Major European Theater Battles

Battle of France/Miracle of Dunkirk

May 27, 1940

From May 26 to June 4, 1940, 338,000 British Expeditionary Force and other Allied troops were evacuated from Dunkirk to England as German forces closed in on them.
1. Dunkirk is a small town on the coast of France.
2. 98,780 men were lifted from the beaches
3. 68,111 men were captured or killed during Blitzkrieg, retreat, and evacuation
4. 338,226 troops were evacuated between May 27 and June 4, 1940
5. 126 merchant sea men died during the evacuation

Battle of Britain

Jul 10, 1940

German and British air forces clashed in the skies over the United Kingdom.
1. This is the largest sustained bombing campaign to that date.
2. Hitler wanted to invade Britain in 1940.
3. The British had developed a highly effective air defense network.
4. The Battle of Britain was a defensive victory for Britain.
5. Not all of the piliots were British.

Battle of Leningrad

Sep 8, 1941

The Battle of Leningrad was one of the most horrifying and tragic events in history. The Russian Red Army was overpowered, and a siege was placed on the city which lasted almost 900 days.

1. About 260 people were jailed and convicted of cannibalism
2. Every year the city has a large celebration for the anniversary of the end of the battle.
3. Three million people survived.
4. A lot of peoples valuables and possessions were burned.
   
5. Lasted for 872 days

Battle of Stalingrad

Aug 23, 1942

The Battle of Stalingrad was the successful Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad during World War II.

1. The bombing killed thousands of people and the air became filled with the smell of decaying corpses.
2. The battle is known for their snipers.
3. Anybody strong enough was put to work including children and woman who would build trenches.
4. Germans surrendered on February 2, 1943, after they nearly starved to death.
5. 91,000 German soldiers were captured at the end of the battle.

Operation Torch

Nov 8, 1942

Allied invasion of French North America in 1942 and took place near Casablanca on the Morrocan Atlantic Coast.
1. This was the first time the British and Americans worked an invasion plan together.
2. Allowed allies to clear Axis from North America and blocked German expansion.
3. Allies won Operation Torch after Germany surrendered.
4. Torch was code name for the northern part of Africa, Algeria, and Morroco.
5. There were three landing sites; Oran, Algiers, and Casablanca.

Battle of the Bulge

Dec 16, 1944

The Battle of the Bulge was the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II.

1. This name was the name given to the last desperate offensive mounted by Adolf Hitler during the snowy winter of 1944.
2. Hitler's generals advised against the attack.
3. A bad phone connection helped lead to catastrophe for one U.S. division.
4. U.S. troops mounted a famous defense of the town of Bastogne.
5. Weather patterns played a major role in the battle’s outcome.

Battle of Berlin

Apr 16, 1945

The remaining leaders of Nazi Germany signed an unconditional surrender to the Allies and the war in Europe was over.
1. The Battle of Berlin resulted in the surrender of the German army and the death of Adolf Hitler.
2. Around 150,000 Polish soldiers fought alongside the Soviet Union.
3. Fought between the German Army and the Soviet Army.
4. The Soviet army vastly outnumbered the Germans
5. The battle left over a million Germans without homes, clean water, or food.

D-Day Battle

Jun 6, 1994

June 6, 1994, Britain, America, Canada, and France attacked German forces in Normandy, France.
1. D-Day was set for June 5; then postponed 24 hours because of bad weather.
2. Hitler was asleep when word of the invasion arrived. No one woke him and they lost vital time sending reinforcements.
3. Planning for Operation Overlord began in 1943.
4. Normandy was chosen because defenses were lighter and troops would have fewer rivers to cross.
5. “D” stood for Day and was used for secrecy.