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Battles of World War II: European and Pacific Fronts

The document summarizes major battles of World War 2 on the European and Pacific fronts. In Europe, key battles included El Alamein where British forces defeated Rommel, Casablanca which helped liberate North Africa, Stalingrad which was a major turning point, the Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy, D-Day which saw Allied forces invade Normandy, and the Battle of the Bulge which was Germany's final major offensive. In the Pacific, major battles included Coral Sea, Midway which devastated the Japanese navy, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 which led to Japan's surrender.

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189 views26 pages

Battles of World War II: European and Pacific Fronts

The document summarizes major battles of World War 2 on the European and Pacific fronts. In Europe, key battles included El Alamein where British forces defeated Rommel, Casablanca which helped liberate North Africa, Stalingrad which was a major turning point, the Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy, D-Day which saw Allied forces invade Normandy, and the Battle of the Bulge which was Germany's final major offensive. In the Pacific, major battles included Coral Sea, Midway which devastated the Japanese navy, Leyte Gulf, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, and the US atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 which led to Japan's surrender.

Uploaded by

fgg
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Battles of World War II

European and Pacific Fronts


War in Europe
 #1. El Alamein

 #2. Casablanca

 #3. Stalingrad

 #4. Sicily / Italian campaign

 #5. D-day / Invasion of Normandy

 #6. Battle of the Bulge

 #7. Elbe River


#1. El Alamein
 Date: Nov. 1942

 Location: North Africa – Egypt, near the Suez Canal.

 Details: British General Montgomery defeated the German


tank specialist Erwin “Desert Fox” Rommel and pushed the
Nazi army westward. This battle allowed the Allies to keep
control of the Suez canal and dictate the flow of ships into
the Mediterranean Sea.
#1. El Alamein
Nazi tank commander Erwin
British General Montgomery “Desert Fox” Rommel
#2. Casablanca
 Date: Nov. 1942

 Location: North Africa – Morocco

 Details: Part of Operation Torch; this battle placed the best


United States tank general, George Patton on the ground in
North Africa. His tank forces began to push Nazi
troops/tanks eastward back toward Tunisia. This action
along with British General Montgomery push from the
Suez canal liberated North Africa from the Nazis.
#2. Casablanca

U.S. Tank General George Patton Operation Torch


#3. Stalingrad
 Date: August 1942 – Feb. 1943

 Location: Russia

 Details: Major battle of World War II in which Nazi


Germany and its allies fought the Soviet Union for control
of the city of Stalingrad. Marked by constant hand to hand
fighting and disregard for civilian casualties, it is among
the bloodiest battles of the war. And it is the turning point
in the war for the Soviet Union.
#4. Sicily / Italian Invasion
 Date: July 1943.

 Location: Sicily & Italy

 Details: Patton invaded Sicily. Took the island in 30 days


and moved onto mainland Italy. Italy removed Mussolini
from power, yet Nazi forces evacuated him to northern
Italy. Allies progress slowed due to Nazi reinforcement.
Slow, fierce fighting until May 1944.
#5. D-day / Invasion of
Normandy
 Date: June 6, 1944 (know this date)

 Location: France

 Details: Called Operation Overlord, designed by Allied


Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower. It was the
largest amphibious land attack in history. Launched from
G.B. 150,000 troops crossed the English Channel and
landed on the beaches in Normandy, France. Fierce
fighting to liberate France, and get them back on the Allies
side in the war.
#6. Battle of the
Bulge
Date: December 1944
Location: Belgium & Luxembourg
Details: Germany launched a “final
push” towards France. This
counterattack pushed back Allied forces,
but reinforcements sent to the battle
stopped the German advance. It was the
largest battle in Western Europe during
WWII. After, Nazi leaders recognized
the war was lost.
#7. Elbe River
 Date: April 25, 1945

 Location: Germany

 Details: Soviet troops moving from


the east met with American troops
moving from the west. This event
symbolized the liberation of all of
Europe from Nazi control.
 April 30, 1945 – Hitler commits
suicide.
 May 8, 1945 – German surrender
(V-E Day)
Pacific Front
1941-1945
War in the Pacific
 #1. Coral Sea

 #2. Midway Island

 #3. Leyte Gulf

 #4. Iwo Jima

 #5. Okinawa

 #6. Hiroshima

 #7. Nagisaki
#1. Coral Sea
 Date: May 1942

 American navy engaged superior Japanese fleet north of


Australia.
 5 day battle – cost both sides over half their planes

 Battle was a draw – but it stopped Japanese expansion into


Australia.
#2. Midway Island
 Date: June 1942

 Fought entirely from the air (same as Coral Sea)

 U.S. sunk 4 Japanese carriers; destroyed 250 planes and


killed skilled Japanese pilots. Devastating blow to
Japanese navy.
 U.S. broke Japanese codes before attack to aid in the
victory.
 Stopped Japanese expansion toward Hawaii.
#2. Battle of Midway
#3. Leyte Gulf
 Date: October 1944

 Part of U.S. “island hopping” campaign

 Greatest naval battle of World War II

 Japanese first used kamikazes (suicide planes)

 U.S. will liberate the Philippines


#4. Iwo Jima
 Date: February 1945

 Heavy casualties: 4,600 U.S. ;


20,000 Japanese

 U.S. used the island as a base


from which to bomb Japanese
cities ( 650 miles from Tokyo)

 Mount Suribachi – Pulitzer Prize


photo that inspired the Iwo Jima
Memorial in D.C.
#5. Okinawa
 Date: April 1945

 Last and largest amphibious operation in the Pacific.

 Bloodiest and most sustained fighting of the war.

 350 miles from Japan, U.S. hoped to stage an attack on


mainland Japan from this location.
Death of a President
April 1945
Manhattan Project
U.S. Army began atomic bomb project in 1942.

Headed by J. Robert Oppenheimer.

First bomb was successfully tested in July 1945 in New Mexico


#6. Hiroshima
 August 6, 1945

 B-52 Bomber, Enola Gay


dropped an atomic bomb on
Hiroshima, Japan

 Order was given by Harry S. Truman

 Bomb was codenamed Little Boy

 Within the first two to four months of


the bombings, the acute effects killed
90,000–166,000 people in Hiroshima.
#7. Nagasaki
August 9,1945  Within the first two to four
months of the bombings, the
B-29 Bomber, Bockscar acute effects killed 60,000–
dropped atomic bomb, Fat 80,000 in Nagasaki.
Man.  This bomb forced the Japanese
to surrender.
Victory in Japan
Official surrender took place on the USS
Missouri on September 2, 1945.

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