FALAISE gap Pz Gr West map .... Normandy

[falls1944]

Hi,

Just found 3 maps from a house near Chambois. 3 standards maps with overprinted marking "Geheim! Darf nich in feindeshand fallen! Anlage Pz. Gr. West la/Harko 309 Nr407/44 g.II " and small circles with number. One map of Sud Ost CAEN, one of Nord Ost ST LO and one of Sud Ost ST LO. All with the same kind of marking.
Just want to know the signification of the small circles with the different codes , please ?
And in case the eventual value ?

Thanks, David

[falls1944]

Photo

[S Ballantyne]

Map

Hi,

Interesting find, I would think the markings on the map correspond to hills, so Hill 841, etc.

Maybe someone knows more.

Cheers
Steve

[falls1944]

Hi, Steve

Thank you for this first reply. Yes, may be you are on the right way ? interesting !

David

[Lutfen]

The numbers appear to be sequential and not height indicators. I'm afraid I can't shed any more light on what they could be, although I have seem similar indicators on other German maps. They are very nice items to find. You can pick up Normandy maps reasonably cheaply, unless there is a definite link to the invasion. So it would be good if someone could decipher the annotations and make that connection.

Regards,
Michael

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

Harko units were high-level Army groups artillery commands.

http://www.feldgrau.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=9397

Harko 309 was planned to focus on English coasts starting from early 1944, and was in command of the artillery of the 7. Armee in Normandy.

To me the numbers are identifying possible areas (here, mostly small villages/cities) in which the artillery units of the 7. Armee may be put in battery.
I suppose that the locations were checked to see which areas may fit to be used by batteries, battalions or artillery regiments.
It is very possible that lines of fire where already calculated from each of these locations in advance.

This is why this kind of map was "Geheim!", to avoid Allied forces to know which locations may be used by German artillery forces (easy then to bomb them in preventive strikes).

So in my opinion not very common, but may interest only advanced collectors.

See You

Vince

[falls1944]

Hi

Vince , thank you very much for your help. Very interesting.

Thanks also to Michael

David

[pedroMM]

Hello mate.
Not sure about its meaning, but in modern armies we use a similar way to name artillery actions.
Each number corresponds with an specific target, each target is inclueded in an indirect fire plan which also contains which artillery unit must provide that action, what are the intended effects, etc...
So my bet is that you have a map with some pre planned artillery actions.

Ps: If an arty man is reading, please dont hesitate to correct me if I have been unaccurate.I am just an infantry man

[pedroMM]

Just an add.

Looking at the close up you uploaded, most of the circles are above important road junctions, an easy to spot place for firing, and also logical during a tactical defence.

There might be other interesting targets but the fact that most of the circles point to road junctions lead me again to the arty pre planned actions theory

Kind regards

Pedro

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

at first i thought of targets to shot at, but i can't see Harko 309 being as reactive as printing new maps with a list of potential targets in the summer of 1944.

See You

Vince