map coordinates germany WWll

[patchtrader864]

i am looking for a grid map of germany WWll that has grid vk 645 482 thanks .

[Darktrooper]

i am looking for a grid map of germany WWll that has grid vk 645 482 thanks .

 

 

do you know the area that it is supposed to be? or a City? Because you are asking us fo find 100 square meters!

[patchtrader864]

Darktrooper thanks for the reply[ area ] schmallenberg or menden area of germany

what i am looking for is a link to a grid map that has that area of germany . patchtrader864

[SGM (ret.)]

patchtrader:

 

Starting from the assumption that your coordinates are US military, WWII (and not, say, WWII German)-

 

If you know the entire MGRS (Military Grid Reference System) grid coordinate you might be able to ask someone with a GPS who lives in Germany (or has a Gemany map loaded in their GPS) to locate the point for you.

 

You'll need to know the datum used during WWII (or whenever your six-digit coordinate was recorded), along with the Grid Zone Designator. The current datum in use is WGS 84 (World Geodetic System 1984). If I recall correctly, the Grid Zone Designator in use in most of Germany is 32U with the extreme southern portion 32T (but it has been a while, so I might be wrong there).

 

The datum and Grid Zone designator will probably have to be found on a contemporary map of Germany, but will not have to be of the exact area that you're looking for. The info should be located in the marginal data, most likely on or near the bottom of the map. For that info, maybe someone here on the forum with an old US, WWII map from almost anywhere in Germany would be able to provide that info.

 

Your volunteer would set his GPS for the correct datum and to use MGRS for its coordinates system. He would then just enter the entire coordinate as a way point, starting with the Grid Zone Designator, followed by the two-letter 100,000 meter square identifier (in this case, "VK"), and finally the numerical coordiantes (probably adding extra zeros as place holders to get the total number of digits to 10), i.e. "32U VK 64500 48200").

 

This should give you the exact point on the ground.

 

Good luck!

[patchtrader864]

thanks SGM this is the best info i have recieved on this in 15 years did not know about the 32u part and yes this is us. military { army } april 1945 this will give me more to work with . thanks patchtrader864

[R Leonard]

Actually, the code “vk645482” is British in origin, though adapted from the French WWI Lambert system, and is typical of the common allied coordinate system used in the ETO during the war. The system is called Modified British System".

 

There is a nice write up at http://www.echodelta.net/mbs/eng-overview.php

 

Since you specified the coordinates as being in Germany, the Nord de Guerre Zone covering the northeastern part of France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and parts of Austria and Czechoslovakia is the map grid that comes into play.

 

If you plug the coordinates into the site’s Lat/Long translator, you get 50°49'03''N, 5°48'48''E or, in decimal degrees, 50.81762°, 5.81321°. Looks to be just to the southwest of the built up area of a place called Margraten, which is in south Limburg, Netherlands, slightly west of halfway between Aachen, to the east and Masstricht to the west, right off the main road.

 

Margarten is where you would find the Netherlands American Military Cemetery and Memorial.

 

You can cruise around the above site, you’ll come up with the same answer.

 

Regards,

 

Rich

[patchtrader864]

rich thank you

one of my cousin's was k.i.a. in the war i have his personnel file it has cause of death and coordinates

i have been thinking this is where he got killed but thanks to you i know it is where he is buried . he is buried at margarten

american military cemetery thanks again patchtrader864 .

[SGM (ret.)]

Rich,

 

Excellent information! Thanks for posting the link. I had actually tried to find the datum in use by the US Army during WWII but came up short and gave up too soon. In my reply, I used the current info and hoped it would get patchtrader864 close. I could find the datums for use in North America, but not Europe. Your web site answered the question!

 

Again, thanks.

 

Mike

[R Leonard]

mercy buckets

 

Just one of those sites you stumble on by accident and say, hmmm, I better book mark this one just in case. Odd, as my primary interest is WW2 Pacific Naval Aviation.

 

Have a Happy New Year