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Battle of the Atlantic (September 3, 1939-May 8, 1939)
The Battle of the Atlantic was a campaign lasting the entirety of the European Campaign, pitting the Kriegsmarine and Luftwaffe against the Royal Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, and later the United States Navy, in order to cut off supply convoys to the Allies. The Germans used mostly U-boats for attacking convoys as they were stealthy and deadly, using wolf pack tactic. To counter the U-boat threat, the Allies used anti-submarine warfare ships and aircraft to protect their supply lines from U-boats. -
Battle of Britain (July 10, 1940-October 31, 1940)
The Battle of Britain was a massive aerial battle between the Royal Air Force of Britain and the Luftwaffe of Nazi Germany in the skies of Britain. The Luftwaffe aimed to destroy the RAF by bombing airfields to prepare for an invasion, but this later turned into bombing raids on cities to terrorize the country into surrendering or signing an armistice. Despite the Luftwaffe’s intense bombing campaigns, Britain stayed strong through these tough times and overcame the Luftwaffe’s raids. -
The Blitz (September 7, 1940-May 11, 1941)
Following the failure of daylight bombing in the Battle of Britain, the Luftwaffe continued attacking British cities through night bombing raids to evade the RAF, in what was referred to as the Blitz. The goal was to destroy Britain’s war industry, but the bombings were also meant to terrorize Britain into signing an armistice. Despite the intention of breaking British morale, the bombings only strengthened Britain’s determination to defeat Nazi Germany. -
Pearl Harbor
The Attack on Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack on the United States Navy's Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and the catalyst to the US joining WWII. In 90 minutes, two waves of Japanese fighters and bombers inflicted heavy damage to American warships and airbases, killing nearly 2400 servicemen. After the attack, the United States declared war on Japan the following day, and later Germany on December 11, and joins the Allies of Britain and Russia. -
Rationing
When the US entered WWII, every resource available was rationed to civilians to have enough materials for the military and the population. Ration books were required to purchase even a single loaf of bread. Sales of materials such as food and gasoline were severely limited in order to preserve enough for usage by the military to use on the frontlines. Violations of ration laws had very strict consequences, violators could face up to ten years in prison for purchasing materials over the limit. -
Battle of Midway (June 4-June 7, 1942)
The Battle of Midway was a major air and naval battle set near and over Midway Atoll. The Japanese continued their objective of eliminating the US Navy’s power in the Pacific by attacking the base on Midway with bombers and fighters. American forces repelled the attacks on the island, and later launched attacks with carrier-borne bombers against the Japanese Fleet, sinking four aircraft carriers and a cruiser, thus making Midway a major turning point for the Americans and their allies. -
Bombing Raids Against Germany
Throughout WWII, the Allies have been conducting bombing raids against Germany in order to destroy their war effort and morale. The United States attacked during daylight hours, while the British attacked at night. During daylight raids, American fighters had to equip drop tanks to extend range to cover the bombers. The bombing raids targeted cities of major economic and industry productivity to fulfill the objective of crippling the German war effort and shatter morale amongst German citizens. -
The Dawn of Jet Aircraft
In the late stages of WWII, the Luftwaffe unveiled the first jet fighters to the world. Jet fighters were proven to be much faster than any propeller driven fighter, which gave them an immense advantage of Allied fighters. While the jets entered service rather late to make a huge difference in the war, they had proven to that a new era of flight was beginning, an era where propeller driven aircraft will be phased out in favor of more efficient jets. -
D-Day Normandy Landings (Operation Overlord)
D-Day was the name of the Landings on Normandy, France, as the Allies begin to liberate Western Europe from German occupation. To this day, it remains the largest amphibious invasion in history. The landing forces face heavy resistance from defending German forces, with Omaha Beach taking heavy casualties due to the high cliffs. Although the major objectives weren’t achieved the first day, the Allies had established five beachheads on Normandy for future operations to liberate Europe. -
Battle of the Bulge (December 16, 1944-January 25, 1945)
The Battle of the Bulge was Germany’s last major offensive against the Allies. The attack surprised the Allies, and bad weather grounded their air forces until Christmas Eve. With the skies clear, the Allies began attacking the Germans in the skies. On January 1, the Luftwaffe attacked Allied airbases to cripple Allied air forces, but the operation was a complete disaster. German losses were very high, and the Luftwaffe was no longer a major air power after the battle. -
Kamikaze: Japan’s Suicide Attacks
In the last months of WWII, the Japanese began to conduct suicide attacks against the Allies using explosives. The most notable suicide attacks were the Kamikazes, where young pilots would load planes with explosives to crash into Allied warships. This insane action followed Japan’s military culture of honor, as death was better than defeat or capture in the Japanese mindset. Kamikaze pilots demonstrated this perfectly, as no matter what the outcome was, they died with honor for the Emperor. -
Battle of Okinawa (April 1, 1945-June 22, 1945)
The Battle of Okinawa was a major battle on the island of Okinawa, where the US aimed to control the island to prepare for an invasion of Japan. It was a long and bloody battle, as the island’s proximity to the Japanese mainland made it vital for control. While the Allies did successfully seized control of the islands, it proved invading Japan would be difficult, as most Japanese soldiers preferred death over surrender, with some even feigning surrender to catch American soldiers off guard. -
Hiroshima and Nagasaki (August 6 and August 9, 1945)
The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki were a key event to the end of WWII, and the only time in history where nuclear weapons were used in warfare. This controversial action was done in order to break Japan’s will to fight, with over 250 thousand killed. This led to Japan surrendering unconditionally on August 15, then officially surrendering on September 2. The bombings are strong reminder of how the next world war will be fought and how it will end: A hellstorm of nuclear fire.
