Global Air Maps of World War II

Double hemisphere map showing air routes around the globe during WWII.

In order to best illustrate the reduced distances between points as a result of the air travel revolution, polar projections of the Northern and Southern Hemisphere were chosen to frame this map. Global supply routes are labeled in red, with the total distance noted for each.

The verso of the sheet goes into much greater detail about how air transportation and shipping has revolutionized travel and warfare. “World War II has made us aware in a tragic way of the roundness and smallness of our globe. The flames of war have spread their devastation in every corner of the world, and no one can predict where the next conflagration will break out.” Five separate maps show the variation in distances between air and sea routes between common points, including New York to Calcutta and San Francisco to Sydney.