1. World War II Canadian Battles
Timeline Overview
Battle of Britain
The North Atlantic
Bombing Campaigns in Germany

2. WWII overview Aug.1942 Cdn. Dieppe Raid Aug 1945 V.A. Day Atom Bomb
Spring 1940
W. Europe Blitzkrieg
Fall of: Denmark,
Norway, Netherlands,
Belgium, France
- Miracle at Dunkirk
June 1941
O. Barbarossa
Nazi invasion of
the Soviet Union
June 1944
D-Day – allied
Invasion of
W. Europe
“O. Overlord”
Sept 1939
Invasion of
Poland
Dec 1941
Japanese invasion
of Pearl Harbor
Hong, Kong, and
Many islands in
The Pacific
U.S. join the war
Sept. 1943
– end of war
Italian
Campaign
Summer 1940
Battle of Britain
May 1945
V.E. Day
USSR Land Grab

3. Battle of Britain
British air force (RAF) and navy controlled the 50km Channel, separating Britain from France
Germany had to control the skies over the Channel before its planned invasion fleet could sail
Started attacking, RAF dwindling

4. Battle of Britain continued
August – RAF bombed Berlin
Nazis retaliated with the “blitz”
bombing cities to terrorize the civilian population into surrendering
London bombed 57 consecutive nights. By the end of May 1941,
over 43,000 civilians had been killed by bombing, ½ in London

5. Battle of Britain continued
Londoners responded by moving into air-raid shelters, subway stations, reopening their stores every day and just “carrying on”
British resistance grew stronger, not weaker

6. Battle of Britain Canada’s Role
No. 2 Air Observer School Edmonton BCATP
Battle of Britain Canada’s Role
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in Canada, new pilots from all over the commonwealth were trained at former relief camps
Part of Mackenzie King’s ‘Limited War’
Helped win the Battle of Britain
Many bases still used today
Sept 15, 1940: Luftwaffe attacked but the RAF was ready. The Luftwaffe was decidedly beaten!
BCATP
Trainer
RAF lost 915 planes, Luftwaffe lost 1,722 planes

7. The North Atlantic A common sight German U-boat
A convoy preparing to leave Halifax
Canadians being rescued in a Carly float

8. Bombing Campaigns in Germany