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Japan Attacks Pearl Harbor
On the morning of Dec, 7 1941, Japan unleashed an air fleet to bomb Pearl Harbor in the pacific. The harbor was attacked by fighters, bombers and torpedo ships in two seperate waves. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of these eight damaged, two were raised, and with four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. -
United States enters World War II
Americans had become skeptical about declaring war on Japan and Joining the Allied side, until Pearl Harbor. After the attack on Pearl Harbor the americans were left with little doubt on whether or not to declare war. After President Roosevelt's speech, the House voted 388 to 1 to declare war. Staying true to their alliance with Japan, Germany and Italy both declared war on the U.S. -
Battle of Coral Sea
On May 7th and 8th the United States and Japanese aircraft carriers engaged in battle. This was the first sea fight in which enemy warships never sighted one another. Instead of them seeing each other, the U.S. airships attacked their carriers and vice versa. Although the battle was considered a draw, it was huge for giving confidence back to the U.S. and it forced the Japanese to call off their attack on New Guinea. It also marked a shift in momentum towards the Americans. -
Battle of Midway
While the Allies still focused on the "Europe First" Strategy, they still did not forget about the Pacific. On June 4, 1942 the Japanese commensed an attack on a U.S. naval base. The Americans sunk 4 Japanese Aircraft carriers, along with all 250 aircrafts on board and many of Japan's most experienced ilots. America lost only one aircraft carrier. The Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific because the Japanese had hoped to send the U.S. back to California with this base -
Germans surrender at Stalingrad
A major turning point in the war and is considered one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare. Nearly 2 million casualties. Many of these deaths were Germans. This was a major turning point in the war because it left Germany without any more realistic plans of taking over Europe. The battle lasted 5 months, 1 week and 3 days. -
Allies Invade Italy
On September 3, 1943 the Allies decided to invade Italy. Churchill had backed the plan to invade Italy because he said it was the weak spot of the Axis powers. Taking over Italy would allow the Allies to ship supplies for much cheaper costs as well. The invasion was led by General Harold Alexander. They landed around Salerno on the west coast to begin Operation Avalanche. The invasion was successful. -
D-Day landing in France
The Allies hit Germany in force. More that 11,000 planes prepared the way, attempting to destory German communication and transportation networks and soften Nazi Beach defenses. At 6:30 AM the first troops landed. On four of the beaches, the landings were only lightly opposed and casualties relatively low. On Omaha the Germans had heavy defense. The 5 beaches were Omaha, Gold, Sword, Utah, and Juno. By the end of the day the Allies had gained a toe hole in France. Berlin was still a long road ah -
Battle of the Bulge
In a very last attempt to win the war in Europe Hitler orded a strong counter attack that is now known as the Battle of the Bulge. During this battle Hitler caught the Allies by surprise and captured many key towns. The attack was done on a clowdy day so the Allies were unable to use their superior air support. On December 23, the skies cleared and the Allied bombers attacked German positions. After reinforcements arrived, the Allies went back on the offensive, steadily pushing the Germans out. -
World War II Ends
On August 6, 1945 U.S. pilots dropped an atomic bomb on Hiroshima. Within two minutes, 60,000 residents of Hiroshima were dead or missing. Over the next three days Japanese soldiers debated whether or not to continue fighting. On August 9, 1945 U.S. pilots dropped another atomic bomb this time on Nagasaki. This second bomb killed 35,000 residents. Finally on August 15, 1945 the U.S. was finally able to celebrate V-J day. -
Nuremberg Trials
The Allies persecuting the Nazis for war crimes. The trials turned a glaring spotlight on the evils of the Third Reich. The first of the Nuremberg Trials involved key leaders of Nazi Germany, such as Hermann Goring. Most of the trials dealt with the Holocaust. Most of the defendants pleaded that they were just following orders, that Hitler was the source of all the crimes. The judges at Nuremberg did not accept their excuses. Some of the Nazis were hung and others received long prison terms.
