RAF “Bomber’s Baedeker” Part II L-Z (1944) Secret WWII Target Book w/ Map

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RAF “Bomber’s Baedeker” Part II L-Z (1944) Secret WWII Target Book w/ Map:
$21850.00

Ultra-rare WWII RAF targeting manual - “Bomber’s Baedeker”, Part II (L-Z)
Offered here is an original 1944 copy of Bomber’s Baedeker. Part II: Guide to the Economic Importance of German Towns and Cities (L-Z), produced by the Foreign Office / Ministry of Economic Warfare (Enemy Branch) for Royal Air Force Bomber Command during the Second World War.
This was a classified “SECRET” reference work used by British intelligence and air planners to assess the economic and strategic importance of German towns and cities. It is not a post-war reprint or facsimile - this is an original wartime volume.About this book
Title: Bomber’s Baedeker. Part II. Guide to the Economic Importance of German Towns and Cities (L-Z)
Date: 1944 (Second Edition)
Scope: Covers German towns and cities from Lahr to Zwickau
Contents:
- Detailed entries for each town: industries, key factories, transport links, labour, and overall economic importance.
-Indices and tables rating towns by their contribution to the German war economy.
-Large fold-out map at rear showing German industrial/urban distribution (present and intact).
Provenance: Printed “SECRET” on the cover. Acquired during his time in the Army by Robert V. Walker, II, drafted in 1944, who later founded the Division of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery at the University of Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and had fellowships at both the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland in 1973 and England in 1984.
Binding: Original blue cloth with printed paper label on the front board and cloth spine.
Scholars of the Combined Bomber Offensive have noted that very few original sets of the 1944 Bomber’s Baedeker survive outside institutional collections. In recent years the work was digitized from a handful of known copies, and physical originals seldom, if ever, appear on the market.
Please note: this is Volume / Part II (L-Z), pp. 422-809. Part I (A-K) is not included.Condition
Overall, the book is in Excellent condition for a working wartime manual of this kind.
Boards: Original blue cloth binding lightly rubbed at edges with minor bumping to corners & no major splits.
Cover label: Complete and legible, with only minor age toning.
Spine: Sound and firmly attached; no significant cracking.
“SECRET” print & "Outpost" stamps: Clear and legible.
Interior: Pages are clean and bright, with no underlining or annotation. No loose or missing pages noted. Some edge minor folds and light toning on the first few pages.
Fold-out map: Present and intact, with light handling wear along folds as expected, no major tears. Map folder (where map sits in book) remains intact, minor glued edge separation. It appears that this section was intended to be a folio but used as a folio and a fold out compartment previously.
Odor: From a smoke-free, dry collection.
See all photos for the best sense of condition - I’ve tried to show covers, title page, “Secret” print, "Outpost" stamp, sample entries, and the fold-out map.Historical Significance
This volume is not just a curiosity; it is a primary source in the history of the Allied strategic bombing campaign:
Compiled by the Ministry of Economic Warfare’s Enemy Branch, it brings together intelligence on German industry, transport, and urban geography in a format directly usable by planners.
It reflects the British attempt to wage economic warfare from the air, identifying key industrial centres, transport nodes, and “bottlenecks” in the German war economy.
Copies like this would have lived in Air Ministry and Bomber Command intelligence offices, feeding into the “target books” and briefing materials used to plan raids on Germany and occupied Europe.
For collectors of WWII intelligence, RAF Bomber Command, strategic bombing, or economic warfare, this is a rare chance to acquire an original example of the actual tools used to decide what would be bombed, where, and why.Shipping & handling
The book will be packed very carefully, wrapped in archival tissue, and shipped in a well-padded box.
I’m happy to ship internationally through 's International Shipping Program.
Insurance and tracking will be included on all shipments.Notes
Again, this listing is for Part II (L-Z) ONLY; Part I (A-K) is NOT included.
I’m happy to answer any questions or supply additional photos of specific pages, the map, or binding details.
Price reflects updated valuation based on rarity and specialist consultation ascomparable copies held in major archives.