Major Battles of World War II

The Battle of Britain Summer-Fall 1940Summer-Fall 1940 Britain vs. GermanyBritain vs. Germany Germany blitzkrieg- lightning warGermany blitzkrieg- lightning war * Significance: Use of radar helps British hold off Germans

The Battle of The Atlantic January January Atlantic Ocean off the British coastAtlantic Ocean off the British coast Germans sank 87 US supply shipsGermans sank 87 US supply ships Tonnage War: British required more than a million tons of food & material per week to survive.Tonnage War: British required more than a million tons of food & material per week to survive. Significance: British use sonar to defeat GermansSignificance: British use sonar to defeat Germans

Pearl Harbor December 7, 1941December 7, 1941 Pearl Harbor, HawaiiPearl Harbor, Hawaii US vs. JapanUS vs. Japan 2500 Americans killed2500 Americans killed Significance: U.S. declares war on Japan – Dec. 8 th “I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant…” - Admiral Yamamoto (Pearl Harbor)

The Battle of Stalingrad July 1942 –Feb Stalingrad, Russia Russia vs. Germany Germans break Non- Aggression Pact Casualties: 1.5 million One of the turning points of WWII Significance: German defeat allows Russians to move toward Berlin

The Battle of Coral Sea May 1942 South PacificSouth Pacific U.S. vs. JapanU.S. vs. Japan First Japanese air defeatFirst Japanese air defeat Significance: Prevented Japanese takeover of AustraliaSignificance: Prevented Japanese takeover of Australia

The Battle of Midway June 1942June 1942 Midway Island, PacificMidway Island, Pacific U.S. vs. JapanU.S. vs. Japan Air/Sea BattleAir/Sea Battle Significance: Turning point in the Pacific Island Hopping to Japan is U.S. strategySignificance: Turning point in the Pacific Island Hopping to Japan is U.S. strategy Midway Atoll, several months before the battle. Eastern Island (with the airfield) is in the foreground, and the larger Sand Island is in the background to the west.

The Battle of Guadalcanal Aug. 7 th, 1942 – Feb. 9 th, 1943Aug. 7 th, 1942 – Feb. 9 th, 1943 Operation WatchtowerOperation Watchtower Solomon Islands,Solomon Islands,Pacific Significance: protect convoy routes be/ U.S. & AustraliaSignificance: protect convoy routes be/ U.S. & Australia

Operation Torch November June 1943November June 1943 North Africa: Morocco/AlgeriaNorth Africa: Morocco/Algeria Supreme Commander: Gen. Dwight EisenhowerSupreme Commander: Gen. Dwight Eisenhower German retreat to TunisiaGerman retreat to Tunisia Allies invade SicilyAllies invade Sicily Significance: Italy surrenders June 4, 1944Significance: Italy surrenders June 4, 1944 Allied troops hit the beaches near Algiers, behind a large American flag (left).

D-Day: Operation Neptune/Overlord June 6, 1944June 6, 1944 Normandy, FranceNormandy, France Britain/U.S. vs. GermanyBritain/U.S. vs. Germany Largest amphibious invasion of all-timeLargest amphibious invasion of all-time - 130,000 troops - 130,000 troops - 195,700 naval personnel - 195,700 naval personnel - 5 Sections: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, - 5 Sections: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword Sword Significance: Liberation of France from German occupationSignificance: Liberation of France from German occupation

D-Day

Video Clip: Saving Private Ryan

The Battle of Leyte Gulf October 1944October 1944 U.S. vs. JapanU.S. vs. Japan Largest naval/air battle of WWII & HistoryLargest naval/air battle of WWII & History Organized kamikaze attacksOrganized kamikaze attacks Significance: Japan driven out of PhilippinesSignificance: Japan driven out of Philippines

The Battle of the Bulge December 1944December 1944 French/German borderFrench/German border Allies vs. GermansAllies vs. Germans Officially named Battle of Ardennes by U.S. ArmyOfficially named Battle of Ardennes by U.S. Army “Bulge” was initial incursion of Germans into Allies’ line of advance“Bulge” was initial incursion of Germans into Allies’ line of advance Germans defeated in land battlesGermans defeated in land battles 19,000 Americans dead – 41,493 wounded – 23,554 captured or missing19,000 Americans dead – 41,493 wounded – 23,554 captured or missing Significance – Death Camps liberated & Nazis never recover from defeatSignificance – Death Camps liberated & Nazis never recover from defeat

Battle of the Bulge

V-E Day May 7-8, 1945May 7-8, 1945 EuropeEurope Significance: Unconditional surrender of GermanySignificance: Unconditional surrender of Germany *** Hitler committed suicide in April

Battle of Iwo Jima – Operation Detachment Feb-March 1945Feb-March 1945 U.S. vs. JapanU.S. vs. Japan US victory: 6,000 Marines - only 200 Japanese survived out of 20,000+US victory: 6,000 Marines - only 200 Japanese survived out of 20,000+ Siginificance: U.S. took most heavily defended Japanese baseSiginificance: U.S. took most heavily defended Japanese base

Iwo Jima U.S. flag over Mount Suribachi U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery based on the famous photo by RosenthalArlington National Cemetery

Battle of Okinawa- Operation Iceberg June 1945 (last battle of WWII)June 1945 (last battle of WWII) Okinawa, JapanOkinawa, Japan “Typhoon of Steel” in Japanese“Typhoon of Steel” in Japanese Objective: Seize island only 340 miles from Japan (island hopping-land,air,sea)Objective: Seize island only 340 miles from Japan (island hopping-land,air,sea) Fighting in caves/bunkersFighting in caves/bunkers 30 US ships sunk by kamikazes30 US ships sunk by kamikazes High casualties: 100,000 Japanese –High casualties: 100,000 Japanese – 50,000 Allies (mostly US) 50,000 Allies (mostly US)

Battle of Okinawa

Hiroshima August 6, 1945August 6, 1945 U.S. drops atomicU.S. drops atomic bomb on Japan bomb on Japan - Little Boy dropped by B-29 bomber Enola Gay - Little Boy dropped by B-29 bomber Enola Gay - Casualties: 90, ,000 + several hundred thousand due to radiation - Casualties: 90, ,000 + several hundred thousand due to radiation

Nagasaki August 9, 1945August 9, 1945 U.S. drops atomicU.S. drops atomic bomb on Japan bomb on Japan - Fat Man dropped by B-29 bomber - Fat Man dropped by B-29 bomber - Casualties: - Casualties: 73, several hundred thousand due to radiation 73, several hundred thousand due to radiation Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 60,000 feet into the air on the morning of August 9, 1945

V-J Day August 15, 1945: Official end of WWIIAugust 15, 1945: Official end of WWII - Emperor Hirohito accepted terms of Potsdam Declaration - Emperor Hirohito accepted terms of Potsdam Declaration Formal signing took Tokyo Bay on battleship USS Missouri on September 2, 1945Formal signing took Tokyo Bay on battleship USS Missouri on September 2, 1945