Progression of WWII SS10 Arnold

Early Battles in the Pacific  Philippines attacked hours after PH Outnumbered by Japanese Shortages and disease required McArthur to evacuate to Australia and surrender the Battan Peninsula  78,000 POWs marched 65 miles to Japanese prison camp, thousands died  Code Breakers cracked Japans codes and anticipated coming battles in New Guinea and Midway Island Sunk 4 Japanese ships major blow to Japanese capabilities in the Pacific

Early Battles against Germany  Invaded Algeria and Morocco (French territories under German Control) Fewer troops Good strategic position to help British in Egypt  Moved into Tunisia Many losses (7,000 troops and 200 tanks) Finally won, German troops in North Africa surrendered.

Battle of the Atlantic  German Subs sunk ships near the American Coast Cities dimmed lights to make it hard to see ships 360 ships sunk 9/42 (many oil and gas, had to build a pipeline)  New tech like sonar, radar helped turn the tide against subs.

Turning Point in Europe  May 1942 Hitler was confident about defeating US(Atlantic) and UK (Egypt), needed to attack USSR Targeted Stalingrad: strategic supply lines between north and south  Stalin refused to retreat House to house combat, major losses for Germans. 250,000 troops trapped- surrendered 2/43  91,000 sent to Soviet prison camps  5,000 survived

Defeating Germany  Jan 1943: Roosavelt and Churchill agree to step up bombing of German towns (20x explosives)  Goal to destroy military industry morale economy 6

Italy Surrenders  US and UK strike the “soft underbelly” of Europe Invade and capture Sicily (island) Sept 194: Italy surrenders, but Hitler won’t give up Italy.  FIghting continues between Allies and Germans in Italy through May,1945  300,000 Allied deaths 7

Retaking France: D-Day Invasion of Normandy  Allies needed to retake mainland France  Had to land at dawn at low tide with a full moon to carry out operation: June  7,000 ships and 100,000 American soldiers + 75,000 British and Canadian soldiers, 23,000 paratroopers  5 main beaches: Omaha Beach suffered most casualties (2,500)  Eventually pushed through and retook Paris with the help of French Resistance  Simultaneos attack on Germany by Soviets 8

War Ends in Europe  Germany made one last surprise attack Battle of the Bulge: Antwerp, Belgium Strategic importance (supply lines) Temporary success, but ultimately failed  Soviets advanced through Poland  Americans attacked Western Border  Both sides approached Berlin  Hitler commits suicide April 30th ’45  Surrender May 8,

Increasing Conflict in Japan  “Island Hoping”: retaking strategic islands in the Pacific to get closer to Japan to launch bombers  Assisted by Navajo Code Talkers  Battle to retake Philippines lasted 6 months, eventually US troops retook Manila  In naval battles Japanese used kamikaze attacks for the first time 10

 Americans take Iwo Jima (needed for B-29 Bomber runs), heavy losses  Began firebombing: bombs filled with napalm (In Tokyo alone 100,000 + casualties)  By the end of the war we had firebombed 67 cities  Americans take Okinawa: another strategic location to carry out mainland invasion 12,000 US casualties but eventual victory  Americans demanded unconditional surrender Some believed that this would require massive mobilization (5 million troops) Others believed that when USSR entered the war in August ’45 the Japanese would surrender. July 1945: First Atomic bomb was tested in New Mexico 11