The+Battles

D-day
====When the americans joined the war effort in Europe, Joseph Stalin leader of the U.S.S.R proposed opening a new front. Stalin proposed that the allies open a front in france. At firs the british were sure that crossing the channel and losing would open up a path for the axis to invade. The British and americans held off on the idea until late 42 when they agreed to attack. The British had also opened up a front in north africa. When all was said and done the attack begun. On June 5th 1944, operation overlord began. Nearly 4,000 ships stormed the shore's of Normandy. It first started When a group of british commandos landed a day earlier to take out point de huc. Point de huc was a hill that had 6 aa and artillary weapons as well as a-lot of of small arms. Once the brithish commandos got there 2 out of the 6 guns were destroyed or heavily damaged, but 4 of the guns were gone. Some of the commandos thought they were in a different location. If fact they were, just a few football fields away. So when the commander found out he put some thermite gernades down and blew up the guns. Then next day June 6th 1944 about 1700 higgins boats along with some swimming sherman tanks stormed Omaha, Utah, Juno, gold and silver beaches. It was a blood bath, the americans were stopped at omaha and utah as they were machine gunned down and were under constant arttillary fire. I continued to be like that until the americans landed a fer guys with m-2 flamethrowers. With a usual squad of 4 or 5 the troops made it to the top of the hill and**.**====

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**German Invasion of Poland**
The German Soviet Pact was made in August of 1939, so Soviet Union would not interfere with the Germany invasion of Poland. Hitler didn’t want the Soviet Union attacking them from behind and Germany didn’t want to fight a war from two fronts. In the September 1 of 1939, Germany invaded Poland. Germany conquered the Polish army in a matter of weeks. Germany came in from the east of Prussia, and in the north of Silesia and Slovakia. In the south, Germany came in with 2,000 tanks and over 1,000 plans were used to invade Poland. Edited by: Antoinette H.** Source: @http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/article.php?ModuleId=10005070
 * by: Darrell.C

**The** **Battle of Britain**
The Battle of Britian was fought from the 10th of July through October 31st, 1940. This battle was the first major campaign to be fought entirely by Air Forces. The Battle if Britian was the largest and most sustained areil bombing campaign. On the the Allie's side was the Royal Air Force (RAF) against the German Air Force (Luftwaffe). The Allies had lost 544 aircrew, 422 aircrew were wounded and1,547 aircraft were destroyed. On the Axis side 2,698 aircrew were killed and1,887 aircraft were destroyed. The Royal Air Force eventually won the battle aginst Luftwaffe.

Source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_battle_of_britain

by: Peter L.

 * Edited by: Antoinette H.**

The Battles of El Alamein
The first battle of El Alamein was fought in the deserts of North Africa in July of 1942. El Alamein is located about 150 miles west of Cairo. On the Axis side, it was the Germans and the Italians, and fighting for the Allies was the UK, Australia, India, and South Africa. This battle was being fought so that the Allies could meet up with America, and take out a heavy fortified Axis location.

The Allies wanted to fight in North Africa so that they could get into Sicily. They would fight from the bottom of Italy to the top.
 * by: Corey W.**

**Battle of Stalingrad**
The Battle of Stalingrad was on of the major battles in WW2. Germany, Romania and Italy went to war against the Soviet Union. Hungry and Croatia were also at war with the Soviet Union. It was the turning point of the Eastern Front and the war itself. It became one of the bloodiest wars in the history of warfare. It started on a late summer in 1942 when Germany captured Stalingrad. However, they only controlled 90% of the city and was unable to dislodge the last Soviet defenders.

June 22 1941, Germany launched operation Unternehmen Barbarossa to invade the Soviet Union. Soviet offensives had pushed the Germans back to the northwest of Moscow and south of Kharkov, but they were still out numbered. The Germans had 270,000 men, 3,000 artillery pieces, 500 tanks, and 600 aircraft. The Soviet Union only had 87,000 men, 2,200 artillery pieces, 400 tanks, and 300 aircrafts. In the end of one of the bloodiest battles ever, the Russians won. by: Joe O.**
 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Stalingrad
 * Edited by: Antoinette H**

**The Battle of Kursk**
The largest tank battle in the history of mechanized warfare took place during the summer of 1943. Many people consider the battle of Kurska turning point for the eastern front in WWII.

The battle of Kursk took place in the village of Prokhorovka in the Belgorod Region. The only reason the battle is call The Battle of Kursk is because the German Army needed to help the German forces trapped in Stalingrad. The only way to get to them was to break the defenses at the town of Kursk. The Russian army had just won the battle at Stanlingrad and was starting to liberate Nazi controlled Russia. In the battle of Stalingrad the town of Kursk had been retaken. In the months before the battle, the Russians had a lot of thinking on how to get this right. Marshal Zhukov who is the Russian commander of the area sent this letter to the Stavka which is the Supreum Commander of the Russian Military. "//I consider it inadvisable for our forces to go over to the offensive in the very first days of the campaign in order to forestall the enemy. It would be better to make the enemy exhaust himself against our defenses, and knock out his tanks and then, bringing up fresh reserves, to go over to the general offensive which would finally finish off his main force."//

The Germans delayed the attack for 4 months, which gave the Russians plenty of time to prepare for the storm of metal and men. . With the help of citizens, about 1 million anti-tank mines were laid and 3000 miles of trenches were dug. The Russians also had 1,300,000 men, 3,600 tanks, 20,000 artillery pieces and 2,792 aircraft. (The Germans had 1,087,500 men, 3,275 tanks, 25,013 guns and mortars and 2,792 aircraft.) The stage was set and on July 4th, the battle began. On the 12th of July, one of the Comanders from the Russian army said this:

//"In the morning of July 12th I and a group of officers were at an observation point, from which the battlefield could be seen very clearly. In the first minutes of the battle two avalanches of tanks surged onto one another in clouds of dust and smoke. 1500 tanks on either side were in action simultaneously and the field near Prokhorovka proved too small for such a force. Locked into one huge tangle the tanks rolled into one enormous mass. Hundreds of tanks and self-propelled guns were on fire. The rumble from rattling armour and the howl of shells many of which ricocheted sideways as they hit the armour was deafening! Soldiers jumped out of burning tanks and rolled on the ground to put out flames.”//

At the end of the of the 20-day battle, the Russian War machine had come out victorious! The 2 year long push to Berlin had begun. Picture of a Russian Tank burning at the battle.

Edited by: Antoinette H**
 * by: Alex C

**The Battle of the Bulge**
The Ardennes Offensive (16 December 1944 – 25 January 1945) was a major German offensive, launched towards the end of World War II through the densely forested Ardennes Mountains region of Belgium, France and Luxembourg on the Western Front. The Wehrmacht's code name for the offensive was Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein (in English: "Operation Watch on the Rhine"), after the German patriotic hymn Die Wacht am Rhein. This German offensive was officially named the Ardennes-Alsace campaign by the U.S. Army, but the English-speaking general public knows it simply as the Battle of the Bulge. The “bulge” was the initial incursion the Germans put into the Allies’ line of advance, as seen in maps presented in contemporary newspapers.

The German offensive was supported by several subordinate operations known as Unternehmen Bodenplatte, Unternehmen Greif, and Unternehmen Währung. Germany’s planned goal for these operations was to split the British and American Allied line in half, capturing Antwerp, Belgium, and then proceed to encircle and destroy four Allied armies, forcing the Western Allies to negotiate a peace treaty in the Axis Powers’ favor.

The offensive was planned with the utmost secrecy, minimizing radio traffic and conducting the movement of troops and equipment under the cover of darkness. Although ULTRA suggested a possible attack, and the Third U.S. Army's intelligence staff predicted a major German offensive, the offensive still caught the Allies by surprise. This was achieved by a combination of Allied overconfidence, preoccupation with their own offensive plans, poor aerial reconnaissance, and the relative lack of combat contact by the First U.S. Army in an area considered a "quiet sector". Almost complete surprise against a weak section of the Allies’ line was achieved during heavy overcast weather, when the Allies’ strong air forces would be grounded.

The objectives for the offensive were not realized. In the wake of the defeat, many experienced German units were left severely drained of men and equipment as survivors retreated to the defenses of the Siegfried Line. With over 800,000 men committed and over 19,000 Americans killed, the Battle of the Bulge was the largest and bloodiest battle that American forces experienced in World War II.
 * Source:** @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Battle_of_the_Bulge
 * By Anna K.**



The Battle of the Bulge was the most deadly battle of WWII. During the battle, more than 80,000 Allied soldiers were either killed, captured, wounded, or maimed. The Americans suffered about 75,000 casualties, about 94 % of the casualties. Hitler sent over 25,000 Nazi soldiers, taking over 85 miles of the battlefield. The battle lasted about 1 month, in that month the Nazi's had taken over 50 miles of the allies land creating a deadly bulge. On December 25, 1944 the Nazi's made a bulge and surrounded the 101st Airborne Division.

Days of war On the first day, the Germans had doubled in size with 25000 Nazi soldiers. They attacked the American soldiers in the front (the front consisted of four division or less), sending the Americans back. The Germans make two advances, one on the top and one in the center. The Germans are heading for the VIII corp's area adjoined with V corps in Bastogne. The Germans slowly make their way to Bastogne, as VIII corps headquarters go to Neufchateau. The Germans bypass Bastogne and make their way through a narrow corridor northwest to Marche, the 88th infantry moves to block the Germans from advancing. The Germans main advance widens, going north and south as Bastogne begins to be engulfed. The 4th armored division, the 10th armored division, the 26th infantry division and the 80th infantry division move against the southern flank of the Germans main advance. Bastogne is surrounded by German infantry divisions and a panzer division taking one blow after another. The Germans had made a disinct bulge in the Americans front line, which is what gave the battle its name. As German forces move farther to the west, while the Americans from the south move north and fight through German infantry to Bastogne. The British takes action and begins to attack the bulge. The panzer divisions in the western part of the bulge moves to the interior of the bulge. The bulge is further reduced as British and Americans push Germans back. The Americans pushed the Germans all the way back to their original front lines.
 * 1 (December 16th)**
 * Day 3**
 * Day 4**
 * Day 6**
 * Day 8**
 * Day 10**
 * Day 12**
 * Day 16**
 * Day 18**
 * Day 30**
 * Final day of the battle**

Edited by: Antoinette H** works cited: [|days of war] works cited: [|pbs:Battle of the bulge]
 * By: Cody D and Richard C

**The Battle of Midway**
The Midway Islands are located Northwest of the Hawaiian islands, and they were home to one of the last US command posts in the Pacific. The Midway Islands were the last islands in the Pacific that the Japan did not control. In 1942, Japan was planning a surprise attack on the Midway Islands. Due to the US Navy deciphering a secret message giving plans to a surprise attack on Midway Islands, the Americans were ready.

On June 3, 1942 the Japaneses attacked the Midway Islands. The Battle was fought in the air and in the sea. The Japanese sent four heavy and three light aircraft carriers, and many other cruisers to fight to take over the Islands. However, the Americans had three heavy aircraft carriers, a few cruiser s, and hundreds of planes ready for take off on the Midway and  Hawaiian islands. Only hours into the battle, American ships and planes sunk three of the Japanese heavy aircraft ships and one of their cruisers. On June 6th, after three days of defending the islands, US planes sunk Japan's last heavy aircraft carrier. With the loss of five ships, over three hundred planes and thousands of troops, the Japanese decided to retreat. This was the first American win in the Pacific, and the turning point in World War II. Edited by:Antoinette H**
 * by: Nate B.

The Battle of Tarawa
The battle of Tarawa was during the U.S central pacific Campaign in World War II. Tarawa was an Island part of Gilbert Islands, now called Kiribati. Tarawa is 3,000 miles from Japan. Tarawa was defended by more than 4,800 Japanese troops who were sitting in their trenches, complex bunkers, and weapon emplacements. This gave air and sea bombing little effect on this fortified island. The first invasion of U.S troops was about 5,000 men of the 2nd Marine Division. This ended up with 1,500 American casualties. Many troops died because the landing craft became stuck on reefs during the low tide. These men were often half a mile away from the shore, which were easy targets. After more troops kept landing on the shores of Tarawa, eventually they fought inland with flame throwers, tanks, and howitzers. The following day, Japan sent counter attacks, but with the strong force of the Marine’s, their advance continued. By noon on November 23, Japanese resistance ended. There were about 1,009 Marines killed and 2,101 wounded. There were 17 wounded Japanese soldiers who were taken as prisoners. There were 129 Korean laborers killed and 4,800 Japanese garrison men were wiped out. After the battle ended, America decided to pass up unimportant islands passing many Japanese bases.

Works Cited: "Tarawa, Battle of." //Grolier Multimedia Encyclopedia//. 2010. Grolier Online. 3 Mar. 2010 [] Edited by:Antoinette H**
 * By: Joey P.

The Battle of the Phillipine Sea
The Battle of the Philippine Sea, which took place on June 19-20, 1944, was a naval engagement between the U.S. and Japanese forces. It was the largest carrier battle of World War II and a big U.S. victory. After the U.S. invaded Saipan in the Mariana Islands, a Japanese fleet sailed toward Saipan to demolish the U.S. naval units that were protecting the landing. The 55-ship fleet, which had 5 carriers and 4 light carriers with 973 aircraft, tried to face the large U.S. force of 112 ships that included 7 carriers and 8 light carriers with 956 aircraft. On the early morning hours of June 19, the Japanese launched 373 aircraft. American planes rose to fight them, shooting down 243 aircraft while losing only 29. Later that day, another 50 Japanese planes were shot down over Guam, which was held by the Japanese, and U.S. submarines destroyed two Japanese carriers. The U.S. victory that day was so complete that some American pilots called it "The Great Marianas Turkey Shoot." The battle went on until next day, with U.S. planes destroying all except for 35 of the last remaining Japanese aircraft and sinking another carrier and damaging two others, a battleship, and a cruiser.

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[|http://gme.grolier.com/article?assetid=0226715-0]
 * By: Edhela**
 * Source:**

The Battle of Iwo Jima
In 1944, near the end of the war, the American forces had captured the Mariana Islands so they could use their airstrips to hold B-29 bombers. Still they could not launch an attack on Japan without them knowing. On an island in between Japan and the Mariana islands, there was a large radar system that could warn Japan about any attacks. In order to take that island, the military formed operation Detachment. Japan first saw the importance of this island a year before the American attack. They sent 21,000 men to defend the island.

The Americans started the attack on the 8th of December. They launched air strikes and had three heavy cruisers attacking the island from the seas. Each day the island would get bombed, and each day the bombing would intensify. It got to the point where the Japanese were under constant attack. It went on like that until the 19th February. General Smith had lead 80,000 men on to the island to attack. With no cover to hide themselves in, they were easy targets. The only way they would get in was to fight their way through. The main group headed north toward the airfield. Throughout the next 36 days, the marines had pushed their way through a maze of Japanese hiding in holes that they dug in the ground. Sometimes only gaining a couple yards each day. By March 26th, we had taken control of the island. Throughout it all, we had killed 6,500 Japanese and had wounded 20,000 others.

On the 23rd of February, A lieutenant Ted Tuttle found an American flag on one of the landing ships. He took it to Colonel Chandler Johnson, where he ordered Private First class Rene Gangon to take it up mount Surubachi and raise it. Rene and his team, plus a reporter, went up the mountain. They went to the summit of the mountain, without getting shot at, as the Japanese were preoccupied. At the summit of the mountain, Joe Rosenthol, the reporter, set up his camera on a pile of rocks as the Marines were lifting up the flag. Right before the picture was about to be taken, the camera fell. Joe quickly grabbed it and pointed it at the flag. The picture that he took is the one that you see above. media type="youtube" key="uHe9gCgQsos" height="385" width="480"

By: Alex N. ** @http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raising_the_Flag_on_Iwo_Jima [] []
 * Sources:**