Battles in Europe
• Battle of the Atlantic – This is an on going fight to
keep the shipping lanes open. Convoys of naval and
merchant ships sailed together to avoid “wolf-packs”
• Stalingrad – 1941 Hitler invades the USSR. Winter
stops the Germans. In the spring Stalingrad is attacked.
Soviets fight and capture 250,000. Beginning of end
for Germany.
• Operation Torch – The US enters the war in N. Africa.
They join with British and drive Germans out of N.
Africa. Then to Sicily and Italy moving towards
Germany.
• Tuskegee Airmen entered the war at this point.
• Operation Overlord – Better known as D-Day.
Landing on the beaches of Normandy France. June
6, 1944. Once this was accomplished the allies
were moving north in Italy and east from France.
The Soviets were moving west from the USSR
• Battle of the Bulge – This was the Germans last
attempt at an offensive move. December 1944 the
Germans attacked the allies line at Bastogne. This
put a bulge in the front line. The Germans were
pushed back and that was pretty much the end of
the war.
• Bombing Germany
– Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and Dresden
– Destroy Germany’s ability to manufacture
weapons
• Crossing the Rhine River
– Allied Forces cross in March 1945
– Advance east towards Berlin
– Soviets advance from the west
• Final Months of War in Europe
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FDR dies of stroke 4/12/1945
Harry Truman becomes President
Hitler commits suicide 4/30/1945
5/7/1945: Germany give unconditional
surrender
– V-E Day (Victory in Europe): 5/8/1945