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The Battle of the Atlantic
Britain imported large quantities of supplies by sea. If the Germans sank Allied ships transporting those supplies faster than the shipping could be replaced, then Britain would slowly lose the ability to wage war. Germany nearly won this war at sea but in May 1943, after suffering severe losses to Allied warships/aircraft, the Germans withdrew most of their U-boats from the mid-Atlantic. This is significant to Canada because the main port on North America's east coast was in Halifax. -
Canada Declares War on Germany
When Britain declared war on Germany on September 3rd, 1939, Canada was not obligated to join the way they were during WWI. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King gave Canada that little bit of freedom, and just to prove the point that Canada was no longer as closely tied with Britain, they waited until exactly a week later to declare war. This is significant because it did indeed show that Canada could make its own decisions and could independently choose is they wanted to go to war or not. -
Miracle at Dunkirk
Hitler had been assured that the Luftwaffe could destroy the Allied forces, so Hitler ordered the forces besieging Dunkirk to pull back. The next day, the Germans resumed the land attack on Dunkirk, but by then, the British had begun evacuation. For 9 days, the evacuation continued, a miracle to the Allied commanders who had expected disaster. On June 4, the Germans closed in and the operation came to an end. This is significant because 198,000 British and 140,000 French troops were saved. -
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Battle of Britain
In the first battle to be fought wholly in the air, both sides had roughly the same number of fighter aircraft. But Britain was fighting over its own territory, and had the advantages of radar/newer fighters. The Germans attacked ships in the English Channel first, then launched bomber raids aimed at London. However, the Germans were unable to break the British fighter defense. Eventually, the German air force attacked London at night (the "blitz") and Hitler postponed the invasion indefinitely. -
Operation Barbarossa
In June, Adolf Hitler launched his armies eastward in a massive invasion of the Soviet Union: 3 great army groups with over 3 million German soldiers, 150 divisions, and 3000 tanks into Soviet territory. The invasion covered a front from the North Cape to the Black Sea, a distance of 2000 miles. This is significant because Barbarossa was the crucial turning point in WWII, for its failure forced Germany to fight a two-front war against a coalition possessing immensely superior resources. -
Pearl Harbour
Japan surprise attacked the U.S. naval base at Pearl Harbor in Oahu, Hawaii. They managed to destroy 20 American naval vessels, including 8 huge battleships, and more than 300 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers/sailors died, and another 1,000 were wounded.This is significant because it led to a U.S. declaration of war the following day.Then, Japan’s ally Germany, led by Hitler, then declared war on the United States, turning the war raging in Europe into a truly global conflict. -
Invasion of Hong Kong
Canada sent 1975 troops to Hong Kong however, the Canadians were not fully equipped and still training.On Dec 7, Japan entered the war. The Japanese invaded Hong Kong on Dec 8 and defeated them in 17 days. At first Canadians fought viciously, but 290 were killed and hundreds wounded. The survivors were all taken prisoner. Suffering from the harsh conditions, nearly 300 more Canadians died in captivity. This is significant because it shows Canada's efforts even when not in the best condition. -
The Final Solution
The Nazis decided murder millions of Jews. The details of the “Final Solution” were worked out at the Wannsee Conference. 11 million Jews from Europe were deported to sealed ghettos as a holding area. Many were then shipped in cattle cars to labour camps where they lived under inhumane conditions. Hundreds of thousands were sent directly to the gas chambers in death camps. This is significant because it was coordinated with the holocaust. -
Dieppe Raid
At this time the Soviet Union was in need of help, and Canadians were eager to help out. The plan was to strike at Dieppe (distract the Germans) however, the Germans were aware and stronger than expected. The raid was unsuccessful because Canadians were short of naval/air support. Of 5000 Canadian soldiers, 807 died, 1946 were captured, and 100 more died in captivity. Only 2110 returned to Britain. This is significant because although Canadians were short of supplies, they did their part. -
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Allied Troops Land in Sicily
Iin January, the Allied leaders determined that after they had gained all of North Africa, the next operation would be in the Mediterranean. The aim was to force Italy out of the war. The invasion of Sicily, code-named Operation Husky, began with combined air and sea landings involving 150,000 troops, 3,000 ships and 4,000 aircraft, all directed at the southern shores of the island. In all, 92,757 Canadian served.This is significant because Sicily, was a stepping stone to get to Italy. -
D-Day
Determined to end German occupation, Allied forces invaded Western Europe in Normandy, France. Of the nearly 150,000 Allied troops, 14,000 were Canadians on a beachfront named Juno.The Royal Canadian Navy contributed 110 ships and 10,000 sailors in support of the landings while the R.C.A.F. had helped prepare the invasion by bombing targets inland. Canadians suffered 715 casualties and 359 killed. This event is significant because the Canadians contributed greatly to the success of the invasion. -
V-E Day
Victory in Europe Day, generally known as V-E Day, VE Day or simply V Day, was the public holiday celebrated on May 8, 1945 to mark the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces. It was observed by France, Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Europe. It is significant because it marked the end of World War II in Europe. -
Hiroshima
An American B-29 bomber dropped the bomb (Little Boy) by parachute at 8:15AM, and it exploded 2,000 feet above Hiroshima in a blast equal to 12-15,000 tons of TNT, destroying 5 square miles of the city.The explosion wiped out 90% of the city and immediately killed 80,000 people; tens of thousands more would later die of radiation exposure. This is significant because it would not only end the war, but also put the U.S. in a dominant position. -
Nagasaki
The Japanese didn't surrender after Hiroshima, so Major Charles Sweeney flew out another B-29 bomber. Thick clouds over the primary target, Kokura, drove Sweeney to a secondary target, Nagasaki, where the bomb “Fat Man” was dropped at 11:02AM. More powerful than Hiroshima's, the bomb was built to produce a 22-kiloton blast. Nagasaki, which was nestled in narrow valleys between mountains, limited the destruction to 2.6 square miles. This is significant because it caused the Japanese to surrender. -
V-J Day
It was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the Allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, both August 14&15 have been known as “V-J Day.” The term has also been used for Sept 2, 1945, when Japan’s formal surrender took place aboard the U.S.S. Missouri. Coming several months after the surrender of Nazi Germany, Japan’s capitulation in the Pacific brought six years of hostilities to a final close. This is significant because on Sept 2, WWII officially ended.
