TOWN PLAN OF
BRAUNSCHWEIG
(BRUNSWICK)
1945
(Second Edition, 1951)
Geographical Section, General Staff, No. 4480
Information Supplied By I.S.T.D.
(Inter-Services Topographic Department)
Scale: 1/10,000
Published by WAR OFFICE, London, 1951
A rare original large scale British intelligence map of Braunschweig (Brunswick) prepared by the A.C.I.U., War Office, and Inter-Services Topographic Department in 1945, and first printed in 1945. This is the second edition, printed in 1951. This large 1/10,000 scale map (size: 73cm x 87cm) is a detailed view of the areas of Braunschweig that were targeted by the allied air forces during the devstating bombing raids of October 1944. Individual buildings and installations can be recognised, and many are named, as are the streets and roads. Aerial reconnaissance photos taken in October 1944 were used in the production of this map. Bomb damage from that time can be identified, as buildings and areas damaged or destroyed in allied bombing raids have been noted.
Highly detailed and printed in colour, the first edition of this map would originally have been intended for use in aerial and ground operations as the allies advanced into Germany in 1945. The second edition would have been used by the occupying forces after the end of the war.
Braunschweig (Brunswick) in WW2: During WW2, Braunschweig (known as Brunswick in English) was attacked by Allied aircraft in 42 bombing raids. On the night of 14/15 October 1944, the attack by No. 5 Group Royal Air Force (RAF) marked the high point of the destruction of the city during the war. The air raid was part of Operation Hurricane, which was designed to demonstrate the capabilities of the Allied bombing campaign. The attack caused a massive conflagration and resulted in Braunschweig burning continuously for two and a half days from 15 to 17 October. More than 90 percent of the medieval city centre was destroyed, changing the city's appearance to the present day.
The RAF first bombed Braunschweig on 17 August 1940, killing seven people. As part of the Combined Bomber Offensive, Braunschweig was a regular target for RAF and American bombers, including two "Big Week" attacks on 20 and 21 February 1944. The first major British raid against Braunschweig was on 14/15 January 1944, when nearly 500 Lancaster bombers attacked, in the face of strong defence by German fighters. Being a relatively small target, most of the bombs missed the city.
On 13 October 1944, the RAF received orders to carry out Operation Hurricane, to demonstrate the Allied bomber force's destructive power, and Allied air superiority. The plan for Operation Hurricane saw Duisburg as the main goal for the RAF’s 1,000 bombers, and Cologne for the USAAF's 1,200 bombers. A further 233 RAF bombers were detailed for Braunschweig, which had about 150,000 inhabitants in October 1944. The aircraft of No. 5 Group took off around 11pm on 14 October. The main force of the group was 233 Lancaster bombers, each with a bomb load of about 6 tonnes, accompanied by seven Mosquitos. A decoy attack against Mannheim, which German forces expected to be the main target, left the Brunschweig attack unopposed. About 847 tonnes of bombs were dropped on Braunschweig, including 12,000 high explosive bombs – the so-called "blockbusters" – and 200,000 phosphorus and incendiary bombs, which were designed to ignite the destroyed buildings and create a firestorm. By 3am, about 40 minutes after the first bombs had been dropped, the raid was over. Around 6.30am, the firestorm reached its peak in the city centre. A great part of Braunschweig's tightly packed city centre had been made up of about 800 timber-frame houses, many of which dated back to the Middle Ages. The city also had stone buildings dating mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries. Many of these important historic buildings were completely destroyed. The exact number of casualties is unknown, with figures ranging from 484 to 1000 dead.
Inter-Services Topographic Department: The Inter-Services Topographic Department (1940–1946) was a joint British Army and Navy organization created during WW2 that was responsible for supplying topographic intelligence for all combined operations, and for preparing reports in advance of military operations overseas. This was an intelligence unit administered by the Royal Navy. The establishment of the Inter-services Topographic Department (ISTD) was a result of the near-fiasco of the British invasion of Norway in 1940. Prior to that time, the Army and Royal Navy had different intelligence units that were independent of each other. The ISTD was established at Manchester College, Oxford. Working together with members of each arm and the Allies, this unit used intelligence gathered by means of zero-elevation aerial photography to identify military targets such as beaches, bridges, fortifications, marshalling yards etc. These up-to-date photos and other intelligence sources were used to update obsolete maps. From these new maps, and from older maps, magazine illustrations, and old family photographs and holiday snaps collected from the public, new maps could be produced for the planning staffs and operations forces. These maps would be of vital importance during and after the operations in Europe following the D-Day landings.
Inadequate topographic intelligence could often result in troops encountering impenetrable terrain, amphibious assaults landing on impassable beaches, or airborne assaults dropping in the wrong area. The ISTD was a direct response to the British topographical intelligence shortage before the April 1940 German invasion of Norway. The lack of topographical intelligence on Norway had resulted in RAF Bomber Command pilots relying on 1912 editions of Baedeker's Guides—commonly used by foreign travellers— for navigation when attacking airfields in Norway. This lack of intelligence also caused Royal Navy carrier pilots to rely on contourless Admiralty charts during their attack on Narvik. Later, the topographical intelligence produced by the ISTD proved invaluable to the Royal Navy midget submarine attack and the Royal Navy torpedo aircraft attacks during September 1942 and late 1944, respectively, on the German battleship Tirpitz based in Norway. It was also invaluable during the November 1942 Allied North African landings, and the St. Nazaire commando raid in March 1942. In tribute to the ISTD's effectiveness, the department received compliments from General Dwight D. Eisenhower for its support to the allied landings in French North Africa.
Condition:
In very good condition. The map is in very good condition, with folds and some minor wear at the edges and folds. The map has been folded and more recently stored rolled up. It will be posted rolled up in a large poster tube.
Published: 1945 (2nd edition printed 1951)
Printed in colour
Large folding paper map
Dimensions: 73cm x 87cm
***I have several other original WW2 maps and books listed at the moment. Combined postage is available***
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