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Nazi Germany’s Map of Bombay With Eagle & Swastika 1940s
This is a rare 1940s Nazi Germany’s map of Bombay (or Mumbai) stamped with the eagle and swastika seal. The eagle and swastika or Reichsadler seal is visible on the front page that shows the Bombay map. There is also a red wax seal impressed with “SS” just below the eagle and swastika seal. The “SS” or Waffen-SS (for Schutzstaffel) was a wing of the dreaded Hitler’s Nazi party that grew into a large organization. Rivaling the German army under Hitler’s Nazi regime.
Read more- The Schutzstaffel.
The inner page shows the profile of India, the back shows Sri Lanka with parts of Tamil Nadu. Since the Axis powers included Germany, Italy, Japan… Britain was part of the “Allied” power. And India being a British colony would be a natural target for the Germans. This may have prompted Germany and Japan to bomb selected targets in India.
The targets as such included Kolkata, Chennai, and Mumbai. This map is perhaps part of Germany’s information gathering on India. It is to remember that in 1914 much before WWII, a German Warship Emden audaciously bombarded Chennai.
See my post on- Bombing of Madras By Emden WW1 – Old Print 1914
Did you know- between 1935 to 1937 the Nazis through their agents in India attempted to spread their ideology among certain sections of the Indian population to counter British rule.
See more:- Drawing Hiding The Taj Mahal WW2., Raja Ravi Varma’s “Birth of Shakuntala” Oleograph c1894., The Outskirts Of Delhi Jama Masjid – Old Print 1800s., GIPR Steam Locomotive Bombay – Old Photo 1900
The images are of the actual items from my collection. And Not a photocopy, pirated, reproduced, or stock photos or taken from other sources.