Description:

World War I 1914 - 1918

An official period map used by U.S. forces in occupied Germany only a month after the close of the First World War, depicting the Koblenz bridgehead zone, owned by a member of Pershing's staff.

Printed map in nine sheets, with ink and watercolor annotations, 45.5" x 35", [Trier], December 17, 1918, stamped at center left: "SECRET SCALE 1/200,000 MAP-ROOM G-E ADV. G.H.Q." A map of the Rhine River in the vicinity of Koblenz with a typed legend which has been titled, "OPERATIONS MAP NO. 3 - 3 AM. ARMY AMERICAN SECTION COBLENZ BRIDGEHEAD" on a 4.75" x 2.75" slip affixed immediately above the "SECRET" stamp. Folds, minor creases and a few marginal tears, some paper reinforcement on verso, light soiling, else very good.

The map, produced only days after American forces had completed their march from Luxembourg to Koblenz, where they would establish their headquarters, shows the outline of the semicircle of one of the three Allied bridgeheads over the Rhine which guaranteed their control over this important waterway. Together with similar zones at Mainz (Mayence) and Köln (Cologne), the Koblenz zone radiated approximately twenty miles in a semi-circle which abutted a neutral zone which ran the length of the river from the Dutch border to Switzerland. The map indicates the limits of the bridgehead zone as well as the "MAIN POSITIONS OF RESISTANCE," "THIRD POSITION," "SWITCH POTISION," and "FOURTH POSITION."

The present map was part of a collection kept by General Robert C. Richardson (1882-1954). By the time the United States entered the First World War, Richardson, a captain, assisted in the rapid buildup of training of the American Expeditionary Force (A.E.F.) bound for France. Fluent in French, Richardson served as an aide and observer with foreign armies before being assigned to the Operations Division, General Staff, A.E.F. as a liaison officer in June 1918. In that capacity he was involved in the St. Mihiel and Meuse-Argonne Offensives. Following the Armistice of November 11, 1918, Richardson served on the Reparations Board of the Peace Commission in Paris and then as part of U.S. Army occupation forces in Germany stationed at Coblenz and later at Mainz. Richardson, a career Army officer was a member of the West Point Class of 1904, serving in the Philippines and as an instructor of modern languages at the United States Military Academy. During the Second World War, Richardson served as Commanding General of the Hawaiian Department, and was instrumental in training American troops in the fundamentals of jungle warfare and amphibious assaults.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. ***PLEASE NOTE: IF YOU WOULD LIKE YOUR SHIPMENT TO BE SENT TO AN ADDRESS OTHER THAN THE ONE YOU HAVE ON FILE WITH INVALUABLE, YOU WILL NEED TO INFORM US OF THIS AS SOON AS PAYMENT IS SUBMITTED FOR YOUR WINNINGS*** Shipping and handling costs are competitive as we maintain discounted contracts with FedEx. If you have any questions, contact University Archives prior to bidding. After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item. We currently ship via FedEx but if your purchase is shipping to a P.O. Box, we ship via USPS. All items are insured. We ship from our offices in Westport, CT. We may opt to use a third party shipper for very fragile, bulky or oversized items. Items requiring third party shipping will be denoted in the item description. Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 20% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000