The military cartography in WWII:
A comparative study of the 1/50,000 topographic mapping
between the U.S. and Japanese army in Taiwan, 1944-1945
Chun-Lin Kuo Assistant Professor, Department of Taiwan and Regional Studies,
National Dong-Hwa University, Taiwan
Hsiung-Ming Liao Assistant Research Specialist, Research Center of Humanities and Social
Sciences, Academia Sinica, Taiwan
IGU 2013 Kyoto Regional conference
JS102-3 Modern mapping process of East Asian countries:
from imperial cartography to GIS
1. Background- study area
1.1 Background- the topographical survey in Taiwan
• After the first Sino-Japanese War (Japan–Qing War, 1894-1895)
Taiwan became the first colony of Japan.
• During the colonial period, several important topographical
survey were conducted by which 5 series of cartographic maps
were produced.
1. 1895 1/50,000 Taiwan Provisional Surveyed Map
2. 1896-1904 1/20,000 Taiwan Bao Map
3. 1907-1916 1/50,000 Taiwan Banchi Cartographic Map
4. 1921-1928 1/25,000 Taiwan Cartographic Map
5. 1924-1945 1/50,000 Taiwan Cartographic Map
1895 1914 1930 1944
1.2 Background-the catalog published by Japanese army
• The survey of the latest 1/50000 cartographic interrupted in
1938, the year Japanese army invaded China.
• However, a large number of 1/50,000 topographic maps
were reproduced or redrawn in 1944 -45.
• Why the Japanese army redraw the maps in the end of the
war? Did they finish the cartographical survey covering the
whole island of Taiwan?
The catalog of
1:50,000 maps,
Published by the
Japanese imperial
Land survey
institute in 1944
1.3 Background- Maps produced by the AMS
• After the Battle of Pearl Harbor, the United States declared war
on Japan in 1941.
• The Japanese colony-Taiwan became the attack target for the
U.S. army. the U.S. Army Map Serves (AMS) also produced
several sets of color topographic map of Taiwan.
– 1944 Formosa city maps (26 cities)
– 1944 1:25,000 Cartographic maps
– 1944-45 1:50,000 Cartographic maps
1. Background –issues for Gaihozu studies
• The Army Map Service (AMS) was the premier map making
agency of the U.S. department of defense from 1941 to 1968.
• The major task of AMS was the compilation, publication and
distribution of military topographic maps required by the U.S.
army.
• How the AMS produced the 1:50,000 cartographic maps of
Taiwan in 1944-45? What are the differences between the AMS
cartographic maps and the Japanese maps.
1895 1914 1930 1944 1944
1.4 Background- the usage of aerial photographs
• Throughout the war, military cartographers used every
means at their disposal to obtain the latest intelligence
and to incorporate this information into their maps. But
the most useful source was aerial photographs taken
from an aircraft.
• In the last two years of the War, both of Japanese and
U.S. used aerial photograph to correct their map source.
• How the aerial photographs were used in producing
cartographic maps by U.S. and Japanese army?
2. Objectives
• This study aims to investigate the 1/50,000 topographic map sets produced by U.S. and Japanese military for their differences of mapping contents and survey methods in Taiwan.
– Why the Japanese army redraw the maps in the end of the war? Did they finish the cartographical survey covering the whole island of Taiwan?
– How the AMS produced the 1:50,000 cartographic maps of Taiwan in 1944-45? What are the differences between the AMS cartographic maps and the Japanese maps.
– Furthermore, with the usage of Geographic Information System (GIS), we also introduce a web map service for representing the geospatial landscape of Taiwan before the end of WW2.
The 1:50,000 cartographic map produced
by the Japanese Army
(1924-1945)
Part1
1.The 1:50,000 cartographic maps produced before the 2nd Sino-Japanese war (1924-1938)
1. The 1:50,000 cartographic maps produced before the 2nd Sino-Japanese war (1924-1938)
• The production of 1:50,000 cartographic maps can be divided to 4 stages:
1. 1924-1926: compiled from 1:25,000 cartographic maps (western flat areas)
2. 1927-1928: Field measurements by Triangulation networks (south Taiwan except the central mountain areas)
3. 1929-1930: Field measurements by Triangulation networks ( mainly in Eastern Taiwan)
4. 1931-1938: Ground photographic survey and field measurement by Triangulation networks (North central mountain areas)
1. The 1:50,000 cartographic maps produced before the 2nd Sino-Japanese war (1924-1938)
• For the following reason 7 sheets were redraw in 1930s:
1. Fill the blank of mountain area in the provisional version.
2. Resurvey the landscape changed by the earthquake in 1930.
Abstract of <Tosei> surveyed in 1925 Abstract of <Tosei> surveyed in 1938
<Boke-yama>,surveyed in 1929 <Noko-zan>,surveyed in 1933
1. The 1:50,000 cartographic maps produced before the 2nd Sino-Japanese war (1924-1938)
• Due to the outbreak of the second Sino-Japanese war, the survey of the 1/50000 cartographic maps was interrupted in 1938.
• The incomplete area (mainly in the southern Central Mountain area) covered 6141 square kilometers, about 17% of Taiwan.
• During the 14 years, among the published 108 sheets , 18 sheets had blank areas, and 5 sheets were not mapped.
2.The urgent military reprinting in 1944
• In 1944, the war became
unfavorable for the Japanese side.
• The general staff headquarters of
Japanese army reprint the
catalogue of the 1:25,000 and
1:50,000 cartographic maps.
2.The urgent military mapping in 1944
• The unmeasured mountain areas were compiled by the early 1:50,000 Ban-chi cartographic maps published by the police office of colonial government in 1910s.
<Shushu>,surveyed in 1929 <Shushu>,compiled in 1944
<Choshu>,surveyed in 1928 <Choshu>, compiled in 1944
3.The Usage of cartographic maps in the end of WW2
• In the last few
years of WW2, the
cartographic maps
were used for
commanding the
fortress placement.
• The whole Taiwan
island became a
military fortress of
Japanese army.
• The 1:50,000
cartographic maps
became the base
map of military
cartography.
• The Ninth Division
of fortress placement
map was made up by
11 sheets of 1:50,000
cartographic maps.
• The military
divisions covers
almost the range of a
prefecture including
the mountain areas.
• The Tainan fortress placement map was made up by 6 sheets of 1:50,000 cartographic maps.
• The information of the military arrangements were written by hands or pasted notes on it.
4.The aerial photogrammetry in 1945
• In 1945, Japanese army applied aerial
photogrammetry to revise the
1:50,000 cartographic maps.
• With the reference of map archives in
the world, only 9 sheets can be found.
– Possible reason1: The Japanese army
destroyed the maps after the war.
– Possible reason2: The Japanese army
did not have enough resource to
finish the survey.
• 6 sheets located in southern mountain
areas, half of the sheets remain
uncompleted (sketched map).
• 3 sheets located in military zones
near the port, one of the sheets
remain uncompleted (sketched map).
4.The aerial photogrammetry in 1945
<Ari-San> compiled in 1944 <Ari-San> revised in 1945
<Riran> compiled in 1944 <Rian> revised in 1944 (uncompleted)
4.The aerial photogrammetry in 1945
Abstract of <Tainan S>,surveyed in 1927 Abstract of <Tainan S>,revised in 1945
The map of “Toko” was issused in 1945
has a red sketch with the reference of
aerial photos (1944. Aug.) on the original
cartographic map published in 1928.
5. Summary
• The production of 1:50,000 cartographic maps can be divided to 4 stages: – 1924-1930 Surveyed by triangulation network in flat areas
– 1931-1938 completed the survey of north mountain areas
– 1944: compiled the early maps in southern mountain areas
– 1945: applied aerial photogrammetry in selected areas
• In the last few years of WW2, Taiwan island became a military fortress of Japanese army, and the 1:50,000 cartographic maps were used for commanding the fortress placement.
• In 1945, Japanese army applied aerial photogrammetry to revise the 1:50,000 cartographic maps, only few maps were completed.
The 1:50,000 cartographic map produced
by U.S. AMS
(1944-1945)
Part2
Between 1941 and 1945, the Army Map Service prepared 40.000 maps of
all types, covering 400,000 square miles of the earth’s surfaces. Over 500
million copies were produced during the war,
1.The 1:50,000 cartographic maps produced by AMS in 1944-1945 with 4 editions
Compare the AMS maps with the Japanese 1:50,000 cartographic maps
The features of the AMS’s 1:50,000 maps
For use by War and Navy department agencies only
Sheet name, translated from Japanese map
Taihoku (Taipei city)revised by aerial photos
Compiled or redraw from different Japanese maps
Administration boundaries and compilation methods
Explanation of map sources
Legend
Explanation of Military grids
Sample of the 1:50,000 Formosa maps, 1st edition
Type1
Sample of the 1:50,000 Formosa maps, 1st edition
Type2
Sample of the 1:50,000 Formosa maps, 2nd edition
67 sheets
Sample of the 1:50,000 Formosa maps, 3rd edition
Sample of the 1:50,000 Formosa maps, 4th ed. & F type
2.Compilation methods and data sources of the 1:50,000 cartographic maps
Compilation methods 1. Completely copied from a Japanese map 2. Simply compiled from different Japanese maps 3. Redraw or revised from aerial photos
Data sources – J1- 1:50,000 Taiwan government general civil affair bureau, police office map,
1907-1914
– J2 -1:50,000 Japanese imperial Land survey 1924-1938
– J3 -1:20,000 Special Taiwan Land Investigation Office Map, 1904
– J4 -1:100,000 Special Taiwan Land Investigation Office Map, 1904-1905
– J5 -1:25,000 Japanese imperial Land survey 1921-1926
– J6- 1:200,000 Japanese imperial land survey 1930s
– J7- Japanese Hydrographic Chart, 1930
– A1- Intelligence reports, 1943-1944
– A2- photo planimetric methods from photos dataed 1943-1944
– A3- photo stereogrammetric from photos dataed 1943-1944
– A4- other AMS maps or resources, 1944
1st edition maps
Completely copied from a Japanese map
J1- 1:50,000 Taiwan government general civil affair bureau, police office map, 1907-1914
J2 -1:50,000 Japanese imperial Land survey 1924-1938
Simply compiled from different Japanese maps
J1- 1:50,000 Taiwan government general civil affair bureau, police office map, 1907-1914
J2 -1:50,000 Japanese imperial Land survey 1924-1938
J3 -1:20,000 Special Taiwan Land Investigation Office Map, 1904
J4 -1:100,000 Special Taiwan Land Investigation Office Map, 1904-1905
J5 -1:25,000 Japanese imperial Land survey 1921-1926
J6- 1:200,000 Japanese imperial land survey 1930s
J7- Japanese Hydrographic Chart, 1930
A1- Intelligence reports, 1943-1944
A2- photo planimetric methods from photos dataed 1943-1944
A3- photo stereogrammetric from photos dataed 1943-1944
A4- other AMS maps or resources, 1944
Simply compiled from different Japanese maps
Redraw or revised from aerial photos
J1- 1:50,000 Taiwan government general civil affair bureau, police office map, 1907-1914
J2 -1:50,000 Japanese imperial Land survey 1924-1938
J3 -1:20,000 Special Taiwan Land Investigation Office Map, 1904
J4 -1:100,000 Special Taiwan Land Investigation Office Map, 1904-1905
J5 -1:25,000 Japanese imperial Land survey 1921-1926
J6- 1:200,000 Japanese imperial land survey 1930s
J7- Japanese Hydrographic Chart, 1930
A1- Intelligence reports, 1943-1944
A2- photo planimetric methods from photos dataed 1943-1944
A3- photo stereogrammetric from photos dataed 1943-1944
A4- other AMS maps or resources, 1944
3.The Usage of the 1:50,000 cartographic maps produced by AMS during the war
Frequency of air raids (gray bars) in Taiwan during WW2 and the count for
each month (the black time series).
3.The Usage of the 1:50,000 cartographic maps produced by AMS during the war
Source: Chih-wen Hung (2012) Air Raids in Taiwan during World War II
The bombing locations in Taiwan for each month during WW2.
Source: Chih-wen Hung (2012) Air Raids in Taiwan during World War II
4. Summary
• Four editions of the 1:50,000 cartographic maps were produced by AMS in 1944, only several sheets were revised in 1945.
• Three compilation methods were used in AMS maps: – Completely copied from a Japanese map
– Simply compiled from different Japanese maps
– Redraw or revised from aerial photos
• 11 kinds of data sources were used in producing the maps, and 81% of the maps were redrawn or revised from aerial photos.
• During the war, these maps were used as a reference for air raids in Taiwan.
The GIS-based web map service for
representing these historical cartographic
maps
Part 3
Taiwan Century-old Maps System ( developed by GIS center ,Academia Sinica)
WMS
services
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rchss.twhgis
Taiwan Century-old Maps System
APP for mobile usage
Conclusion-1
• This study investigated two sets of modern Taiwan’s
1/50,000 topographic map sets produced by Japanese and U.S.
military for their differences of mapping contents and survey
methods.
• The Japanese 1/50,000 topographic maps were the most
completed medium-scale topographic map in colonial Taiwan;
the AMS’s maps were continuing used and revised by Taiwan
government after the War.
• Both of them has became valuable spatial information
representing the geographic changes of Taiwan in the middle
of 20 century.
Conclusion-2
• Studies of these maps are important research subjects for scholars who are interested in the intersection of modern history and the military cartography.
• By considering the circumstances in which the maps were created, their limitations, or even their reliability, this study thus revealed the value of these spatial materials.
• Since the related digital archives of historical maps and aerial photos are gradually released in recent years, we will also highlight the two 1/50,000 cartographic map sets’ research value -the key reference for the aerial photos taking by the U.S. army during the WWII- among the digital archives’ map collections.
Thank You
Top Related