Java Navigation Chart May 1944

Large-scale wartime navigation chart of Java and the surrounding seas, produced during the later stages of the Second World War for Allied operational use. The chart covers the entirety of Java, together with Madura, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, the southern coast of Borneo, and the principal adjacent waters including the Java Sea, Makassar Strait, Bali Sea, Indian Ocean, and the northern edge of the China Sea.

Compiled on a Mercator projection, the map is expressly designed for maritime and air navigation. Coastal outlines are shown in detail, with harbours, anchorages, reefs, shoals, and navigational hazards carefully delineated. Inland detail on Java includes roads and railways, reflecting the island’s strategic and logistical importance. Prominently printed circular distance scales indicate navigational range and position-fixing aids used for naval and aviation planning. A latitude and longitude grid is provided throughout.

Issued at a time when Java was under Japanese occupation, the chart reflects Allied intelligence and operational priorities in Southeast Asia in 1944, when preparations were underway for expanded naval, air, and amphibious operations across the region. The emphasis on sea lanes, straits, and approaches underscores its role as a practical working chart rather than a civilian or decorative map.

A striking and historically significant example of Second World War navigation cartography, illustrating the strategic importance of Java within the wider theatre of operations in the East Indies and the Southwest Pacific.