The 942nd Engineer Aviation Topographical Battalion: April 4, 1944 - May 8, 1945
Belgium? The 942nd Engineer Aviation Topographical Battalion, 1944. Presumed First Edition, First printing [The unit at the end had 30 Officers and 550 men--edition likely did not exceed 750 to 1000 copies]. Wraps. Format is approximately 7.875 inches by 10.25 inches. Unpaginated (68 pages). RARE, not found in Dornbusch!!! Illustrated front cover. Illustrations. Maps. Cover has some wear and soiling. This is largely a pictorial work, with many head shots of individual members of the Battalion. In addition, includes some photographs of Belgium, High Wycombe, Battalion activities. When the Battalion was activated in was located at Kew Gardens, Surrey (within the limits of greater London). On April 17th, 1944 the Battalion arrived at its permanent quarters which were located at AAF Station 101, Eighth Air Force Headquarters, High Wycombe. Upon arrival, the Battalion was immediately engaged in much preparatory work for the invasion (D-Day). With the advent of "Bombing through the clouds" the Battalion was called upon to originate and develop a map for radar navigational purposes. This map was used to guide the bombers to the target even though clouds obscured the check points. The Rhine River and Siegfried Line defenses were photo-mapped and a 1:5000 scale mosaic of Berlin, one of the largest mosaics ever attempted in the theater, was successful completed. Important 'Dropping Zone" maps for airborne landings were made. One of the several jobs that were produced for 'outside the Theater" planning agencies was a series of special maps of power facilities of Japan. This particular project involved the use of as many as 157 different color patterns. In January 1945 the Battalion was reorganized and became an integral part of the 325th Reproduction and Interpretation Center at Virton, Belgium. A new technique for the reproduction of photos with a maximum amount of detail retained was developed by Lt. George. For this work he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal. A further honor was given to M/Sgt. Pollina who received the Legion of Merit for his exemplary work in reproduction. Also a unit citation was given by the General commanding the First French Army for specialized work completed for this army. At the front of this work are commendations from General Omar Bradley, Commanding Twelfth Army Group, Lieutenant General J. H.(Jimmy) Doolittle, Commanding the Eighth Air Force, and Colonel Elliott Roosevelt, Commanding the 325th Photographic Wing. In 1939 Gen. Hap Arnold negotiated with the U.S. Army Chief of Engineers for a special engineer unit to work with the Air Corps. The original concept envisioned a small group of skilled construction and engineer troops, closely trained alongside air units, with the ability to repair bomb damaged airfields, to camouflage airfields and if necessary, to defend airfields. These troops would also be capable of constructing light duty airfields in forward locations. After the German invasion of Poland demonstrated the value of such an organization, the War Department created the 21st Engineers (Aviation) Regiment at Fort Benning, Ga., on June 4, 1940. At first, responsibility for constructing heavy duty airfields remained with the Corps of Engineers, but by mid-1941, the mission of the aviation engineers expanded beyond runway repair and light runway construction. As the possibility of American involvement in a global war grew, the planners agreed to give the air forces enough men and equipment to construct their own heavy duty bases in forward areas. Without knowing exactly what would be needed to build air bases in deserts, in jungles and on coral islands, the planners devised the Engineering Aviation Battalion, a self-contained unit that became the core of aviation engineering efforts during World War II. Originally established with 27 engineer officers and 761 enlisted men, a battalion would be capable of "independently constructing an advanced airdrome and all appurtenances." Manned with well-trained and experienced personnel, 12 EABs had been formed by the time of Pearl Harbor and sent to the Philippines, to islands across the Southwest Pacific and northward to the Aleutian Islands. It became apparent, however, that more EABs would be needed quickly. Between December 1941 and December 1942, the number of battalions jumped from 12 to 51, and three-fourths of them were already overseas. The United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is an engineer formation of the United States Army that has three primary mission areas: Engineer Regiment, military construction, and civil works. Military Surveying or Topography, as it is technically called, has the same object in view as Civil Surveying; that is, the production of maps which bring under review in a small compass the general features, both natural and artificial, of a large extent of country. Maps are useful in many professional and business callings, but to the soldier they are indispensable. Condition: Good.
Keywords: 942nd Engineer Aviation Topographical Battalion, 325th Reproduction and Interpretation Center, D-Day, Virton, Belgium, High Wycombe, Eighth Air Force, AAF Station 101, Radar Navigation, Drop Zones, Cartography, Unit History, Twelfth Army Group
[Book #86284]
Price: $1,750.00