This enormous WW2-era map of the world was published by the US Navy's Educational Services Section to educate its troops about the global scale of the war and the US Navy's role in it.

Red arrows trace the major Allied supply lines from the United States to the rest of the world. Smaller grey arrows illustrated with ships and planes denote American naval activity to protect these supply lines. The red circles mark recipients of American lend-lease exports and the number inside each circle shows what percentage of American lend-lease each nation receives. A text box below the map explains the lend-lease system, describing the types of materials sent by the US to its allies between March 1941 and March 1944.

The furthest limits of Axis expansion are marked on the map with yellow dashed lines for the Japanese and white dashed lines for Germany & Italy. Germany itself is marked in green. The locations of US Armed Forces are marked with white stars. Two circular diagrams in the upper corners show air distances in the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

This map is part of a series of 6 educational posters designed by the US Navy to explain the various combat theatres in which American sailors and marines were fighting. Other maps in the series focus on the Mediterranean, the North Atlantic, the North Pacific, the South Pacific, and the South China Sea. These regional maps are referenced on this world map in many of the descriptions of US Navy activity, encouraging sailors to study the other maps in the series as well. For example, a note south of Iceland in the North Atlantic states that "The Navy plays a key role in the unprecedented assault on Hitler-held Europe. (See Nav War Map No. 3.)".

All of these posters are not only educational, but are also extremely attractive and evocative. Sweeping multi-coloured arrows show Allied and Axis offensives and counter-offensives. Planes and ships, both in an out of combat, are often illustrated on the map to provide extra decoration. Terrain is drawn in relief as if on a 3-D model. Just enough facts and historical details are added to provide interest, but not so many as to make the posters overwhelming. In all, these are masterful examples of educational poster design which have hardly been rivalled since.

Printed colour. Laid down on archival linen. [Tube]