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Description

The Battle for Brest

A visually arresting WWII "Newsmap", providing up to date, pro-American coverage of World War II war fronts in mid-August 1944. This poster is aimed at an audience of U.S. servicemen. The news side of the sheet has maps, and reports on events during the week of August 2 - 9, 1944, highlighting the Battle for Brest, with a map showing part of France. The verso of the sheet is illustrated with a menacing close-up of a rifle-mounted bayonet, with a caption printed in lurid red letters: "Let This Do Your Talking!" Next to the bayonet is the following advice to servicemen:

Silence Means Security. When a man stands ready to fight - to the last drop of blood - to his last breath of life - he doesn't do much talking. He lets his weapon do that for him. And, later, he doesn't talk about where he has been - or when - or what he did - or saw. He knows that the safely of millions depends on his silence!

The news side of the sheet includes three maps:

  • Map of northern France, showing the progress of the American offensive through Brittany with red arrows.
  • Pacific map showing parts of the Philippines and Melanesia.
  • Small inset map showing larger Pacific region, with parts of China and Japan.

Two small photographic views show:

  • Group of three American G.I.s "somewhere in China": Lt. Jack R. Hartley of Little Rock, a Voting Officer explaining soldier voting to Cpl. Alfred M. Helget of Springfield, Minn.; and Cpl. Juan Montez of Brawley, Calif.
  • Photo of an extremely curvy portion of the Burma Road in China.

The tenor of the information and news set forth on the map is decidedly pro-American, for example:

France: American armor that rolled through Brittany and sealed off the Peninsula took territory at rate that rivalled any Soviet advance.

Bonins: A U.S. carrier task force struck Japanese territory within 600 miles of the main islands in attacks on the Bonin and Volcano Islands area.

Condition Description
Newsheet poster with maps. Printed in blank and red ink. One of the upper corners torn with old repair and minor loss. Pinholes to all corners. A few small nicks along edges. Otherwise clean and very good.