Description:

GEN. FRANZ HALDER'S MAP OF OPERATION TYPHOON - THE VYAZMA CAULDRON
Original hand-drawn situation map from the personal files of German Gen. FRANZ HALDER (1884–1972) documenting the 'Vyazma Cauldron', the pincer encirclement of hundreds of thousands of Red Army soldiers during Operation Typhoon, the attempt by Halder to take Moscow. The map was executed using india ink and red (representing Soviet) and blue (representing German) indelible pencil on coated map paper, 1p. 4to. in size, the drawing titled: 'Skizze 1 – Der Wjasma-Kessel 6.10.1941' ('Sketch 1: The Vyazma-Cauldron, 6.10.1941'). The map is drawn on a scale of 1:1,000,000. with a 0-60 km bar at bottom. The observed Axis direction of attack is drawn in blue with the assumed Soviet breakout direction in red. To the right we see Panzergruppes 3 and 4, the armored pincers closing the pocket. The encirclement is shown as a large red dashed oval with red dashed arrows indicating expected Soviet breakout attempts. Towns shown include Smolensk (far left), Vyazma/Wjasma (far right), Dorogobuzh (center), Yelnya/Jelnya, as well as smaller entities. Rivers are sketched lightly; blue U-shaped symbols mark German defensive arcs.The sketch summarizes the opening week of October 1941 as the panzer forces drove east of Smolensk toward Vyazma, enabling 9th Army (north) and 4th Army (south) to trap several Soviet armies west of Vyazma. This map is of the sort a senior staff officer would draw to visualize the situation at a glance. It freezes a crucial turning point. By the evening of 6 Oct 1941 German pincers north and south of Vyazma had met and the encirclement was taking shape. Within days the ring was sealed and hundreds of thousands of Soviet troops were trapped and taken prisoner. The pocket briefly opened the road to Moscow—but the time and losses taken closing it contributed to Germany's later failure before the city.

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April 21, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000