World War II Europe

North Africa Operation TORCH (Allies invade North Africa) November 8, 1942 Amphibious landings (including Patton in Morocco)

Torch Planned by Eisenhower (Ike) Africa cleared of Germans by July 1943 British from Egypt heading West … USA from West heading East Allies defeated German and Italian forces Patton victorious at El Guitar

USA British

Stalingrad German offensive to capture the Russian city named for Joseph Stalin Winter of 1942-43 Turning Point of the War in Europe Germans on the retreat in the East for the rest of the war

Stalingrad Perhaps bloodiest battle in human history … 1.5 million casualties Germans suffered 850,000 casualties … 25% of their forces on Eastern Front So great were Soviet losses that at points in time the life expectancy of a newly arrived soldier was less than a day

Sicily Operation HUSKY Allied invasion of Sicily July 1943 U.S. 7th Army under Patton British 8th Army under Montgomery Allies victorious in under 8 weeks Patton creative, defiant, brilliant

Italy Operation Avalanche Allied invasion of Italy, September 1943 Italy surrenders before we even invade Hitler rushes hundreds of thousands of German troops to defend Italy Allies fight the GERMANS in Italy NOT the Italians

Italy Major battles in the Italian Campaign Salerno (bloody amphibious landing in central Italy) Anzio even bloodier … January 1944 Monte Cassino (fortress on mountain … se had to scale cliffs) Rome did not fall until June 1944

Importance of the Italian Campaign Gave Allies control of Mediterranean Gave Allies air bases from which to bomb Germany Deprived Germans of troops that could fight elsewhere

France Operation Overlord D-Day June 6, 1944

D-Day (UK)

Drive Across France American Army under Patton made a brilliant drive across France British led by Montgomery slugged their way across the Northern part of France BY winter of 1944 victory seemed assured .. Home by Christmas?

Battle of the Bulge December 1944 Hitler launches one last offensive through the Ardennes Germans punch a “bulge” in Allied lines Patton and the U.S. 3rd Army to the rescue

Strategic Bombing Large part of Allied strategy in Europe and the Pacific was aerial bombardment of enemy territory USA planes and the RAF bombed German cities to destroy factories, oil refineries, and housing Bombing was also designed to terrorize and demoralize the enemy population

Allied Bombing Statistics 1939-45 RAF Bombing Sorties & Losses 1939-45 Night Sorties: 297,663 Losses: 7,449 Day Sorties: 66,851 Losses: 876 RAF & USAAF Bomb Tonnages on Germany 1939-45 Year RAF Bomber Command US 8th Air Force 1939 31 tons - 1940 13,033 tons - 1941 31,504 tons - 1942 45,561 tons 1,561 tons 1943 157,457 tons 44,165 tons 1944 525,518 tons 389,119 tons 1945 191,540 tons 188,573 tons

Italian WWII propaganda poster depicting the allied airmen as gangsters. The text reads: the inhumane crimes of the gangster pilots exclude for ever the US from the commonwealth of civilized states.

Germany The Allies (Britain and the USA) had to race the Russians to Berlin April 1945 found the Allies in the German capital (Russians too) FDR died April 12, 1945 Hitler committed suicide April 30, 1945 V-E Day (Victory in Europe) May 8, 1945