Description:

FRENCH ‘PLANS DIRECTEURS' ARTILLERY MAPS, USED BY COL. WILLIAM J. DONOVAN (4)
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. During World War I, Donovan served 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. Fine group of four 1:20,000-scale French ‘Plans Directeurs', each 29 x 41.5 in., used for plotting artillery missions and other military planning in the field. Each depicts the environs of a French commune in which the 165th saw combat during the summer and fall of 1918: Ste.-Marie-a-Py, including the area of the German Champagne-Marne Offensive and the resulting Second Battle of the Marne, July 14-18; Chalons, also involved in the Second Battle of the Marne; Fere-en-Tardenois, including the terrain involved in the Battle of the Ourcq River, July 28-Aug. 6; and Fismes, engulfed in the same advance. The Ste.-Marie-a-Py, Chalons, and Fere-en-Rardenois maps are marked at top left as being produced by the ‘Groupe de Canevas de Tir' [roughly, ‘Firing Map Group'], a division attached to each corps of the French Army responsible for producing such maps. The Ste.-Marie-a-Py map is dated June 1, 1918; Chalons, May 31; Fere-en-Tardenois, Aug. 3; and Fismes, June 22. The St.-Marie-a-Py and Chalons maps are marked ‘Secret' in red along the top edge. Each map is overlaid with a grid to allow the accurate plotting of artillery fire, and each denotes know German and Allied trench lines, munitions depots, gun batteries, and other military emplacements in blue or red. The Ste.-Marie-a-Py map is particularly well-marked in this regard, showing hundreds of trenches on both sides, most labeled with names granted them by Allied troops (‘B[ois] Boomerang', ‘B. de Rats', ‘Bois du Chien', etc.) All show folds consistent with field use, while the Fere-en-Tardenois map shows a 2 in. tear near center, and it and the Fismes map show additional tears and chips to the edges, while the other two are otherwise in fine condition. Four pieces. These examples, 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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