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Battle of France/Miracle of Dunkirk
May 26, to June 4, 1940
Interesting Facts:
1. It was named after the dynamo room in the Dover cliffs where their operation HQ was based.
2. The craft came from as far away as the Isle of Man.
3. The evacuation began on May 27. Just 8,000 soldiers were rescued.
4. Soldiers had to wait patiently while under attack from enemy aircraft.
5. There were also atrocities.
It was the defense and evacuation to Britain of British and other Allied forces in Europe from May 26, to June 4, 1940. -
Battle of Britain
Jul 10, 1940 – Oct 31, 1940
Facts:
1. Hitler tried to convince Britain to surrender without a fight.
2. It was the first battle in history waged almost exclusively in the air.
3. The battle included one of the earliest uses of radar in combat.
4. The Royal Air Force’s squadrons included many foreign fighter pilots.
5. Pilot exhaustion and personnel shortages plagued both sides.
It is important because it was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by air forces. -
Battle of Stalingrad
August 23, 1942 – February 2, 1943
Facts:
1. Adolf Hitler was very angry at General Paulus for losing the battle.
2. German tanks had trouble fighting in the streets of Stalingrad.
3. Around 91,000 German soldiers were captured at the end of the battle.
4. The battle started months later after Operation Barbarossa was started on June 22, 1941.
5. Cannibalism became common and widespread.
Importance: The Battle of Stalingrad marked the end of Germany's advances into eastern Europe and Russia. -
Operation Torch
Started and ended November 8-16 1942. Interesting facts:
1. It removed the German threat against the Suez Canal forever.
2. The Germans lost over 250,000 men that could not be replaced.
3. The Axis lost all control of the Med.
4. The US had the opportunity to gain invaluable combat experience against the Germans before going into Europe.
5. Torch made it possible to attack Italy and take them out of the war.
It was the first major operation that US troops undertook in Europe/Africa in WW2. -
D-Day
D-Day lasted a duration of a single day. Some interesting facts: 1. The largest amphibious invasion in history.2. The invasion's code name was Operation Overlord.3. The D stands for Day. D-Day and H-Hour stand for the secret time an operation is scheduled to begin4. Code names for the five beaches where the Allies landed: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword.5. More than 13,000 aircraft and 5,000 ships supported the operation. It was important because it ensured the freedom of France. -
Battle of Leningrad
Sep 8, 1941 – Jan 27, 1944
Facts:
1. Germany and Finland were an alliance.
2. People died of starvation and cold.
3. There was cannibalism.
4. About 2.3 million dead.
5. One of the coldest winters in Russia
Important because the Germans maintained their siege with a single army, and defending Soviet forces numbered less than 15 percent of their total strength on the German-Soviet front. -
Battle of the Bulge
Dec 16, 1944 – Jan 25, 1945
Facts: 1. Hitler’s generals advised against the attack. 2.The Allies missed several early warning signs of an offensive. 3.U.S. troops mounted a famous defense of the town of Bastogne. 4.It marked the first time the U.S. Army desegregated during WWII. 5. Weather patterns played a major role in the battle’s outcome.
The significance of the BB is Germany's defeat and that the end of the war in Europe came at a lower cost in Allied lives than it would have otherwise. -
Battle of Berlin
Apr 16, 1945 – May 2, 1945
Facts:
1. The battle left over a million Germans without homes, clean water, or food.
2. Around 150,000 Polish soldiers fought alongside the Soviet Union.
3. The Battle of Berlin led to the German leader, Adolf Hitler, committing suicide.
4. Was known to the Soviets as the "Berlin Offensive Operation"
5. The city's defenders surrendered on May 2, 1945.
The significance of the Battle of Berlin was the last major battle in Europe during World War II.
