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North Africa. Before 1941 Germany had control under General Rommel’s (“Desert Fox”) command 1942 British want to invade N. Africa and Italy (“soft underbelly”) – U.S. wants to invade France – Operation Torch English General Montgomery pushes Rommel out El Alamein (Egypt)
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North Africa • Before 1941 • Germany had control under General Rommel’s (“Desert Fox”) command • 1942 • British want to invade N. Africa and Italy (“soft underbelly”) – U.S. wants to invade France – Operation Torch • English General Montgomery pushes Rommel out • El Alamein (Egypt) • Montgomery beats Rommel in surprise attack
North Africa • Eisenhower (American) chases Rommel from other side • Rommel surrounded • Rommel accused of plot to assassinate Hitler • Takes poison and commits suicide
Italy - 1943 • Allies attack Italy • Mussolini out of power • Germans come in and put Mussolini back in power • 1944 - Allies take Italy again (Battle of Anzio and Monte Cassino)
D-Day June 6, 1944
Operation Overlord • Invasion finally a go for May 1944 – Where to attack? • Weather and plans push back invasion • Time to fake out Germans – fake army, inflatable tanks, Patton, decoy bombing http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w416373/HIS%20351/Lsn%2018-%20WWII%20Normandy.ppt#338,2,Operation Overlord
Inflatable Tanks http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w416373/HIS%20351/Lsn%2018-%20WWII%20Normandy.ppt#338,2,Operation Overlord
Ready for Operation Overlord • June 5, 1944 chosen as invasion day • More than 700 Allies die in rehearsal • Bad weather forces delay to 6th • Germans waiting for Allies (though mainly at Calais)
http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w416373/HIS%20351/Lsn%2018-%20WWII%20Normandy.ppt#338,2,Operation Overlord Allied Plan • The Allied plan would involve amphibious landings on the Normandy beaches supported by airborne assaults behind the beaches to block German counterattacks
June 6, 1944 • Paratroopers begin landing shortly after midnight • Minesweepers led the way • Planes bomb beaches (7500 sorties between midnight and 8 a.m. – 31,000 airmen) • Landing begins at 6:30 a.m. • Landing at 5 beaches (Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword) - - all secured by end of day • 195,000 soldiers/navy (American, British, and Canadian - - 133,000 go to shore), 7000 ships with landing crafts, tanks, etc., 11,000 airplanes
http://ocean.otr.usm.edu/~w416373/HIS%20351/Lsn%2018-%20WWII%20Normandy.ppt#338,2,Operation Overlord At low tide, the assaulting troops had to cross more than 300 meters of completely exposed beach.
Aftermath • Over 10,000 casualties • Heaviest losses at Omaha • By June 30th, over 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies • By Sep. 30, Allies have freed France, Belgium, and Luxembourg • Germans make one last push (Battle of the Bulge – December 1944) - - initially successful but eventually lose
1945 • Mussolini killed • Mussolini is found dressed as German Soldier • Shot the next day and hung from town square in Milan
Germans close to surrender • Hitler marries Eva Braun • Writes final note to Germans • Blames Jews for starting war • Blames his generals for losing war • April 30, 1945 • Takes poison and then shoots himself; Eva swallows poison
April and May 1945 • Roosevelt dies • Germany surrenders unconditionally • May 8, V-E Day (victory of Europe) • Truman (new U.S. president) accepts surrender