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D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy
On June 5 the invasion fleet, which consisted of 700 warships, 2,500 landing craft (carrying more than 150,000 combat troops) and 2,700 support ships set sail across the English Channel. Landings took places on five separate beaches, Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. This day is important because it was the start of the liberation of Western Europe. -
Liberation of Paris
German governor, General Dietrich von Choltitz, was ordered to burn the city down but instead he concluded a truce with the rebels on August 23rd. Two days later he quietly surrendered after some initial token resistance to the U.S. and Great Britain. -
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Allied Offensive in the Saar Valley
U.S. Third Army under General Patton was charged with assaulting the West Wall. Even through bad weather he carried on with the offensive attack. On November 8 his troops crossed the Moselle River, capturing the city of Metz and pushing on into the Saar Valley. By early December they were able to break through the West Wall. This is important because it was the first time Allied troops were on German soil. -
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The Battle of the Bulge
The Germans launched the Ardennes offensive in mid-December, and in a matter of days they managed to penetrate deep into Allied territory, creating a massive bulge in center of the American lines. To deal with the attack, Eisenhower temporarily called a halt to the advance toward the Rhine. After suffering heavy casualties, the Germans began pulling back from the Ardennes. This is important because the Americans had retaken all the territory they had lost, and the drive toward the Rhine resumed. -
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Closing of the Ruhr Pocket
In March 1945, as Allied forces swarmed across the Rhine at Remagen in the south and Wesel in the north, most of the German forces in the region fell back upon the Ruhr Valley. By April 1st, an entire German army group was encircled. As a result the Allies were able to sweep rapidly across northern Germany in the first half of April. Realizing there was no hope left, the German commander committed suicide and the 350,000 soldiers left in the "Ruhr Pocket" surrendered to the Allies. -
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The Battle of Berlin
By the end of January 1945 the Russians were on German soil and Hitler ordered the construction of a formidable ring of defenses around the city. In mid-April the Soviets began their final drive against the German capital. Hitler announced on April 23 that he would remain in Berlin until the very end, and this was a promise that the Nazi leader kept; a week later he committed suicide. Five days after the fall of Berlin the German government surrendered to the Allies. The war was over.
