1. Military operations review

2. Canada declares war Key Points:
King does not want Canada in another world war
Loyalty to Britain still very strong
Canada needs to decided for itself
Vote in Parliament –almost all vote for war (only CCF leader does not)
King promises no conscription

3. Battle of The Atlantic Blockade of the Axis powers in Europe
Key Points:
Blockade of the Axis powers in Europe
Security of Allied sea movements
military power across the seas.

4. Battle of the Atlantic
Axis:
Frustrate Allied use of the Atlantic to wage war.
Control of the sea routes between the Americas, Europe and Africa

5. Canadian Contribution:
1. Britain depended upon ship-carried imports of oil, food, and industrial products from the United States and Canada.
2. Royal Canadian Navy launches ship building program – expand navy greatly
3. Build corvettes to protect conveys transporting goods across the Atlantic
4. RCN well trained, better equipment
5. the buildup of US and Canadian supplies, armies and air forces in Britain for the liberation of Europe
Halifax as important port

6. Corvette

7. Defense of Hong Kong
Japan was invading Allies’ possessions in the Pacific and Hong Kong was to be invaded
Britain thought sending Canadian would prevent Japan’s further aggression as a display of force
King accepted Britain’s request and sent two battalions (first Canadians in conflict)

8. British and Canadian garrison was hopelessly outnumbered
Hong Kong surrenders after seventeen and a half days of defense
Allied soldiers captured in Prisoner of War (POW) Camps: prisoners tortured with violence, labour and starvation, or vitamin-deficiency- induced diseases
Outcome: despite bravery, didn’t make a big difference in the war in terms of the result since Canada’s participation didn’t cost the Japanese troops casualties or prevent expansion

9. Italian Campaign
1. Sicily Invasion
Churchill wants Allies to go through soft underbelly of Europe
Low morale on Italian side
Campaign begins with Allied landings on the island of Sicily ( south of Italy).
Canadians and British come ashore at Pachino
Over 4 weeks of bitter fighting/Germany retreats
Allied success – allows for invasion of mainland Italy, opens up Mediterranean for Allied shipping, new Italian government surrenders to Allies

10. 2. Battle of Ortona
After losing Sicily, Hitler determined to hold mainland
largely untested Canadians went up against German forces in the Italian town of Ortona
Narrow, rubble-filled streets limited tanks and artillery
Not trained or prepared for street fighting -
Adopted “mousehole” tactics
- explosive blast holes in building walls and grenades thrown in

11. On Christmas day, both sides fought in shifts so that some could enjoy mass and a meal before diving back into battle
2,300 Canadian casualties
After more that week Germans retreat in small, orderly groups.

12. Provided practice for Allies Knocked Italy out of the war
Significance to Canada:
Provided practice for Allies
Knocked Italy out of the war
Degraded Nazi war machines
Opened up an avenue to supply the Soviets in the East
Germany was besieged from the East, West, South and North

13. Dieppe Raid
Canadians attempt to open a Western front to divide German troops in the East
“Trail run”
Failed
Lost the element of surprise – unexpected sea battle
Bad weather conditions
Bad communication as ships send reinforcements into machine gun fire
Tanks immobile on beaches
Lessons learned? Debatable.

14. D-Day full scale invasion of Western Europe Well-planned and rehearsed
Landing points on beach in Normandy
Code named: Sword, Omaha, Utah, Gold , Juno
Allied advantages:
- air and naval support
- kept element of surprise

15. Canadians at D-Day
Land at Juno Beach (furthest advance, second least defended)
The RCN contributed 110 ships and 10,000 sailors in support of the landings
stormed ashore against German strongholds/obstacles
hand-to-hand fighting, reach French towns and advanced inland, securing a critical bridgehead (a strong position secured by an army inside enemy territory) for the allied invasion.

16. Liberation of the Netherlands
In 1945 Allies attack Germany
Canadians given the job of liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation
First operation fails- bombing major city Arnhem (Market Garden)
Move to successfully open the port of Antwerp (Battle of Scheldt) essential to keep supply lines to the Allied armies 
Take North and West sending food to millions desperate, starving people
Germans surrounded as Canadians take important cities – Groningen, Zwolle, Arnhem, Apeldoorn

17. High casualties on Canadian side (7,600 Canadians died nine months it took to liberate the Netherlands)
Dutch still remember Canadians as liberators
Yellow tulips displayed in Ottawa every spring as a gift from Netherlands

18. Bomber command RCAF efforts in:
Battle of Britain and bombing of Berlin
Italian Campaign
D-Day
Controversial bombing of German cities/civilians
Women create Women’s Division to support air force – don’t see conflict but eventually can fly planes to Britain
¼ deaths in WW2 were pilots
48 squadrons overseas – a significant presence