The Fourth Armored Division

A very rare and nicely detailed World War II (WWII) 2-sheet map set of the 4th Armored Division's fight across Europe from Omaha Beach to the Pisek, Czechoslovakia. The 4th Armored Division earned distinction by spearheading for General Patton's 3rd Army in the European theater during World War II. The map shows the various routes taken by the forces from their landing at OMAHA BEACH in July of 1944 through their eventual occupation of Germany in May of 1945. The map shows all the important engagements with the enemy with a red star, and has photographs of the commanders of the Fourth, MAJ. GEN. JOHN S. WOOD, MAJ. GEN. HUGH J. GAFFEY, and MAJ. GEN. WILLIAM M. HOGE. The map was made in two large parts, which overlap to form the whole. Each of the two map sheets measure 29x 21.57 inches.

This map comes with the original aluminum shipping tube used by Sgt. James Matthews to ship to his wife.


Some history and information about the Fourth Armored Division (from armydivs.com/4th-armored-division site)


Division Chronicle
After training in England from January to July 1944, the 4th Armored Division landed at Utah Beach 11 July 1944 and entered combat 17 July, driving to and securing the Coutances area, 28 July, The Division then swung south to take Nantes, cutting off the Brittany Peninsula, 12 August 1944. Turning east, it drove swiftly across France north of the Loire, smashed across the Moselle 11-13 September, flanked Nancy and captured Luneville, 16 September. After maintaining a defensive line, Chambrey to Xanrey to Henamenil, from 27 September to 11 October, the Division rested briefly before returning to combat 9 November with an attack in the vicinity of Viviers. The 4th cleared Bois de Serres, 12 November, advanced through Dieuze and crossed the Saar, 21-22 November, to establish and expand bridgehead and took Singling and Bining before being relieved 8 December. Two days after the Germans launched their Ardennes offensive, the 4th Armored entered the fight (18 December 1944), racing northwest into Belgium, covering 150 miles in 19 hours. The Division attacked the Germans at Bastogne, helping to relieve the besieged 101st Airborne. Six weeks later the Division jumped off from Luxembourg City in an eastward plunge that carried it across the Moselle River at Treir, , south and east to Worms, and across the Rhine, 24-25 March 1945. Advancing all night, the 4th crossed the Main River the next day, south of Hanau, and continued to push on. Lauterbach fell 29 March, Creuzburg across the Werra on 1 April, Gotha on the 4th, and by 12 April the Division was across the Saale River. Pursuit of the enemy continued and by 6 May the Division had crossed into Czechoslovakia, established a bridgehead across the Otara River at Strakonice, with forward elements at Pisek. After a tour of occupational duty, the 4th returned to the United States for inactivation, some of its elements, however, remaining as occupation forces after redesignation as constabulary units.