Reviewing the Key Battles
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1. Germany invades Poland, Sep 1939,
WWII starts, “blitzkrieg” warfare.
Germans troops at border crossing
German dive bomber
German bomber
over city
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Hitler reviews troops entering
Poland
German tanks
2. German invasion of France, May-June 40:
Bypass Maginot Line, Ardennes, Dunkirk
evacuation, Vichy France, Free French
German Panzer (tank) Division
German troops crossing Meuse
DeGaulle in London
France after the fall
Dunkirk Evacuation
Vichy
France
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3. Battle of Britain, Aug-Sep 40: Brits
win air battle, no German cross-channel
invasion, Blitz ( bombing of London)
British Spitfire chases bomber over London
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Incoming German bombers met by British
Fires in London during the Blitz.
Subway shelters
4. Germany invades USSR, May 41:
Operation BARBAROSSA
Hitler plans Barbarossa
German infantry, armor, & airforces
Soviet civilian watches
village burn
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Surrendering Soviet soldiers
5. Rommel’s Afrika Korps pushes
Brits back, Mar-Aug 42
Rommel at the front
Afrika Korps Panzers advancing
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6. Stalingrad, Aug-Dec 42, Huge
German defeat, Soviets on the attack.
German troops in Stalingrad
German POWs
Ruins of Stalingrad
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German commander (Von
Paulus) surrenders
Soviet troops counterattack
7. El Alamein, Oct 42: Brits defeat
Rommel, go on the offensive, Montgomery
“Monty” in charge
German tank surrenders
Rommel
Montgomery
Allied tanks counterattack
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Brits beat back German tanks
8. Operation Torch, Nov 42: US enters
Africa, Vichy France falls
US occupies Casablanca
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Royal Navy convoys US forces
US troops land in Algiers
US troops move inland
9. Battle of the Atlantic, June 43: German
U-boats fail to stop Allied convoys
Sunk Allied ship
Allied convoy under air escort
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Allied destroyer hunting U-boat
German U-boat
10. Allies invade Sicily, July 43: Italy
withdraws from the war
Allies loading up in Tunisia
Allied rivals: Patton(US) & Montgomery(UK)
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Allies landing in Sicily
11. Allies invade Italy, Sep 43: Second
front in Europe to help Soviets
US troops liberate Rome
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US troops move inland
Bombed Monte Cassino Abbey
12. Allies invade Normandy, June 44:
Operation Overlord, Omaha Beach
most difficult landing
Eisenhower talks with
paratroops
Pinned down on Omaha Beach
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Allies pour men & material into
the beachheads
13. Allied breakout: July 44: Patton’s race
for Berlin, Operation Market Garden and
Battle of the Bulge slow Allies, Soviets
take Eastern Europe
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14. Soviets advance & take Berlin, Jan
43 - Apr 45; VE Day May 8
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1. Japan attacks US at Pearl Harbor, 7 Dec
41: US declares war on Japan, Germany
declares war on US; Battleships destroyed,
but not aircraft carriers.
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2. Japan invades US Philippines, Dec 41Jan 42: Bataan Death March, Corregidor
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3. Japan Take British Singapore, Feb 42:
Back Door invasion
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4. Battle of Coral Sea, May 42: Tactical
draw, strategically, US stops Japanese plan
to invade Australia.
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5. Battle of Midway, June 42: Carrier battle;
First major Japanese defeat; US on the
attack from then on.
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7. Leapfrogging, Apr-42-Oct 44: MacArthur
leads US Army advance to retake
Philippines
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6. Island Hopping, Aug 42-Apr 45: US
Navy retakes island chains, Gilberts,
Tarawa, Iwo Jima, Okinawa, Kamikazes
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8. US drops atomic bombs on Japan, 6 Aug
44 on Hiroshima, 9 Aug 44 on Nagasaki:
Japan surrenders 2 Sep 44 (VJ Day).
“Little Boy”
“Enola Gay”
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Hiroshima
Japanese surrender onboard
USS Missouri