WWII Battles

World War II-Battles

War in Europe

I. War in Europe-1939-1941

A. Phony war-#

B. Maginot Line-#

-Denmark & Norway-(4/40)-launched for warm water north sea ports to protect supply of Iron ore from Sweden

C. Mainstein Plan-Attack through the Ardennes forest and drive to the sea to split French and British forces in two (5/40)

D. Miracle at Dunkirk-(5-6/40)-#

E. France surrendered on June 22, 1940(Divided France into Vichy FR and Occupied FR)

F. Battle of Britain (ETO) (8-10/1940)-#

G. General Erwin Rommel (Desert Fox) Africa Korps-to N. Africa to help the Italians & to try to capture the Suez Canal

H. Operation Barbarossa-(6/1941) Germany attacks the USSR America extends Lend-Lease act to soviets (Attacks stalled 20 miles outside Moscow)

I. Battle of the Atlantic-fight by the US & Britain against Germany to keep sea lanes open against German U-boats

II. North Africa (Mediterranean Theater)

A. El Alamein-(11/42) Montgomery(British Commander) Halted Rommel’s advance in Egypt

B. Operation Torch-US North African landings in Algeria and Morocco (42)

1. -Kasserine Pass-(2-5/42)1st major battle for US against Germany ,U.S. defeated with high casualties

2. George Patton-colorful commander of US forces after Kasserine

3. (5/1943) Germans surrendered in Tunisia

III. Italian Campaign (Mediterranean Theater)

A. Invasion of Sicily 7&8/43(Operation Husky)

-tried to cut Germans and Italians off from mainland by taking Messina, most escape (Patton & Montgomery-commanders) Italian forces surrendered

B. Invasion of mainland (Operation Avalanche)

1. -Salerno-(9/43) initial landing of allied forces in Italy

2. Monte Cassino (1/44)-along the Gustav line where allied forces stalled trying to get to Rome

3. -Anzio- (5/44)American Landing that tried to break stalemate at Casino bottled-up until breakthrough at Cassino

IV. Soviets push Germany back (Eastern European Theater)

1. -Battle of Stalingrad (8/42-2/43)- major battle where the Germans laid siege to the city The Russians held and counterattacked, (Turning point on Eastern front) Germans 6th Army lacked supplies and winter clothes(Germans lost 300, 000 men)

2. Battle of Kusrk( 7/43-8/43)-huge tank battle, last offensive threat of Germany in USSR

V. Allied Invasion of Normandy-Operation Overlord

1. Dwight Eisenhower-Supreme Allied commander

2. -June 6, 1944-D-Day allied invasion of Normandy (5 beaches Omaha, Utah, Gold, Sword, & Juno)

a. -Omar Bradley-commander of American ground forces in Europe

b. Hedgerows(Le Bocage)-After D-Day US and British force bogged down in intense fighting in the Hedgerows of Normandy

c. Operation Cobra-7/44-After massive bombing US broke out of the Contentin peninsula (hedgerows)

d. US-supply line extended after taking Paris(8/44) US advance slowed

e. Siegfried line-German defensive line on the border

f. -Operation Market Garden (9/44)-allied parachute into Netherlands to seize bridges across Rhine(attempt to outflank Siegfried line), failed

g. -Battle of the Bulge-Hitler tried one last attempt to push allies back, attacked through the Ardennes, after initial success defeated

i. -Bastogne-where Americans held out in the Battle of the Bulge, allowing Patton to encircle Germans

ii. Soviet Forces attacked Berlin

iii. US forces push into Southern Germany (discover concentration camps)

h. April 12 FDR dies of a stroke, Harry Truman becomes President

i. Hitler committed suicide April 30, 1945 in bunker in Berlin

j. V-E day-May 8, 1945 Germany surrenders

War in the Pacific

I. Pacific Theater

1. Japans on the offensive

a. Wake island & Guam-12/41

b. Philippines-(MacArthur CG)

-Bataan Death March 4/42 –captured troops forced to march 65 miles almost 10,000 troops died (78,000)

-Corregidor (5/42)-Final US troops Surrender

c. Japan conquered many of the islands and New Guinea

2. Doolittle Raid-4/18-B25 bombed Japan for the 1st time (morale boost)

II. Turning points

1. -Battle of Coral sea-(5/42) 1st time had halted Japanese advance (Kept supply to lines open to Australia)

2. -Battle of Midway-(6/42) US sank four Carriers, Japanese Navy on defense for the rest of the War. Turning point of war in the pacific

3. -Guadalcanal-(8/42-2/43) US began island hoping campaign to prevent completion of airstrip on island

III. US strategy for the Offensive

1. Island Hopping-military strategy of selectively attacking specific enemy-held islands and bypassing others to get in range for a mainland invasion of Japan

2. Admiral Nimitz-Commander of the Navy and Marine forces in the Pacific(central push)

3. Douglas MacArthur-Commander at the Philippines and of the Army push in the Southern route

IV. US offensive operations

1. Gilbert Islands-Tarawa (11/43) heavily defended against landing US. Cleared obstacle to attack the Marshals and Marianas

2. Marianas (6/44-8/44) (Guam, Saipan & Tinian) now able to bomb mainland Japan, with B29 super fortress, next Carolinians, and Palau (Peleliu, etc.)-launched to protect MacArthur right flank

3. Leyte(10/44)-MacArthur-landed on the Philippines to begin the re-capture of the islands

4. -Battle of Leyte Gulf-(10/44)-largest naval engagement in history paves the way to retake the Philippines

-Kamikaze-Suicide pilots used for the 1st time (divine wind)

5. Iwo Jima-(2/19/45) cost US. 6000 casualties Japan 22, 000 famous flag raising (assaulted to get landing strip)

6. Luzon, Philippines-(3/45)-MacArthur reoccupied Manila

7. Okinawa- (4-6/45)combined Marine, and Army, very costly allies 11,000 dead, 33,000 wounded Japan had issued a no surrendered order

8. Operation Downfall-code name for planed invasion of Japan

Air War-Europe-Pacific

I. B-17-Massive bombing campaign in Europe to knock out infrastructure of German Empire-Dresden-fire bomb

II. B-29 Superfortress-After taking the Marianas able to bomb Japan, destroyed major cities in Japan

III. Firebombing-Naplam-#