Sign In

Fascinating Trove of World War II Newspaper Maps

An extensive run of color-printed World War II maps, covering all theaters, published in the Chicago Daily Tribune, the "World's Greatest Newspaper".

The maps, many by Van Swearingen or William H. Wisner, span from December 1939 to January 1945 and were first printed by the Chicago Tribune; many were later syndicated in other newspapers, such as the Minneapolis Morning Tribune and Windsor Star.

The earliest map in the archive is a December 18, 1939 map of Finland, "Save This Tribune Color Map of Finland—It Will Help you Follow the Soviet-Finnish War," showing the country's borders before the Moscow Peace Treaty. The next dates are April 7th and December 18th of 1941, showing Southeast Europe and how to display the American flag, respectively. The last map, "Military Map of Germany And Adjacent Areas," dates to March 31, 1945.

• December 18, 1939: Save This Tribune Color Map of Finland—It Will Help you Follow the Soviet-Finnish War 
• April 7, 1941: New Tribune Color map of Southeast Europe—Save It For War Reference
• December 9, 1941: Color Map of the Pacific War Front
• December 10, 1941: A New War Map of the Pacific and Far East
• December 11, 1941: America's Naval and Air Defenses
• December 12, 1941: The Domain of the Enemy
• December 15, 1941: The Philippine Islands—Our Battleground in the Far East
• December 16, 1941: The Japanese Empire—Its Growth in Modern Times
• December 17, 1941: The East Indies—Defended by the Democracies
• December 18, 1941: Our Flag—How to Respect and Display It
• January 1, 1942: America—the Real Center of World Today
• January 2, 1942: Beleaguered Luzon—On the Philippines Battle Front
• January 5, 1942: A New Map of Lands Under Japanese Attack Or Menace
• January 6, 1942: Australia—British Commonwealth in the New War Zone
• January 7, 1942: The Hawaiian Islands—Keystone of Our West Coast Defense
• January 8, 1942: New War Map of Alaska and Strategic Islands
• January 9, 1942: New War Map of Continental Asia From Siberia To Singapore
• January 13, 1942: Theater of Singapore Campaign
• January 14, 1942: Air Roads Over the Roof of the World
• January 15, 1942: War Map of China and Contiguous Lands
• January 16, 1942: New Map of Waters of Australasia
• January 21, 1942: Vital Islands On Edge of the Pacific War Zone
• January 22, 1942: New War Map of East Indies—Under Attack of Japanese
• January 23, 1942: India. This is a new map of British India and Ceylon, showing also adjacent and nearby lands and waters...
• January 26, 1942: Bataan Peninsula and Manila Bay—Center of Philippines Fighting
• January 28, 1942: A New War Map of the Aleutian Island Sea Road to Japan
• January 29, 1942: New War Map of the Pacific Ocean and Its Strategic Islands
• February 3, 1942: The Theaters of War In Australasian Waters
• February 4, 1942: War Map of Java, Heart of Netherlands Indies
• February 9, 1942: New Map of Singapore Islands—Besieged By Japanese
• February 11, 1942: Loyal South America
• February 12, 1942: New Map of Latin-American Republics Officially At War
• February 19, 1942: New Map of Sumatra and Indies War Zone
• February 20, 1942: Battleground of General MacArthur's Army
• February 23, 1942: Have This Map as President Speaks Tonight
• February 27, 1942: Commonwealth of Australia—Under Attack of Japanese
• March 3, 1942: Burma—The Key to China and India
• March 5, 1942: Java—Newest Battleground of the Netherlands Indies
• March 9, 1942: West Indies—Hunting Grounds of Enemy Submarines
• March 16, 1942: New Map of Russian and Libyan Fronts
• March 17, 1942: Ireland—A New AEF Is There
• March 20, 1942: New Guinea—Where the Japanese Menace Australia
• March 24, 1942: Strategic Islands of South Pacific
• April 9, 1942: India. This is a newly revised map of India, showing its principal political divisions...
• April 14, 1942: Flags and Seals of the American Republics
• April 16, 1942: Eastern Australia—Richest Half of Threatened Continent
• April 21, 1942: New Map of War Fronts in Indian Ocean and Bengal Bay
• April 23, 1942: Western Half of Australia—Lands of Deserts and Distance
• April 28, 1942: New War Map of Britain's Colony of Ceylon
• May 5, 1942: Where Japan Gets Raw Materials and Builds for WAr
• May 7, 1942: Madagascar—Vichy Base in British Hands
• May 12, 1942: New Caledonia—Defended By Americans
• May 21, 1942: New War Map of the Pacific—How Its Control Is Divided
• May 26, 1942: New Map of the Russo-German Front
• July 6, 1942: Theaters of War Around Mediterranean
• July 7, 1942: Tribune War Map of Western Mediterranean and Adjacent Areas
• July 9, 1942: Tribune War Map of Second Front Areas in Europe
• July 13, 1942: Vast Expanse of the Russian Empire Shown On New War Map
• July 15, 1942: The Near East—Rich in Oil and Historical Lore
• July 22, 1942: New Air War Map of Japan
• July 24, 1942: New Map of the War Front in Russia
• July 28, 1942: All the World Over—Tribune Foreign Correspondents
• July 31, 1942: Where Russia Produces Its War Machines
• August 3, 1942: Where Europe May Be Invaded From England
• August 5, 1942: Theater of Desert War in North Africa
• August 12, 1942: America's Far North War Front
• August 14, 1942: The World's Major Theaters of War
• August 20, 1942: Where Invasion Forces Are Missing
• September 8, 1942: The Russian Front—Germany's Problem of Transportation
• September 14, 1942: New Guinea—Battleground of Southwest Pacific
• September 29, 1942: Brazil's Place in the World
• October 13, 1942: Newly Revised War Maps of Solomon Islands
• November 10, 1942: Tribune Color Map of the New War Front in North Africa
• November 12, 1942: Where Yanks Have Invaded North Africa
• November 13, 1942: How New Front Menaces Axis
• November 17, 1942: Africa—Its Strategic Position in War Scheme
• November 19, 1942: New Map of the Mediterranean War Area
• February 6, 1943: New Map of Tunisia Combat Zona
• March 3, 1943: Where Rommel's Command is Beset by Allied Forces
• March 17, 1943: All Over the World—America's Fighting Forces
• March 18, 1943: How the Russian Front Would Fit in America
• March 26, 1943: Bombing Map of Germany and Adjacent Areas
• April 19, 1943: Axis Strongholds Bombed by U.S.
• April 26, 1943: Last African Stand of the Axis: Tunisia's Coffin Corner
• May 7, 1943: The Mediterranean And The Citadel of Europe
• September 6, 1943: Italy—New Theater of War
• September 30, 1943: Progress of Russia's Drive Against German Invaders
• February 8, 1944: Rumania—Ailing Ally of Hitler
• February 28, 1944: Strategic Spain
• February 29, 1944: Chicagoland Birds of Early Spring
• March 1, 1944: Germany—The Fortress of Middle Europe
• March 2, 1944: Japan's Pacific Islands Under Attack
• June 15, 1944: New Military Map For Following Progress of Invasion
• August 10, 1944: New War Map of Russo-German Front
• August 17, 1944: Invasion Map of the Southern Coastal Area of France
• October 23, 1944: Philippine Islands—Invaded by MacArthur
• January 15, 1945: New Military Map of Central Luzon
• March 31, 1945: Military Map of Germany And Adjacent Areas