Description:

BATTLE OF ST. MIHIEL ARTILLERY BARRAGE MAP, USED BY COL. WILLIAM J. DONOVAN
WILLIAM J. DONOVAN (1883-1959) 'Wild Bill', American brigadier general chosen by Roosevelt to head the O.S.S. (precursor to the C.I.A.). Donovan planted over 16,000 people behind enemy lines and developed elaborate plans to subvert Axis military operations. Historic field-used map with overmarked and annotated by means of the hectograph, or gelatin duplicator process, used by Donovan during the Battle of St. Mihiel as colonel of the U.S. 165th Regiment, originally the famous 69th New York Infantry 'Fighting Irish'. The regiment would distinguish itself at the Second Battle of the Marne, the Ourcq River during the Aisne-Marne Offensive, and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. Donovan himself would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his bravery in mid-October, 1918. The map, 17 x 17.5 in., is cut from a larger French ‘Plan Directeur' artillery map, produced by the Groups de Canevas de Tir des Armee (GCTA), showing German trench lines in the vicinity of the villages of Richecourt, Lahayville and St. Baussant, just south of the larger towns of Essy and Euvezin. It is titled ‘Sketch to Accompany Art[illery] Plan Field Orders No. 17. 42nd Div[ision]', with the subtitle ‘Prepared by Topo Sect. G-2 42nd Div', the division to which the 165th Regiment belonged, itself subordinated to the French Fourth Army. The map is further annotated to show the sector assigned to the 165th, with the line of departure anchored by the towns of Seicheprey and Flirey, and subdivided into sections assigned to company commanders ‘Reilly' and ‘Leach', and battalion commander ‘Tyndall'. Most interestingly, the map bears a schedule for rolling artillery barrages, to begin at ‘H-Hour' on Sep. 12, 1918, with the bombardment of the southernmost German trenches, lasting until ‘H + 40', and then shifting northwards at regular intervals of time, blanketing the entire German defensive sector. The map is further stamped ‘Secret' in blue ink at lower right. The verso bears the pencil notation ‘CO [Commanding Officer] 165th', with ‘Schedule of Rolling Barrage to accompany infantry attack on St. Mihiel Salient' in green, in the hand of 1st Lt. Harold L. Allen, intelligence officer of the 165th Regiment Headquarters Company. The map shows folds overall consistent with field use, with some splits thereto, and two triangular punch marks, but is otherwise in very good condition. Interestingly, the Germans were aware of many of the details of the impending Allied offensive, including the date, time and duration of the preparatory artillery barrage, which was printed in a Swiss newspaper. This map, along with other maps and documents, was contained within two of Donovan's footlockers purchased by our consignor and previously sold by us.

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November 14, 2025 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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