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Battle of the Atlantic
The battle took place to keep the Atlantic safe for shipping. The British did not have enough vessles for effective convoys, making it easy for German U-boats to attack. New tactics, such as the wolf pack, where U-boats hunted in groups often at night, increased effectivness. A few months after Germany declared war on the US, 360 American ships were sunk. America's entry into the war was a turning point. The German code system, Enigma, was cracked in 1941. The Allies won the Atlantic. -
Battle of Britain
Britain was now led by Winston Churchill, who refused to consider trying to negotiate a peace treaty with Germany. The first stage of the German plan was to take out the British Royal Air Force, but the Germans failed. Using radar, the RAF inflicted heavy damage on German planes. The German air force, Luftwaffe, began bombing London. Thousands of civilians died in the raids and Americans followed the battle through Edward R Murrow's live broadcasts. By 1940, the British had stopped the Luftwaffe -
Battle of El Alamein
North Africa provided protection for shipping on the Mediterranean Sea, so the British could get oil through the Suez Canal from the Middle East. The Italians were beaten badly and driven back. Hitler sent troops to support the Italians, with General Erwin Rommel, Desert Fox. The British won the battle. -
Battle of Stalingrad
Stalingrad was the major industrial center on the Volga River. In someof the bloodiest fighting in the history of warfare, the Soviets refused to let Stalingrad fall. The Germans exposed themselves to a Soviet counterattack. 250,000 Axis soldiers were trapped by Soviet forces. The surviving Axis soldiers were forced to surrender in early 1943. Stalingrad marked the beginning of Germany's collapse in the Soviet Union. Hitler's forces suffered losses of 2 million, and the Soviet Union 12 million. -
Operation Torch
America wanted to make a contribution quickly. The commander of Operation Torch was US lieutentant general, Dwight D Eisenhower. American forces were to invade North African countries. The allies met little resistance from the Vichy French upon landing. Some 20,000 Americans were killed or wounded in the six months of North African fighting. By May 1943, they had defeated Rommel's forces. -
Invasion of Sicily/Italy
The first step was the invasion of Sicily in 1943. America and Britain sent a message to the Italian people, and by the end of the month, they had turned against Mussolini and forced him from power. The Allies took Sicily. The Tuskegee Airman were the forst ever US segregated unit of African American pilots. In January, some 100,000 Allied soldiers went ashore at seafront resort, Anizo. The fighting raged for 4 months and some 300,000 Allied troops were killed or wounded. -
Operation Overlord
To end the war as quickly as possible, the Allies wanted to launch a large invasion of mainland Europe, settling on the beaches of Normandy for the invasion. Eisenhower commanded the mission and general Omar Bradley lead the American troops. An Allied force of 3.5 million was ready. By thousands, soldiers wades through the surf to the sand and raced through gunfire and dead. The Germans were slow to respond. D-Day was a sucess, with 10,000 Allied dead, the Allies were on the march to France. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Germans launched a suprise offensive. The name reffered to the bulge in the Allied battle lines created by the German advance, threatening to win back ground. A key moment came at Bastogne, an important crossroads defended by a small American force. Lieutenant General George S Patton provided relief for the American force there, and they won the battle. The battle became a symbol of American strenght and determination. The bulge created by the Germans had been rolled back. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
In the final weeks of April 1945, the steady destruction of the German resistance continued. Berlin was under heavy bombardment. On April 30 Hitler saw that all hope was lost and committed suicide in his Berlin bunker. As news of his death spread, fighting came to a halt. -
VE Day
News of Hitler's death spread and fighting came to a halt. Berlin surrendered on May 2. The German armies scattered elsewhere gave up the fight. Finally, Karl Donitz, who had taken over as Germany's leader, agreed to surrender on May 7. The surrender was to take effect on may 8, known as V-E Day, Victory in Europe Day.
