1945 US Army Air Force Original Map of Hiroshima Kure Submarine Naval Base Japan

Kure-Ko Soundings and Heights in Meters. United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF). 17 1/2in x 12 1/2in (445mm x 320mm). (A+) Fine Condition. This is an incredibly rare, extremely detailed & original US Army Air Force map of the defenses, moorings, submarine bays and depth soundings of the Japanese Kure naval base near Hiroshima produced by the US Army Air Force in 1945 & is an incredible find. Paper thickness and quality: – Heavy and stable Paper color : – off white Age of map color: – Colors used: – General color appearance: – Paper size: – 17 1/2in x 12 1/2in (445mm x 320mm) Plate size: – 17 1/2in x 12 1/2in (445mm x 320mm) Margins: – Min 1/2in (12mm). Margins: – None Plate area: – None Verso: – None. Background: Kure Naval Base was established in 1889, and the Kure Naval Dockyard began operating in 1903. This was the best naval port in the Far East, and is most famous as the site where the battleship Yamato was built. Additionally, Kure was the biggest arsenal town in Japan. It is possible that this map has a direct link with the first of 2 A-Bomb attack on Japan in August 1945 as Hiroshima was generally left alone by the US Army Air Force whilst other cities within Japan were being bombed daily in mid 1945. I have been unable to find another like it. This is an original map folded covered in a type of early laminate and seems to me given the plastic protection and folds this would have more than likely used by a US Army Air Force navigation crew to identify Hiroshima. United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the military aviation service of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, successor to the United States Army Air Corps and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force. The AAF was a component of the United States Army, which in 1942 was divided functionally by executive order into three autonomous forces: the Army Ground Forces, the Services of Supply (which in 1943 became the Army Service Forces), and the Army Air Forces. Each of these forces had a commanding general who reported directly to the Army Chief of Staff. The AAF administered all parts of military aviation formerly distributed among the Air Corps, General Headquarters Air Force, and the ground forces’ corps area commanders, and thus became the first air organization of the U. Army to control its own installations and support personnel. The peak size of the AAF during the Second World War was over 2.4 million men and women in service and nearly 80,000 aircraft by 1944, and 783 domestic bases in December 1943. By “V-E Day”, the Army Air Forces had 1.25 million men stationed overseas and operated from more than 1,600 airfields worldwide. The Army Air Forces was created in June 1941 to provide the air arm a greater autonomy in which to expand more efficiently, to provide a structure for the additional command echelons required by a vastly increased force, and to end an increasingly divisive administrative battle within the Army over control of aviation doctrine and organization that had been ongoing since the creation of an aviation section within the Army Signal Corps in 1914. The AAF succeeded both the Air Corps, which had been the statutory military aviation branch since 1926, and the GHQ Air Force, which had been activated in 1935 to quiet the demands of airmen for an independent Air Force. Although other nations already had separate air forces independent of their army or navy (such as the British Royal Air Force and the German Luftwaffe), the AAF remained a part of the Army until a defense reorganization in the post-war period resulted in the creation of an independent United States Air Force in September 1947. In its expansion and conduct of the war, the AAF became more than just an arm of the greater organization. By the end of World War II, the Army Air Forces had become virtually an independent service. By regulation and executive order, it was a subordinate agency of the War Department (as were the Army Ground Forces and the Army Service Forces) tasked only with organizing, training, and equipping combat units, and limited in responsibility to the continental United States. In reality, Headquarters AAF controlled the conduct of all aspects of the air war in every part of the world, determining air policy and issuing orders without transmitting them through the Army Chief of Staff. This contrast between theory and fact is… Fundamental to an understanding of the AAF. What is an Antique Map. The word Antique in the traditional sense refers to an item that is more than a hundred years old. The majority of antique maps for sale today come from books or atlases and have survived due to the protection offered by the hardback covers. The first thing to determine when staring a collection or purchasing an item, is what is important to you. Most collectors prefer to build their collections around a theme. You may decide to collect maps from one region or country, charting its development through time. Similarly you could collect maps of one particular period in time, by type i. Sea or celestial charts or by cartographer. The collector might also want to consider the theme of cartographical misconceptions such as California as an island or Australia as Terra Australis or the Great Southern Land. The subject is so wide that any would-be-collector has almost endless possibilities to find his own little niche within the field, and thereby build a rewarding collection. Starting a collection & pricing. Pricing is based on a number of different factors, the most important of which is regional. In any series of maps the most valuable are usually the World Map and the America/North America. The World because it is usually the most decorative and America because it has the strongest regional market. Other factors that come into play re: price is rarity, age, size, historical importance, decorative value (colour) and overall condition and quality of paper it is printed on. As specialised dealers, we frequently work with first time map buyers who are just starting their collection. So please do not hesitate to and we will be happy to help with any questions you may have. Classical Images was founded 1998 and has built an excellent reputation for supplying high quality original antiquarian maps, historical atlases, antique books and prints. We carry an extensive inventory of antiquarian collectibles from the 15th to 19th century. Our collection typically includes rare books and decorative antique maps and prints by renowned cartographers, authors and engravers. Specific items not listed may be sourced on request. Classical Images adheres to the Codes of Ethics outlined by the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA). We are a primarily an online based enterprise, however our inventory may be viewed by appointment. Track Page Views With. Auctiva’s FREE Counter. The item “1945 US Army Air Force Original Map of Hiroshima Kure Submarine Naval Base Japan” is in sale since Monday, October 29, 2018. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Militaria\WW II (1939-45)\Original Period Items\United States\Documents & Maps”. The seller is “searching01″ and is located in Ivanhoe, VIC. This item can be shipped worldwide.