13th Armored Division Campaign Map

The 13th Armored Division, the “Black Cat” Division, entered combat very late in World War II, but its short route crossed two important final operations. After landing at Le Havre in January 1945, the division spent its first weeks in occupation and movement duties before being committed in April against the Ruhr Pocket, the large Allied encirclement of German forces in western Germany.

The division’s first combat came in the Siegburg area. Advancing north through difficult resistance, its combat commands pushed toward the Wupper, Ratingen, Duisburg, and the Rhine, helping close the southern side of the Ruhr reduction. This was not a long apprenticeship; the division entered the line after extended road marches and was used almost immediately as the armored element needed to complete the pocket’s collapse.

After the Ruhr fighting, the 13th shifted south for the final drive through Bavaria. Starting near Parsberg, it crossed the Regen, Danube, and Isar rivers, moving rapidly through southern Germany as German command and resistance broke apart. By early May, elements reached the Inn River near Braunau, Austria, where the division’s advance paused as the war in Europe ended. The map shows a brief but sharply defined campaign, from the Ruhr’s industrial battles to the last river lines before Austria.

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.