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