RARE WWII 15th Air Force BIG WEEK Target (GRAZ) Mission Bombing Raid B-17 Navigators Map (HEAVILY MISSION MARKED)
RARE WWII 15th Air Force BIG WEEK Target (GRAZ) Mission Bombing Raid B-17 Navigators Map (HEAVILY MISSION MARKED)
Comes with C.O.A.
This orignal 15th Air Force veterans B-17 navigator bombing raid map is HEAVILY marked with bombing targets as well as numerous flight navigation lines…meaning this map was used on multiple raid mission in the GRAZ region of Austria. The 15th Airforce heavily target Graz’s airfields and factories. The target marks go right through the center of Graz and with very heavy FLAK protecting Graz, the B-17s that navigated to this mission target (more than once) experiences intensive FLAK in this surrounding area from the Germans. The air raids on Graz and this surrounding area were apart of the infamous BIG WEEK or OPERTAION ARGUMENT.
Big Week or Operation Argument was a sequence of raids by the United States Army Air Forces from 20 to 25 February 1944, as part of the European strategic bombing campaign against Nazi Germany. The planners intended to attack the German aircraft industry to lure the Luftwaffe into a decisive battle where the Luftwaffe could be damaged so badly that the Allies would achieve air superiority which would ensure success of the invasion of continental Europe.
During BIG WEEK the city of Graz was target on Februrary 25th, 1944 for “Strategic Operations”.
“Continuing coordinated attacks with the Eighth Air Force on European targets, B-17s with fighter escorts pound Regensburg aircraft factory; enemy fighter opposition is heavy. Other B-17s hit the air depot at Klagenfurt, Austria and the dock area at Pola, Italy. B-24s attack Fiume, Italy marshaling yard and port and hit Zell-am-See, Austria railroad and Graz airfield and the port area at Zara, Yugoslavia; 30+ US aircraft are lost; they claim 90+ fighters shot down.”