1. WWII Battle notes

2. The War in the Pacific

3. The Fall of the Phillipines
American Navy is devastated following Pearl Harbor
However, American aircraft carriers out at sea were unharmed
Japanese bomb the American airfields in the Philippines almost immediately after Pearl Harbor
Followed up by a land attack, which forces General Douglas MacArthur and his troops to retreat to Bataan Peninsula
American troops suffered greatly from diseases, along with a lack of food and supplies

4. Bataan Death March and the Doolittle Raid
On April 9, ,000 American troops are forced to surrender to the Japanese
Troops forced to walk nearly 65 miles to a Japanese prison camp ( soldiers were exhausted and starving when the march began)
Nearly 10,000 troops died during the Bataan Death March
This news led to low American morale and military response options were limited
President Roosevelt ordered sixteen B-52’s to bomb Japan for the first time (Doolittle Raid)
Bataan Death March and the Doolittle Raid

5. Japan’s Change in Strategy Following Doolittle Raid
Japanese officers disagreed about how to change their strategy in response
Many wanted cut off American supply lines with an attack on New Guinea
The bombing on Japan could have killed Emperor Hirohito who was revered as a god
Admiral Yamamoto convinces his officers that an attack Midway Island would help him destroy the rest of the American fleet
They also decided to attack New Guinea simultaneously
Above( Navajo Code Talkers)

6. The Battle of Midway
A Turning Point
Code-breakers at Pearl Harbor learn the Japanese plan to attack Midway
Japanese launch attack on June 4, 1942
The Japanese were unaware that they were being led into an ambush
They lose 38 planes and 4 large aircraft carriers
This cripples Japanese ability to control the ocean
America loses 362 soldiers and the Japanese report losses of over 3,000

7. Island-Hopping in the Pacific
The American Strategy – gets us closer to mainland Japan one island at a time!

8. The peak of Nazi and Fascist Expansion in the European Theater
The War in Europe
The peak of Nazi and Fascist Expansion in the European Theater

9. Allied Actions Before D-Day
The Americans and British originally disagreed over strategy for the war
Americans wanted to invade Europe but were persuaded by Prime Minister Winston Churchill to attack North Africa first (July 1942)
They faced tough German opposition by famed General Erwin Rommel a.k.a. “The Desert Fox”
Americans were soundly defeated at the Battle of Kasserine Path where they suffered 7,000 casualties and lost 200 tanks
Allies were eventually able to push back and force a German surrender – on to Italy!
They were led by General Patton who achieved victory on May 13, 1943

10. Battle of the Atlantic
After Germany declared war on U.S.A, German u-boats began sinking American cargo ships
By 1942, we had lost nearly 360 ships
In response, the U.S. Navy starts using a convoy system to protect ships delivering supplies to our allies
Convoy system was imperfect but eventually new technologies such as radar and sonar helped the Navy find and destroy German u-boats

11. The Red Army Stops Hitler in his Tracks
Battle of Stalingrad
The Red Army Stops Hitler in his Tracks

12. Striking Italy
Allied Powers meet a Conference at Casablanca where they decide on strategy for upcoming engagement
Begin a strategic bombing campaign against German (Dropping approximately 53,000 tons of bombs per month)
Italy was considered “the soft underbelly” of Axis powers
Invasion of Sicily begins on July 10, 1943
Within 15 days of the invasion, Italy’s dictator (Mussolini) is deposed

13. The D-Day Invasion
Following a meeting of the Allied leaders in Tehran, a decision is made for a full-scale attack of Europe from the East and West
President Roosevelt selected General Eisenhower to lead Operation Overlord, which was the code name for the attack
American and British create “ghost armies” and send out false signals to hide their intentions
In preparation, 1.5 million American soldiers, 12,000 airplanes, and 5 million tons of equipment had been sent to England
Invasion is approved on June 6, 1944
It involves 100,000 soldiers on nearly 7,000 ships as well as 23,000 paratroopers
Germans had fortified the coast with concrete bunkers and machine guns but American manpower and equipment eventually overcomes their defenses