1943 Map of Turtle Mts.

About this map

Turtle Mountains dominate the landscape of this 1943 provisional military survey, which was prepared specifically for the Commanding General of the California-Arizona Maneuver Area. This high-contrast topographic study, issued as a restricted War Department document, reflects the urgent cartographic needs of World War II desert training. The map was developed by the 651st Engineer Topographic Battalion using photographic enlargements of earlier water district surveys, illustrating how civilian infrastructure data was repurposed for military defense and training during the war years. The intricate contour work focuses almost exclusively on the elevation and relief of the range, providing a detailed tactical overview of the terrain as it existed during the mobilization of the early 1940s.