Did you know the Allies used the Michelin Guide on the battlefield?

The Michelin Guide is best known for its world-famous restaurant recommendations, and gourmets often overlook the fact that the book, first published in 1900, was originally a road map and guidebook for motorists. It found a new role in World War II, when Allied troops landing in Normandy used the Michelin maps to navigate.
 
Obviously, the Allies were not looking for the three-star restaurants or the best cheeses in Normandy (The cheeses of Normandy in- and outside World War II), since those were all bombed or shut down. Instead, they were using the highly accurate regional and city-specific road maps to find their way around after the Germans have removed or turned around most road signs.

The guide was conceived by brothers and car tire manufacturers André and Édouard Michelin. There were fewer than 3,000 cars in France at the time, and the brothers thought that encouraging motorists to drive more often would make them wear out their tires more quickly, and they would therefore become more frequent customers. The original guide had maps, instructions for repairing and replacing tires, and lists for car mechanics, hotels and petrol stations. The guide was originally given away for free. This changed in 1920, supposedly after André Michelin noticed a tire merchant propping up his workbench with the free guides.
 
The guide and its detailed maps were not updated during the two World Wars, but found a special use in World War II. One Gustave Moutet, an early member of the French Resistance (Factions of the Resistance – Part I) (Part II), escaped to Britain with a copy of the latest, 1939 version of the guide in 1940. Entering service as a non-commissioned officer, he suggested to his superiors that the facsimiles of the guide could be used by Allied troops fighting on the continent. The idea was embraced, the Michelin company gave its blessings, and a replica version was printed in the U.S. for use by officers on the field.