Price $190,000 — sold as a collection.

Campaigns waged in North Africa from 1940 to 1943, centred around which power would control the Suez Canal, and therefore the supply of oil from the Middleast. From 1934, Italy had controlled what is now modern Libya and Ethiopia in Africa. Once Italy had aligned itself with the Axis powers, shortly before German troops entered Paris in June of 1940, a naval conflict in the Mediterranean became a certainty, and a land battle in North Africa, likely.

The North African campaign included: the Western Desert Campaign, or Desert War, fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts; Operation Torch, fought in Vichy French governed Algeria and Morocco; and the Tunisia Campaign, in Vichy governed Tunisia.

NORTHEAST AFRICA

– ‘Planheft Frankreich und Franzosisch-Nordafrika. Vom 5. Januar 1943’. Berlin: Oberkommando des Heeres, 5th Januar, 1944. Portfolio. 82 pages of text, 63 two-colour printed maps, some folding; original green printed cloth and paper boards, laced as issued, waterstained.

– ‘Militargeographische Beschreibung von Nordost-Afrika. Abgesxhlossen am 28. November 1940. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, (IV. Mil.-Geo), 1940. Original orange printed stiff paper wallet, worn with loss.
Provenance: with the ink library stamp of the Bundesarchiv Militararchiv Amtsdrucksachen and their manuscript accession marks; and with the early accession and deaccession stamps of the Pentagon Library “Captured Map”, deaccessioned after 9/11.

Contents:
1. ‘… Text- und Bildheft’. 8vo., 158 pages of text, 12 folding maps, 138 pages of photographs; original orange printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘Cairo’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 25 000. City plan.
3. ‘Stadtplan von Alexandria’. Large folding colour printed map, waterstained. 1 : 15 000. Large-scale city plan.
4. ‘Stadtplan von Port Said und Port Fouad’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale plan of the port.
5. ‘Stadtplan von Beni Suef’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale town plan.
6. ‘Stadtplan von Qena’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale town plan.
7. ‘Stadtplan von Zagazig’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale town plan.

– [‘Militargeographische Beschreibung von Nordost-Afrika. Abgesxhlossen am 28. November 1940. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, (IV. Mil.-Geo), 1940]. WALLET MISSING

Contents:
1. ‘… Text- und Bildheft’. MISSING
2. ‘Cairo’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 25 000. City plan.
3. ‘Stadtplan von Alexandria’. Large folding colour printed map, waterstained. 1 : 15 000. Large-scale city plan.
4. ‘Stadtplan von Port Said und Port Fouad’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale plan of the port.
5. ‘Stadtplan von Beni Suef’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale town plan. MISSING
6. ‘Stadtplan von Qena’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale town plan.
7. ‘Stadtplan von Zagazig’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale town plan. MISSING

LIBYA

– ‘Entwurf. Militargeographische Beschreibung von Libyen. Abgeschlossen am 29. Januar 1941’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, (IV. Mil.-Geo), 1941. Original tan stiff paper wallet.
Provenance: with the near-contemporary ink stamp of Rigo Naeske, Berlin, throughout.

Contents:
1. ‘Entwurf. Militargeographische Beschreibung von Libyen’. 8vo., 91 pages of text, 96 pages of photographs, 10 folding maps; original cream printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘Libyen’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 3 000 000. General topographical map.
3. ‘Verkehrskarte von Nord-Libyen’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 2 000 000. Route-map.
4. ‘Kufra’. Large folding colour printed map of the Kufra Oasis. 1 : 100 000.
5. Extra-illustrated with ‘Zusammendruck Libyen’. January, 1942. Large folding uncoloured map of Libya LOOSE IN MYLAR

From their base in Libya, Italy invaded western Egypt in 1940. By 1941, the British army succeeded in pushing the Italian troops back across the Egyptian-Libyan border. Germany responded by sending Rommel (“The Desert Fox”), and what became known as the Afrika Korps, to push the Allies east, allowing Libya’s borders to expand to cover most of the Western Desert.

TUNISIA

– ‘Militargeographische Beschreibung von Tunis. Abgeschlossen am 10. Oktober 1941. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, (IV. Mil.-Geo), 1941. Original tan stiff paper slipcase.

Contents:
1. ‘… Text- und Bildheft’. 8vo., 148 pages of text, one folding map, 64 pages of photographs; original yellow printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘Tunis – SFAX’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. General topographical map.
3. ‘Verkehrskarte von Tunis’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 1 000 000. Route-map. DUPLICATE MAP LOOSE IN MYLAR
4. ‘Stadtplan Tunis’ (recto) – ‘Umgebung Tunis’ (verso). Large folding colour printed map on each side of the sheet. Large-scale detailed town-plan of Tunis on one side, and environs and coastal approaches on the other.
5. MISSING – leaflet showing transit plans.

On the 17th of November, 1942, Italian Libya expanded into French Tunisia. Eventually, in February of 1943, the Axis powers abandoned Libya altogether, consolidating their combined strength into Tunisia for a final defence of their North African campaign.

ALGERIA

– ‘Entwurf. Militargeographische Angagen uber Algerien. Abgeschlossen am 10.XI. 1942’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, 1942. Original tan printed stiff paper slipcase.

Contents:
1. ‘…Textheft’. 8vo., 142 pages of text, 9 folding maps; original tan printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘… Ortsbeschreibungen’. 8vo., 42 pages of text with inset town plans; original tan printed paper wrappers.
3. ‘… Bildheft’. Oblong 8vo., 112 pages of photographs; original tan printed paper wrappers.
4. ‘Ubersichtskarte Nord-Algerien’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 2 000 000. Topographical map.
5. ‘Strassenkarte von Algerien’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 2 000 000. Roadmap.
6. ‘Verkehrswege durch die mittlere Sahara’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 4 000 000. Route map, with wells and airfields marked.
7. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Algier’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000. Large-scale detailed town plan of Algiers and environs.
8. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Oran’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000. Large-scale detailed town plan of Oran and environs.
9. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Constantine’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000. Large-scale detailed town plan of Constantine and environs.
10. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Sidi-bel-Abbes’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000. Large-scale detailed town plan of Sidi-bel-Abbes and environs.

Algeria was the centre of French power in North Africa, and once France had succumbed to Germany in June of 1940, part of the French State, the unoccupied “Free Zone” of Vichy France.

MOROCCO

– ‘Entwurf. Militargeographische Angaben uber Marokko. Abgeschlossen am 20. VII. 1942’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, 1942. Original tan printed stiff paper slipcase.

Contents:
1. ‘… Textheft’. 8vo., 157 pages of text, one folding map; original tan printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘… Bildheft’. Oblong 8vo., 146 pages of photographs; original tan printed paper wrappers.
3. ‘… Ortsbeschreibungen’. 8vo., 47 pages of text with inset town-plans.
4. ‘Marokko’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 2 000 000. General topographical map of Morocco.
5. ‘Strassenkarte von Marokko’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. Route-map.
6. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Casablanca’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000.
7. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Rabat-Sale’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000.
8. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Port-Lyautey u. Mehdia’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000.
9. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Meknes’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000.
10. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Fez’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000.
11. ‘Mil.-Geo.-Plan von Marrakech’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 10 000.

– ‘Entwurf. Militargeographische Angaben uber Marokko. Abgeschlossen am 20. VII. 1942’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, 1942. Original tan printed stiff paper slipcase, worn.
Provenance: library stamps erased from front cover.

Contents:
1. ‘… Textheft’. 8vo., 153 pages of text, one folding map; original tan printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘… Bildheft’. Oblong 8vo., 146 pages of photographs; original tan printed paper wrappers.
3. ‘… Ortsbeschreibungen’. 8vo., 47 pages of text with inset town-plans.
4. ‘Marokko’. Large folding colour printed map, library stamp excised, separations at folds. 1 : 2 000 000. General topographical map of Morocco,.
5. ‘Strassenkarte von Marokko’. Large folding colour printed map, library stamp excised. 1 : 1 000 000. Route-map. DUPLICATE LOOSE IN MYLAR

Operation Torch, the American and British invasion of French North Africa, began on the 8th of November, 1942. Initially the Vichy forces resisted the Allied troops, but two days later, most were supporting the effort to remove German and Italian forces from North Africa.

DAKAR – Second edition.

– ‘Entwurf. Militargeographische Angaben uber Dakar und sein Hinterland (Senegal und Gambia). 2. Ausgabe. Abgeschlossen am 31. Januar 1942 mit einen Nachtrag vom November 1942. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, 1942. Original tan printed stiff paper slipcase.
Provenance: with the ink library stamp of the Bundesarchiv Militararchiv Amtsdrucksachen and their manuscript accession marks.

Contents:
1. ‘… Text- und Bildheft’. 8vo., 160 leaves of text, one folding map, 21 pages of photographs; original tan printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘Senegal und Gambia’. Large folding colour printed map. 1 : 1 000 000. General topographical map.
3. ‘Gewasser und Brunnen im Hinterland von Dakar’. Large folding two-colour printed map. 1 : 500 000. Showing wells, waterways and springs.
4. MISSING – Dakar
5. ‘Umgebungsplan von Dakar mit Mil.-Geo. –Objekten’. Large folding lithographed map with over-printing. 1 : 25 000. Large-scale map of Dakar and environs, showing military placements.
6. MISSING. St. Louis

The Vichy government held strategic port of Dakar, now Senegal, was the scene of a bitter battle for control between British and French in the days between the 23rd and 25th of September, 1940. The French prevailed, until the Allied invasion of North Africa in November of 1942.

EGYPT

– ‘Umgesbungsplan von Alexandrien mit Mil.-Geo. -Objekten’ recto; ‘Stadplan von Alexandrien…’, verso, ‘…Anlage zu: Militargeographische Angaben uber Agypten…Ausgabe Nr. 2, Stand: 1941’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, (IV. Mil.-Geo), 1941. Large folding colour printed maps, with over-printing. Supplement maps of Alexandria, for the ‘Mil.- Geo.-‘ packets of Egypt.

– ‘Militargeographische Angaben uber Agypten. Abgeschlossen am 20. Juni 1942’. Berlin: Generalstab des Heers Abteilung fur Kriegskarten und Vermessungswesen, (IV. Mil.-Geo), 1942. Original orange printed stiff paper wallet.
Provenance: with the ink library stamp of the ‘A Mil Geo Bibliothek’ throughout.

Contents:
1. ‘…Textheft’. 8vo., 195 leaves of text with inset maps, 5 folding maps; original orange printed paper wrappers.
2. ‘… Bildheft’. Oblong 8vo., 172 pages of photographs, including 5 in colour.
3. ‘Agypten’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing. 1 : 2 000 000. General topographical map.
3a. Duplicate of above, LOOSE IN MYLAR
4. ‘Befahrbarkeitskarte’. Large folding colour printed map on two sheets, ‘Marsa Matruh’ [LOOSE IN MYLAR] and ‘Kairo’. 1 : 500 000. Terrain and route maps.
5. ‘Karte der wichtigsten Kanal- und Flussubergange in Agypten’. Large folding colour printed map, with over-printing, on three sheets, ‘Kairo’, Assiut’ and ‘Keno’.
6. Extra-illustrated with ‘Stadtplan von Port Said und Port Fouad’. 1 : 5000. Large-scale plan of the port. With the ink stamps of the Third Reich and other official departmental stamps, issued with ‘Nordost-Afrika’ in 1940.

Egypt accommodated British troops during WWII, based on their treaty of 1936, which enabled them to defend the Suez Canal, but remained relatively neutral until 1945, when King Faruk finally declared war on Germany and Japan.