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Battle of the Atlantic
The Battle of the Atlantic was the war's longest continuous military campaign. It was only by sea that the U.S. could deliver soldiers and supplies to the opponents of Hitler. If the Atlantic was not kept safe for shipping, the Axis would win. Germany entered the war with a powerful navy with several new ships. Germany used U-boats, but the Allies used convoys. The British and Americans did not have enough vessels to form effective convoys, allowing U-boats to attack supply ships bound for Great -
Battle of the Atlantic Continued
Britain. The Germans developed the Wolf Pack, in which U-boats hunted in groups and often attacked at night. "Happy Time" for the U-boat fleet was in 1940 and 1941, where they sent hundreds of ships and tons of supplies to the bottom of the sea. After Germany declared War on the United States, attacks on American ships increased. In a few short months, 360 American ships were sunk and just eight German U-boats. America's entry into the war helped turn the tide in this battle. American shipyards -
Battle of the Atlantic Continued
American shipyards began producing new ships at an amazing rate. They were used to form better, larger convoys to help cut down the effectiveness of U-boat attacks. New Allied aircraft protected convoys from the air by using radar and other technologies. The Allies broke Germany's code system, Egnima, in 1941, gaining vital information. Some 70% of the Germans on subs were dead. The war lasted six years. -
The Battle of Britain
German and British airforces clashed in the skies over the U.K. locking in the largest sustained bombing campaign of that time, Germany's Luftwaffe failed to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force despite months of targeting Britain’s air bases, military posts and, ultimately, its civilian population, ending the battle. Britain’s victory saved the country from a ground invasion and possible occupation by German forces while proving that air -
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power alone could be used to win a major battle. On June 17, 1940, the defeated French signed an armistice and quit World War II. Britain now stood alone against the power of Germany’s military forces, which had conquered most of Western Europe in less than two months. The battle received its name from a speech Winston Churchill delivered to the British House of Commons on June 18, 1940, in which he stated "The Battle of France is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin." -
The Battle of Britain Continued
The German objective was to gain air superiority over the Royal Air Force (RAF). By preventing Germany from gaining air superiority, the British forced Hitler to postpone and eventually cancel Operation Sea Lion, a planned amphibious and airborne invasion of Britain. However, Germany continued bombing operations on Britain, known as The Blitz. The failure of Germany to achieve its objectives of destroying Britain's air defences, or forcing Britain to negotiate an -
The Battle of Britain
armistice or even an outright surrender, is considered its first major defeat and a crucial turning point in the Second World War. This battle lasted three months and three weeks. -
The Battle of Stalingrad Continued
surrender in early 1943. Stalingrad marked the beginning of germany's collapse in the Soviet Union. Hitler's forces lost some 2 million and the Soviets paid a high price of 12 million, yet the Soviet Union had survived. This battle lasted five months, one week, and three days. -
The Battle of Stalingrad
When spring returned to the Soviet Union, the German armies renewed their assault. One major target was the city of Stalingrad, a major industrial center on the Volga River. In some of the bloodiest fighting in the history of warfare, the Soviets refused to let Stalingrad fall. Not only did the Germans fail to take Stalingrad, they also exposed themselves to a Soviet counterattack. In the fighting that followed, 250,000 Axis soldiers were caught by Soviet forces. The rest were forced to -
The Battle of El Alamein, Egypt Continued
After Hitler blocked an initial retreat in early November, Rommel managed to escape annihilation by withdrawing his men to Tunisia. The Battle of El Alamein marked the culmination of the North African campaign between the forces of the British Empire and the German-Italian army commanded in the field by Erwin Rommel in World War II. This victory turned the tide in the North African Campaign and ended the Axis threat to Egypt, the Suez Canal, and of gaining access to the Middle Eastern and -
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Persian oil fields via North Africa.The Second El Alamein revived the morale of the Allies, being the first major offensive against the Axis since the start of the European war in 1939 in which the Western Allies had achieved a decisive victory. This battle lasted until November 11th of 1942. -
The Battle of El Alamein, Egypt
The Battle of El Alamein marked the culmination of the World War II North African campaign between the British Empire and the German-Italian army. Deploying a far larger contingent of soldiers and tanks than the opposition, British commander Bernard Law Montgomery launched an infantry attack at El Alamein on Oct. 23, 1942. German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel returned to battle from illness and tried to halt the tide, but the British advantage in personnel and artillery proved too overwhelming. -
Operation Torch Continued
side with them in the battle. After landing, Allied forces turned east to fight the Germans. Some 20,000 Americans were killed or wounded in the six months of North Africa fighting, but by May 1943, they helped defeat Rommel's forces. Allied forces focused on the next phases. In early 1943, Allied leaders prepared to cross the Mediterranean and knock the Italians out of the war. -
Operation Torch
When the United States entered the war, Roosevelt was anxious to make a contribution quickly. Stalin wanted the Allies to invade Europe and help divide Hitler's attention. Other Allied leaders resisted. North Africa was the logical place for American Soldiers to enter. The commander was U.S. lieutenant general Dwight D. Eisenhower. This plan called for American forces to invade the North African countries of Morocco and Algeria in November. The Allies hoped that the French in North Africa would -
Invasion of Sicily / Italy
The first major step was the invasion of the island of Sicily. After the attack began, Roosevelt and Churchill issued a message to the Italian people. By the end of the month, they had turned against the dictator Benito Mussolini and forced him from power. The Allies took Sicily a few weeks later. Next, they planned to occupy the Italian Peninsula. Allies made steady progress againts the Germans at first. Helping fight were the Tuskegee Airmen, a segregated unit of Aftrican Americans. -
Operation Overlord
The Allies were saving their resources for a planned invasion of France, known as Operation Overlord. Careful planning was vital to end the war. They worked for months to select a location and finally settled on the beaches of Normandy. Eisenhower commanded the mission and chose General Omar Bradly to lead the American troops. The top British commander was Bernard Montgomery. This was called D-Day. Little went according to plan. There was an estimated 10,000 Allies casualties, but D-Day had been -
Operation Overlord Continued
a success. By the end of August, Paris had been freed from the Germans. It ended on August 30. -
The Battle of the Bulge
The Allies moved east. The Germans fought well in certain places, but appeared near collapse. On December 16, the Germans launched a surprise offensive of their own. The Battle of the Bulge referred to the bulge in the Allied battle lines. A key moment in the battle came at the Belgian city of Bastogne. On December 26, troops led by Lieutenant Genral George S. Patton arrived to provide relief for the American force. The victory helped blunt German offensive and became a symbol of American -
The Battle of the Bulge Continued
strength and determination. This battle lasted until January 25, 1945. -
Hitler Commits Suicide
Hitler had repaired to his bunker on January 16, after deciding to remain in Berlin for the last great siege of the war. Fifty-five feet under the chanceller, the shelter contained 18 small rooms and was fully self-sufficient, with its own water and electrical supply. He left only rarely and spent most of his time micromanaging what was left of German defenses and entertaining such guests as Hermann Goering, -
VE Day
On this day in 1945, both Great Britain and the United States celebrate Victory in Europe Day. Cities in both nations, as well as formerly occupied cities in Western Europe, put out flags and banners, rejoicing in the defeat of the Nazi war machine. -
Hitler Commits Suicide Continued
Heinrich Himmler, and Joachim von Ribbentrop. At his side were Eva Braun, whom he married only two days before their double suicide, and his dog, an Alsatian named Blondi. It is believed that both he and his wife swallowed cyanide capsules (which had been tested for their efficacy on his “beloved” dog and her pups). For good measure, he shot himself with his service pistol.
