1943

1. 1943 • Allies seize the initiative

2. Kursk • After 1942 Russian Winter offensive • Spring and summer belonged to Germans • Salient – Russians knew the Germans would go after it and fortified the salient • Hitler delayed the attack so that production of Panther and Tiger tanks could be delivered

5. German Tiger Tank

6. Russian T-34 Tank Note the sloped frontal armor.

7. German Panther Tank

8. American Sherman Tank

13. The battle of Kursk was the largest tank battle in history. • The Germans had about 2,000 tanks and the Russians had about 3,000 • The Russians dug trenches and laid hundreds of thousands of land mines • They also brought up thousands of pieces of artillery • The Germans had about 900,000 troops in the area and the Russians had about 1.3 million.

14. Germans attacked but made little headway. • Once the Germans had worn themselves out in the attack, the Russians counter attacked and never stopped. • Significance – this was the last major German offensive in the East. Germany had spent its best troops and equipment and been beaten – it was only a matter of time.

15. Soft Underbelly of Europe • Churchill (Prime Minister of England) wanting to avoid the bloodshed England experienced in WWI didn’t want a head on attack of Germany through France. • He convinced the US to attack the periphery of the Axis. • Churchill called Italy the “Soft Underbelly of Europe” – by this he meant that it would be easier to attack the Italians because they were tired of fighting.

17. Operation Husky – Invasion of Sicily • July – August complete conquest of Sicily • Invasion of Italy • Sep Italy Surrenders • Germans seize Rome and control of Italy

20. Fighting in difficult/mountainous terrain • Germans would withdraw to next defensive position • The fighting in Italy would last to the end of the war in 1945. • “Soft Underbelly?”

21. Bomber Offensive • Since America couldn’t wasn’t prepared to invade Europe when it entered the war, it was looking for a way to have an impact. • Strategic bombing seemed the answer. • American Daylight Precision Bombing • English Night Bombing

22. American B-17 Bomber This one is actually in Mesa! Maybe you saw it at the prom last year.

23. American B-24 Bomber

29. Bombing was less accurate than hoped – 7% of the bombs dropped landed within 1,000 ft of the target point • Bombers faced attacks from German fighters and anti-aircraft artillery commonly called flak.

35. Hamburg Raid – 8 days and 7 nights, firestorms, killed 42,000 and wounded 37,000 • Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ieOxfpWaCdQ • The combination of high explosive bombs and incendiary bombs create something called fire storms. • They were like fire tornadoes that roared through the city. • Temperature 1,500 degrees • Winds of 150 mph • Reaching a height of over 1,000 ft

39. Schweinfurt Raid – Ball bearing factory • Black Thursday (Oct 43) - 291 B-17, 60 shot down, over 1/5 • End of unescorted missions • The bombing missions would continue until the end of the war. They would only bomb targets within range of fighter cover. • The human cost is surprising, the American 8th Air Force lost more men than all the Marines in WWII.

41. American P-51 Mustang – Long Range Fighter

43. Pacific 2 plans • McArthur and SW Philippines route • Nimitz and Central Pacific/China route

44. American General Douglas McArthur

45. American Admiral Chester Nimitz

46. Nimitz – Central Pacific Drive McArthur – South Pacific Drive

48. Island Hopping – US strategy in the Pacific Theater • US would capture islands that had airfields or harbors and bypass or “hop” over heavily defended islands. • They could then isolate and ignore any Japanese on islands they didn’t take

49. Rabaul