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Battle of France
The Battle of France, also known as the Fall of France, was the German invasion of France andthe Low Countries. In 6 weeks German forces defeated Allies forces by mobile operations and German bombers hit air bases in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands. Germany’s main goal was to conquer France and did so while having suffered 163,000. The Allies suffered from 2,260,000 casualties. Germans invaded after the withdrawal of the British Expeditionary Force. -
Battle of Britain
300 German bombers raided London and began the Battle of Britain. During summer and fall of 1940, German and British air forces clashed in the skies over the United Kingdom. Germany’s goal was to invade Great Britain, but in order to do so they had to destroy Great Britain’s Air Force. Although the Germans had more planes and pilots, Great Britain warned its victory and gained an advantage from fighting over their own territory. 1,495 British aircrew were killed. -
Pearl Harbor
On the day known as Pearl Harbor, Japanese planes attacked the U.S. Naval Base at Pearl Harbor. Japan's goal of the bombing was to surprise America and destroy it's navy as quick as possible. Japan destroyed 20 American naval vessels and eight battleships. More than 2,400 Americans died in the attack and 1,000 wounded. The day after the bombing, Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan. Japan was upset with trade embargo's placed on them and the expansion of the U.S. fleet. -
Battle of Singapore
The Battle of Singapore begun when Japan invaded Malaya after being imposed a trade embargo. This battle is considered one of the greatest defeats in the history of the British Army. British were using Singapore as a military base and the Japanese Army attacked. The attack occurred two days after Pearl Harbor, and British casualties amounted to 8,708 killed or wounded. Japanese losses were around 9,824. Japan won and British forces withdrew from Singapore. -
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea was a major naval battle between the Imperial Japanese Navy and U.S. air and naval forces. The Japanese were seeking to take control of Coral Sea, but their plans were intercepted by Allied forces. This battle was the first air-sea battle in history, and had an important impact on the Battle of Midway in which it reduced Japanese forces. It was the first time that the Allies had stopped the Japanese advance, although the American fleet had 543 men wounded or killed. -
Battle of Midway
The Battle of Midway was a naval battle that resulted in a United States victory. This victory allowed the U.S. and its allies to move into an offensive posterior during the war and as a result Japan suffered 2,500 casualties in this battle. This battle was a turning point in Pacific war. -
Battle of Guadalcanal
The Battle of Guadalcanal, also known as the Guadalcanal Campaign, was the first time since entering the war the the U.S. had gone offensive against the Japanese. The Japanese marines launched a surprise attack but was a U.S. victory. The goal of the Japanese was to seize an unconstructed air base and continue constructing it. This battle was another turning point in Pacific War, while Allied losses were around 7,100 men, 29 ships, and 615 aircraft. -
Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands
The Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands was the fourth major naval engagement fought between U.S. Navy and the Imperial Japanese Navy. This battle began in attempts by Japan to drive Allied forces from Guadalcanal and nearby islands in hopes to defeat any Allied naval forces. 266 Allied men died and 500 Japanese men. The battle resulted in a Japanese victory and -
Battle of Kursk
The Battle of Kursk was an unsuccessful German offensive against Soviet forces in 1943. German's surprise attacked the Soviets after their defeat at Stalingrad, but Soviets counterattacked and earned a victory. At the end of fighting in Kursk, the German forces had suffered 200,000 casualties and lost 500 tanks, while Soviets lost 860,000 people and 1,500 tanks. The goal of the Germans was to capture important oil fields in the Caucasus region. -
Battle of Stalingrad
The Battle of Stalingrad began when the Nazi Army bomber the Soviet city of Stalingrad. This battle is known as one of the bloodiest battles in history, with nearly 2 million casualties. The Germans invaded Stalingrad to gain control of it from the Soviet Union, but the Soviets gained victory. The battle was the first German loss and because of this they no longer advanced into Russian territory. About 150,000 German men died and was a great humiliation for Hitler. -
Battle of Tarawa
The Battle of Tarawa was fought between Japan and the Allies. The goal of the U.S. was to seize the the Japanese-held island of Betio in the Tarawa Atoll in the Gilbert Islands. Despite heavy resistance from the Japanese, the Allies secured the island and defeated Japanese forces. After fighting the 76-hour battle, nearly 6,400 Japanese, Koreans, and Americans died. -
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a series of four assaults by the Allies. The invention of the Allies was a breakthrough to Rome, and the Allies bombed the abbey at Monte Cassino as part of an extended camapign against the Axis forces. The battle and capture of Monte Cassino resulted in 55,000 Allies casualties and 20,000 Germans killed or wounded. -
Battle of Berlin
Battle of Berlin was the last major battle in Europe. It resulted in the surrender of the German army and an end to Hitler’s rule. Germany surrendered because the Soviet’s were approaching the capital of Berlin from the East and Western Allies were approaching from the West. The Soviet’s began the battle by shelling Berlin and refusing to stop until they surrendered. Over 30,000 Soviet soldiers died compared to the 10,000 soldiers lost by the Germans. The Soviet’s won outnumbering Germans. -
Battle of Normandy
The Normandy Invasion, also known as the D-day, or Battle of Normandy, was an invasion led by the Allies Forces of Britain, America, Canada and France. The Allies attacked Germany with a force of 150,000 soldiers that gained a victory. Over 425,000 Allies and German troops were killed, wounded, or missing. D-day was the largest amphibious invasion in history and was the main Allied invasion that allowed the Allies to finally defeat Germany. -
Battle of Saipan
The U.S. launched a critical attack on Saipan in the Mariana Islands. The goal of the U.S. was to gain an air base in which they could launch long-range B-29 bombers directly at Japan’s home Islands. Battle of Saipan resulted in more than 3,000 U.S. deaths and 13,000 wounded. The Japanese lost 27,000 soldiers and the U.S. gained a victory and gained an advantage against the Japanese with this battle. -
Battle of Guam
During the Battle of Guam U.S. forces retook the island of Guam after its capture, leading to over 7,000 American casualties and 18,000 Japanese killed. In attacking Guam, U.S. forces were liberating U.S. territory and acquired harbors along with airfields. After the battle Guam was turned into a base for Allied operations. -
Battle of Peleliu
The Battle of Peleliu was fought between the Empire of Japan and the the U.S. Army. The Japanese wanted the island of Peleliu for its airfield because it allowed Japanese planes to threaten any Allied operation in the Philippines. The battle resulted in the highest causality rate of any amphibious assault in American military history. 40 percent out of 28,000 Marines and soldiers that fought for the island died or were wounded. The U.S. won the battle and were finally able to secure the island. -
Battle of the Bulge
The Battle of the Bulge was the last major Nazi offensive against the Allies in WW2. The battle was a last ditch attempt by Hitler to split the Allies in two in their drive towards Germany and destroy their ability to supply themselves. The Americans suffered 75,000 casualties, but the Germans lost 80-100,000. This battle brought the German army to an end, along with the Nazi reign. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
Americans made their first strike on Japanese Home Islands at Iwo Jima. The reasons for the U.S. doing this was the need for a base near the Japanese coast. Iwo Jima was defended by 23,000 Japanese troops, but after a month of fighting the defending forces were wiped out, earning the U.S. Army a victory and the island they invaded. Despite the victory, American casualties exceeded Japans with 26,000 dead. Iwo Jima was so important because it was air base for Japanese fighter planes. -
Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Okinawa, also known as operation iceberg, was part of a three point plan the Americans had for winning the war Far East. Okinawa would give the U.S. a base large enough for an invasion of Japanese home islands. This battle demonstrated how deadly invasion of the mainland would be. The battle ended with 50,000 American casualties and 100,000 Japanese. The Allies won the battle and it was the last great battle of the war.
