World War II Maps of France Available from Ball State University Libraries

Francais Villes:  Historic Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has provided more maps for a new collection available online from the Libraries’ Digital Media Repository—Army Map ServiceFrance City Plan Maps.  The Digital Media Repository (DMR) provides access to a broad range of digitized primary source materials, including artwork, architectural drawings, films and videos, oral histories, photographs, publications, and historic maps and cartographic resources.

The new collection provides online access to a set of 42 individual France city maps published by the United States Army Map Service of the Corps of Engineers during World War II.  France was the site of the Allied invasion of Europe beginning at D-Day in June of 1944.  Allied troops used these detailed maps in areas of fighting and for mission-planning purposes.  It is estimated that the Army Map Service produced 500 million different maps during this time.

For more information about these historic maps, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.