World War Two Part 4 1941

The not so neutral U.S. While not officially in the war the U.S. still took sides. March 11, 1941 The Lend-Lease Act Allowed the US to provide goods and services to nations whose defense was considered vital to U.S. defense…the UK September 1941 The Flying Tigers With U.S. Government approval 100 U.S. Airmen flew U.S. supplied planes for the Chinese against Japan

The War in Africa January: The British invade Ethiopia and Italian Somaliland. By May Emperor Haile Selassie is back on the throne March: Rommel arrives in Africa with the Panzer Afrika Korps and takes charge. Rommel advances, takes Tobruk and enters Egypt November/December: Reinforced by Australian troops the British push Rommel back

The Balkans March: An anti-German regime takes over Yugoslavia Hitler blames the failed invasion of Greece on Italy. April: The German invade and take Yugoslavia and Greece Crete falls by the end of May

The Invasion of Russia June: Germany breaks the non-aggression pact with the USSR, and Invades Three Army groups attack simultaneously on a 2000 mile long front The Northern Group is stalled trying to take Leningrad…which is besieged The Central Group moves quickly by November it is threatening Moscow The Southern group takes large parts of the Ukraine

Moscow is Spared The German High Command is ready to take Moscow, Split the Soviet Army and crush it Against his generals’ advice Hitler detached Panzer divisions from the Central to the other Army Groups Moscow and the Soviet Army are Spared

Japan Attacks Nearly simultaneously Japan attacks Pearl Harbor (Dec 7), Hong Kong, Malaya and the Philippines (Dec 8) in hopes of knocking the British and the U.S. out of East Asia Dec 10 Japanese troops land on Luzon MacArthur wisely retreats into Bataan rather than defending Manila, if he had not the whole army may have been lost.