Major European Theater Battles

By OAM

  • Battle of Britain

    Battle of Britain
    Hitler tried to get the British to surrender without a fight.He hoped they knew how outnumbered they were Churchill ignored it.

    The code name was Operation Sea Lion
    London was bombed continually for 57 nights
    A lot of the pilots were foreigners from Czechoslovakia
    Hitler stop bombing London only because he needed to bomb Russia
    Ended 10/31/1940
    This battle ultimately helped the British strengthen it's air force and was the first battle to be primarily fought in the air

  • Battle of Leningrad

    Battle of Leningrad
    Wasn't actually a battle but a siege/military blockade
    Goal was to encircle boarders cut off supply routes
    Caused death of 1 million civilians
    Had to go over frozen lake
    City was responsible for 11% of industrial output
    Mostly was symbolic but gave hope for the Soviets cause
    Ended 1/27/1944

  • Dunkirk

    Dunkirk
    Also called a phoney war
    Citizens volunteered small boats and yachts
    It's declared as a national prayer day
    More than 200 boats were lost
    40,000 British became POWs
    Ended 6/4/1940
    Helped British avoid defeat and save hundreds of soldiers

  • Battle of Stalingrad

    Battle of Stalingrad
    Civilian deaths: 40,000
    Up close battle fought on streets
    The streets were so destroyed the tanks could not move
    Hitler wanted to attack because it was named after Stalin
    Stalin became were depressed after battle
    Ended 2/2/1943
    This was a turning point because it gave the power back to the Allies and took Hitler away from the water power

  • Operation Torch

    Operation Torch
    First major air assault by US
    France did not like this after the US did not help during German takeover
    Took place in Casablanca Oran Algeria
    Only 500 Ally soldiers dead
    After North Africa still controlled by France/Germany

    Ended 11/10/1942
    Germany takes over southern France allies minimal casualties and are intimidating force

  • D-Day

    D-Day
    Landed on 50 miles of beach
    Completion of Hitler's Atlantic Wall series of bunkers
    First U.S cemetery in Europe holds D Day soldiers
    Beaches code names: Gold Juno Sword
    Invasion began at 6:30
    Ended 6/6/1944
    Prevented Hitler from building up Eastern Front this was the beginning of the end fro WWll

  • Battle of Bulge

    Battle of Bulge
    Named after Germans attack strategy
    Code name Operation Mist
    Fog covered German's air-force
    German soldiers impersonated Allie soldiers to create confusion
    2nd largest surrender by US
    Ended 1/16/1945
    Germans last push for split Allie army

  • Battle of Berlin

    Battle of Berlin
    Germans were so desperate young boys and old men fought
    Before the battle ended Hitler killed himself
    Last battle before surrender
    Destroyed German homes and water supply
    It's believed Stalin at nuclear research he wanted to keep secret
    Ended 5/2/1945
    The war of attrition comes to an end the Germans officially exhaust their supplies and soldiers, also death of Hitler