-
Operation ‘Barbarossa’
Hitler’s surprise attack on the USSR covered the largest area. The Red Army had to rebuild but could not drive out occupiers until Fall 1944. -
Battle of Midway
The Japanese Fleet went to sea to threaten Midway Island, hoping to lure the Americans. The Japanese were ambushed and lost four of their best carriers. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
After Pearl Harbor, the Japanese wanted to invade New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. U.S. forces, aided by Australia moved to stop them. This produced the first naval battle fought at long range between aircraft carriers -
Battle of Kursk
Kursk is considered the greatest tank battle of the war. Here the Nazis aimed to repeat their earlier successes by surrounding and destroying Russian forces. -
Normandy
D-Day (June 6th) and the following six weeks of fighting in Normandy allowed the rapid liberation of western Europe. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Twenty thousand Japanese defenders were dug into bunkers, caves, and tunnels. The attack lasted several days. The Japanese put up strong resistance and virtually none surrendered.
