'clock, he photographed Rooke and Tolokwin Islands, and picked up a strip along the Finschhafen coast. Gardner sallied forth on the Squadron's longest mission to date: A mapping trip to Wewak. Going by way of Madang, he snapped cameras from Madang to Wewak, excepting only those areas too cloud-covered for successful mapping. Raid #(86) burst upon us at 1950 this evening, but only a few bombs were dropped on the harbor, and damage was nil.”