Major Battles of World War II

The Battle of Britain July 10th – October 31st, 1940 Britain vs. Germany Germany blitzkrieg Use of radar helps British defeat Germans

The Battle of Stalingrad June 1941-1943 Stalingrad, Russia Russia vs. Germany Germans break Non-Aggression Pact Land Battles Casualties: 1.5 million One of the turning points of WWII Significance: German defeat allows Russians to move toward Berlin

D-Day: Operation Neptune/Overlord June 6, 1944 Normandy, France Britain/U.S. vs. Germany Largest amphibious invasion of all-time - 130,000 troops - 195,700 naval personnel - 5 Sections: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword Significance: Liberation of France from German occupation

D-Day

The Battle of the Bulge December 1944 French/German border Allies vs. Germans Officially named Battle of Ardennes by U.S. Army “Bulge” was initial incursion of Germans into Allies’ line of advance Germans defeated in land battles Significance – Death Camps liberated 19,000 Americans dead – 41,493 wounded – 23,554 captured or missing

Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of Midway June 1942 Midway Island, Hawaii U.S. vs. Japan Air/Sea Battle Turning point in the Pacific (Island Hopping) US Navy decisively defeats Japanese navy Midway Atoll, several months before the battle. Eastern Island (with the airfield) is in the foreground, and the larger Sand Island is in the background to the west.

Battle of Iwo Jima – Operation Detachment Feb-March 1945 U.S. vs. Japan Most heavily defended Japanese base US victory: 6,000 Marines - only 200 Japanese survived out of 20,000+

Iwo Jima U.S. flag over Mount Suribachi U.S. Marine Corps Memorial in Arlington National Cemetery based on the famous photo by Rosenthal U.S. flag over Mount Suribachi

V-E Day May 7-8, 1945 Europe Unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany April 30 – Hitler commits suicide during Battle of Berlin

Battle of Okinawa- Operation Iceberg June 1945 (last battle of WWII) Okinawa, Japan “Typhoon of Steel” in Japanese Objective: Seize island only 340 miles from Japan (island hopping-land,air,sea) Fighting in caves/bunkers 30 US ships sunk by kamikazes High casualties: 100,000 Japanese – 50,000 Allies (mostly US)

Battle of Okinawa

Hiroshima August 6, 1945 U.S. drops atomic bomb on Japan - Little Boy dropped by B-29 bomber Enola Gay - Casualties: 90,000-140,000 + several hundred thousand due to radiation

Nagasaki August 9, 1945 U.S. drops atomic bomb on Japan - Fat Man dropped by B-29 bomber - Casualties: 73, 884 + several hundred thousand due to radiation Mushroom cloud from the nuclear explosion over Nagasaki rising 60,000 feet into the air on the morning of August 9, 1945

V-J Day August 15, 1945: Official end of WWII - Emperor Hirohito accepted terms of Potsdam Declaration Formal signing took place @ Tokyo Bay on battleship USS Missouri on September 2, 1945