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Battle of the Coral Sea
An American team of code breakers decoded Japanese messages alerted the United States to a Japanese attack on New Guinea. American attacks prevented the Japanese from landing on New Guinea’s south coast and kept the supply lines to Australia open. -
Battle of Midway
The Japanese navy lost four large carriers—the heart of its fleet. Just six months after Pearl Harbor, the United States had stopped the Japanese advance. -
Battle of the Stalingrad
Soviet defense of the city of Stalingrad. It stopped the German advancement into the Soviet Union and marked the turning of the tide of war in favor of the Allies. The Battle of Stalingrad was one of the bloodiest battles in history, with combined military and civilian casualties of nearly 2 million. -
Battle of Leyte Gulf
Largest naval battle in history. It was also the first time the Japanese used kamikaze attacks. -
Battle of Iwo Jima
The marines recruited Navajos to serve as “code talkers.” Code talkers transmitted more than 800 messages during the first 48 hours as the marines struggled to get ashore under intense bombardment. -
Battle of Berlin
Marked the end of WWII in Europe. The Soviets attacked along the Oder River near Berlin. They quickly defeated the German forces outside Berlin and advanced on the city. Russia captured Berlin and and Germany surrendered.