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Battle of Britain
The German Luftwaffe bombed targets throughout Britain, including cities such as London. Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) fought back and defeated the Nazis. -
Battle of Midway
The U.S. and Japanese forces fought on Midway, an island northwest of Hawaii. Victory by the U.S. enabled them to begin their strategy of island hopping. The Japanese lost many planes and ships. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The German and Soviet forces battled for control of Stalingrad, a major city in the USSR, named after Joseph Stalin. Despite losing 1.1 million soldiers, the Soviets won this battle, resulting in the surrender of 100 thousand German soldiers. The Germans were forced to retreat and shifted to defense on the Eastern front. -
Battle of El Alamein
The British forces defeated the German army, led by Field Marshal Rommel, in North Africa. The German troops were forced to retreat to Tunisia. This defeat allowed the Allied forces to seize control of the Mediterranean region. -
Battle of Guadalcanal
The U.S. and Japanese forces battled on and around Guadalcanal, one of the southern Solomon Islands. This battle was the first Allied offensive in the Pacific and resulted in Japan's first defeat on land. -
D-Day
The Allies launched a surprise attack against the Germans in Normandy on the northern coast of France. The Allied victory here on the Western front forced the Germans to retreat eastward and made it possible for the Allies to bring in the troops and equipment needed to free France, Belgium and Luxembourg. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Nazis' last major offensive against the Allies was fought on the Western Front in the Ardennes region of Belgium. The Nazis were pushed back and suffered major losses of personnel and equipment that they were unable to replace. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The U.S. battled the Japanese empire on the island of Iwo Jima, southeast of Japan. The U.S. won, which gave them a base from which to launch bombers to attack the island of Japan, -
Battle of Okinawa
The U.S. and Japanese forces fought on Okinawa, the largest Ryukyu Island. The U.S. won this battle and 100,000 Japanese soldiers were killed. This victory opened the way for the Allies to invade Japan.
