45th Infantry Division Campaign Map

The 45th Infantry Division’s World War II route stretched from the Mediterranean to the heart of Germany. Known as the Thunderbird Division, it first entered combat in Sicily in July 1943, landing near Scoglitti and fighting inland before the island campaign ended. Its next landing came at Salerno, where the division fought through German resistance around key roads, river crossings, and mountain positions on the way north.

In January 1944, the 45th landed at Anzio and endured months of hard fighting on the beachhead before joining the breakout toward Rome. After withdrawing for rest and training, the division made another amphibious landing in southern France in August 1944. It advanced up the Rhône Valley, entered the Vosges, and fought through the approaches to Alsace during the autumn and winter.

In 1945, the Thunderbird Division returned to the offensive, broke through the West Wall near Sarreguemines, and crossed the Rhine in late March. It advanced through Aschaffenburg and joined the fight for Nuremberg before moving south through Bavaria toward Munich and Dachau. The map shows a campaign of repeated landings and long movement, from Sicily’s beaches to the final battles in southern Germany.

PAPER & PRINTING

Printed on archival-grade, acid-free matte fine-art paper with a natural surface for crisp detail, accurate color, and lasting display quality.