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Pushing the Axis Back. Strategic Bombing. RAF & US 8 th Air Force dropped 53k tons of bombs on Germany every mo. (1943-1945) Effects of bombing: caused oil shortage, wrecked RR system destroyed factories (Luftwaffe couldn’t replace # of losses & lost air superiority over Germany/Europe).
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Strategic Bombing • RAF & US 8th Air Force dropped 53k tons of bombs on Germany every mo. (1943-1945) • Effects of bombing: • caused oil shortage, wrecked RR system • destroyed factories (Luftwaffe couldn’t replace # of losses & lost air superiority over Germany/Europe)
Italy Falls...Kind of • After Allies capture Sicily (7/43), King of Italy has Mussolini arrested • While King surrenders to Allies, Germany takes control of N. Italy & breaks Mussolini out of prison • Germany retreats from Italy after battles of Anzio & Cassino (300k Allied casualties)
Decisions/Agreements Reached @ Tehran Conference • 1) Break up Germany after war to prevent future threat to world peace2) Stalin promised to launch full scale offensive against Germany from E. after Allies invaded France from W.
decisions/agreements reached @ Tehran Conference • 3) Stalin promised to help fight Japan once Germany was defeated4) Creation of int’l organization to keep peace after the war
Operation Overlord (D-Day) • - Allied plan for invasion of ‘Fortress Europe’- Objective: invade Europe via 5 beaches near Normandy, France (amphibious)- U.S. would land @ Utah & Omaha beaches
Keys to Success: • 1) Weak German defenses2) Allied transport ships had to move across English channel at night3) Invasion force had to arrive at target at low tide (beach obstacles)
Keys to Success (cont.): • 4) Low tide had to occur in AM so naval gunners could see shore targets5) Airborne troops (101st) had to drop on a moonlight night
D-Day • June 6th, 1944 • 7k ships, 100k Infantry, 23k paratroopers = largest amphibious operation in history • US faced strongest resistance @ Omaha (2,500 casualties)
Diadem #1: In your opinion, of the 5 factors that had to exist in order for Operation Overload to be successful, which, was the most important? Why?
U.S. Strategy For Defeating Japan • 2-Prong Attack • US Pacific Fleet (Nimitz) would advance through C. Pacific using Island Hopping Campaign • Navy + Marines (MacArthur) would advance through S. Pacific & re-take Philippines
Island-Hopping Campaign (Nimitz) • Definition: taking of one island and then skipping to anotherReasons for campaign:- 1) Saved U.S. from having to take every Japanese occupied island in Pacific (hundreds)
Island-Hopping campaign (cont.) • 2) limited war to only those of greatest strategic importance (Tarawa, Saipan, Eniwetok) • Reason: needed air- fields for B-29 bomber)
Battle of Leyte Gulf significant-why? • 1) Largest Naval Battle in history (# of ships & tonnage) • 2) 1st time Kamikaze attacks occurred • 3) Last remaining Japanese carrier that participated in attack on Pearl Harbor sunk (Zuikaku)