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Explore the major battles of World War II, including Dunkirk, El Alamein, Sicily, Stalingrad, Normandy, and the Pacific Theater. Learn about the objectives, allies, and significant events that shaped the outcome of the war.
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Year: 1940 Allies: Britain and France Objective: Defend France against the German invasion. Then, evacuate every possible Allied soldier to safety. Dunkirk Hitler called for a halt of the final assault on the coastal town. The few days allowed British water vessels of all types to evacuate approximately 336,000 British and French soldiers. Largest amphibious evacuation in history. Seen as Hitler’s 1st mistake.
El Alamein Year: 1942 Allies: Britain and United States Objective: Remove Germany from the African continent. British (Gen. Montgomery) push from Egypt in the east, U.S. (Gen. Eisenhower) moves from Morocco in the west to trap German forces (Gen. Rommel) and surrender, May, 1943.
Sicily Year: 1943 Allies: Britain and United States Objective: Defeat Italy and remove Germany from the Italian Peninsula. Italy signs an armistice and hangs Mussolini. German forces battle for 18 months before Rome is finally freed.
Stalingrad Year: 1942-1943 Allies: Soviet Union Objective: Stop the German advance into the Soviet Union. German advance stalled outside of Moscow and Leningrad by the Russian winters of 1941 & 1942. Hitler moves south to take oil rich region and is stopped by street-street fighting.
Normandy: D-Day Year: June 6, 1944 Allies: Britain and United States Objective: Free France of German occupation. Allied bombers flew constant missions over Germany hitting cities and factories. Massive amphibious invasion (176,000 troops) reach the beach head to break through the German defenses. French resistance forces rose up. Paris welcomes the liberators on August 25th.
Western European Front: The Battle of the Bulge Year: December 1944 Allies: British, French, United States Objective: Push the German offensive past Belgium back into Germany. Both sides take huge losses as the Allied advance is slowed, but it is Hitler’s last success.
Year: June 1942 – August 1945 Allies: United States Objective: Stop the Japanese expansion in the Pacific by taking the offensive and selectively choosing our battles. Pacific Theater: Island Hopping Coral Sea, Midway Island, Guadalcanal, Gilbert, Marshall Islands, Guam, Leyte Gulf in the Philippines, Iwo Jima, and Okinawa eventually leading to Hiroshima.
Year: June 1942 Allies: United States Objective: Stop the Japanese expansion in the Pacific and take the offensive in driving them back to Japan. Pacific Theater: Midway Six months after Pearl Harbor American warships and airplanes severely damaged two Japanese fleets, one at the Coral Sea and the other at Midway Island.
One of sixteen Army B-25 Mitchell bombers takes off from the deck of the USS HORNET on its way to take part in the Doolittle Raid, the first U.S. bombing raid on Japan. The all volunteer strike force, trained and led by Lt. Col. James Doolittle, flew 800 miles then bombed Tokyo and 3 other cities without opposition. The raid inflicted little damage but gave a big boost to Allied morale in the face of the seemingly unstoppable Japanese. April 18, 1942. The Pacific Theater: The Doolittle Raids on Japan
The march continues with Americans improvising litters to carry comrades who have collapsed along the road from a total lack of food and water. Over 5,000 Americans died on the march which began April 10 and lasted six days for some and up to twelve days for others. The Pacific Theater: The Philippines – The Bataan Death March
Five Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman raise the flag on Mount Suribachi, Iwo Jima, using a piece of Japanese pipe as a mast, February 23, 1945.
A Roman Catholic cathedral on a hill is all that remains in this section of Nagasaki following the dropping of the second Atomic Bomb from a B-29 flown by Major Charles W. Sweeney, August 9, 1945. The Japanese estimated 25,680 were killed and 44 percent of the city was destroyed. The Pacific Theater: Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gen. Douglas MacArthur signs as Supreme Allied Commander during formal surrender ceremonies on the USS MISSOURI in Tokyo Bay. September 2, 1945. The Pacific Theater: The Japanese Surrender