1. War in Europe

2. German Domination Germany, Italy, Japan Blitzkrieg “lighting war”
Central Europe and France are under German control by mid-1940.
“Lebensraum”

5. Allies Strategy for Victory
Weaken Germany through Air Campaign.
Attack the “soft underbelly” of Europe.
Remove Hitler.
Unconditional Surrender.
Beat the Soviets to Germany.

6. Three Front War Eastern Front – Soviets
Southern Front – “Soft Underbelly”
Western Front - “D-Day”

7. Mobilization – Getting there is half the fun

8. Operation Torch “Soft Underbelly” First U.S contact with Germany.
November 8, 1942

9. Defeating the Desert Fox
German Armored (Tank) Commander – Erwin Rommel.
Led the Germans to early victories.
By early 1943 the Germans are driven from Africa.
Erwin Rommel

10. The Push Through Italy July of 1943 – Italian Campaign Begins
Sicily is taken by mid-August 1943
Mainland Italy invaded in September 1943 to Winter 1945
Push to the Gothic Line – Spring 1945
320,000 allies die in the Italian campaign

12. 10th Mountain Division Mountaineering Troops.
Skiers, Climbers, adventurers
Many with ties to the Wausau Area
Trained in Colorado
Cooper Mountain, CO

14. 10th Mountain Division
Camp Hale, CO

15. Eastern Front - Soviets
June 22, 1941 – German Military strategy Operation Barbarossa begins.
German Army scores early victories.
Germans lay siege to Leningrad and Moscow. – Snow Falls; 60 degrees below zero!
Germans move too fast for reinforcements.
The tide of the Eastern Front changes……

16. Soviets Move Towards Berlin
Battle of Stalingrad – turning point for the Soviets.
January of 1944 the Soviet offensive begins.
By June 1944 Soviets are at the border of Poland.*
Soviets enter Germany in late winter of 1945.
* D-Day June 6, 1944

17. Soviets Push on to Berlin
Soviet soldiers raise flag over Reichstag – May,

18. Defeating the Germans Through the Air

19. Air Campaign
British and American’s try to weaken the Germans – Summer of 1942 to Spring 1945.
Round the clock missions.
Extremely dangerous and deadly.
4,750 B-17’s (1/3 of the total) were lost in combat.
88,119 U.S. Airmen killed in the war.

20. Air Campaign Success
Kept the Nazi Luftwaffe (airplanes) off the eastern front from attacking Russian tanks
Slowed war supply production
Reduced the number of qualified pilots for the German Luftwaffe.

21. B-17 - Flying Fortress

27. B-24 Bomber