Transcript FINAL powerpoint

Major Battles / Campaigns
of the European Theatre
J.D. Baldwin
Meghan Morris
Ashley King
Battle of Stalingrad
Who/When
Non aggression pact signed 1939 Hitler
and Russia
 Winter of 1942-1943
 Germany led by Field Marshall Fedor von
Bock
 German 6th Army
 Soviets led by General Nikolai Vatutin

Objectives
Germany wanted to capture Stalingrad for
two reasons
 Tank Factory
 Psychological reasons
 Soviets protect the city at all costs

Battle
Germans surrounded city and bombed
 City was ruined by artillery fire
 Germans were given order to not retreat
 Starved and froze due to lack of supplies
 German air force could not drop supplies
 Allowed Soviets to get upper hand

Battle Continued
Largest battle on the Eastern front
 German sent relief force
 Led by General Hoth but turned back

Results
Germans lost 200,000-300,000 men
 90,000 captured, 2,000 tanks 4,000 guns
 January 31 Germans surrendered
 Key turning point in war for soviets

Campaign in North Africa
Who/When
USA, Britain, France vs. Germany and Italy
 Axis led by General Rommel “Desert Fox”
 Allies led by Dwight D Eisenhower
 1942-1945

Objectives
Protect the Suez Canal and the Oil Rich
Middle East
 To gain territory as a staging area for the
European Front

Battle
Americans ill prepared for desert combat
 Winners of battles went back and fourth
 Until El Alamein when British defeated the
Axis powers pushing them into Tunisia
 Other Operations were Torch, Compass,
and Sunnenblume

Results
Allied Victory
 Killed, wounded, captured

– Germany 66,000
– Italy 23,000
– Britain 219,000
– US 16,500
Invasion of Italy
Who/When
Allies Landed September 1943 - 1944
 Allied Powers: U.S. and Britain
 Axis Powers: Germany and Italy
 Allies led by General Harold Alexander and
Winston Churchill
 Axis led by Adolf Hitler and Mussolini

Objectives
Invade the majority of Italy by pushing
from the south coming from Northern
Africa and Sicily.
 Gaining control of Italy to eventually
invade Germany.

Battle
Allies use many operations and tactics to invade
Italy.
 Operation Husky: The invasion of Sicily.
Preparation to invade the southern tip of Italy.
 Operation Avalanche: Attacks to the west coast
of Italy from Northern Africa.
 Operation Baytown: Allies come off of Sicily and
cross the Strait of Messina into the toe of Italy.

Battle
Operation Slapstick: Allies attack the east coast
of Italy, attacking a main naval base of Italy
forces.
 Allies push Italian and German forces as they try
to counter attack.

Operation
Avalanche
Operation
Baytown
Operation
Husky
Operation
Slapstick
Results
Italy tries to reinforce against invasions
 Allies pushed all the way north of Italy
 Italians surrender and eventually became
Allied.
 Mussolini is rescued by Hitler
 2,009 Killed
 7,050 Wounded
 3,501 Missing

Battle of the Atlantic
Who/When
1939-1945
 Allies: Britain, France, Russia
 Axis: Germany, Italy, Japan
 Allies led by Winston Churchill
 Axis led by Adolf Hitler

Objectives
Allies wanted to blockade Axis powers,
secure sea movements, and free military
powers across the seas.
 Axis wanted to gain control of Atlantic Sea
Routes, to cut of supplies coming from
North America.

Battle
Germans attack against the British navy forces
in hope of gaining control of the Atlantic Sea
Routes.
 Using German U-Boats, or submarines attacking
North American and Britain boats carrying
supplies.
 “Wolf Packs”: Groups of German U-Boats
 Lend-Lease Act: allowed FDR to sell or lend war
supplies to any country whose defense he
considered vital to the safety of the U.S.

Results
Germany failed to stop the flow of strategic
supplies to Britain from the North American
boats.
 They were unsuccessful in gaining control of
the Atlantic Sea Routes.
 Allies: 30,248 Merchant sailors; 3,500 merchant
vessels; 175 warships


Germans: 28,000 sailors; 783 submarines
D-Day & Battle of the
Bulge
D-Day
AKA Operation Overlord
 Who: Allies [US, Britain, Canada, Free
France, Poland, Norway] VS. Germany

– US general Dwight D. Eisenhower
What: massive military invasion of
France’s beaches
 Where: Normandy, France

D-Day
When: invasion began on June 6, 1944
Why: Reclaim France to launch offensive against
Germany
 How: surprise naval & air invasion– 150,000
troops came from United Kingdom staging area
and landed on 5 beaches from sea; 13,000
paratroopers dropped; 13,000 bombs dropped
on beaches in advance


– Operation Fortitude: Allies created “fake army” to
trick Germans into thinking army was at Kent
(opposite of Pas de Calais)– fake radio traffic;
inflatable tanks used
5 beaches





Sword beach: far left-- British & French only faced
machine gun nest
Juno beach: 2nd from left; Canadians penetrated further
than any other Allies in 1st day
Gold beach: British suffered heavy casualties b/c delayed
tank & fortified German village; still advanced far
Omaha beach: most heavily fortified; 60 meter cliffs;
bad conditions pushed US boats away but eventually
met goal
Utah beach: westernmost beach; current pushed off
target but still lightest American casualties
D-Day: outcome
Allies took Germans
completely by surprise
 150,000 men managed to
get ashore by end of day
 Casualties: about 10,00
Allies & 4,000-9,000
Germans

Battle of the Bulge
Who: Allies [United States, Britain,
Canada] vs. Germany
 What: Last big German offensive against
Allies
 Where: Ardennes Mountains
 When: 16 December 1944 – 25 January
1945

Battle of the Bulge
Why: Hitler wanted to capture Antwerp
[major supply port] and then divide Allies
 How: Surprise attack: Hitler started
bombing then sent in majority of troops

– German soldiers in US uniforms cut phone
lines, changed road signs & spread confusion
– Poor weather & low visibility
Battle of the Bulge Outcome:

Once weather cleared, Allies countered
strong German offensive
– German offensive lasted only 2 days
Most casualties: 81,000 Americans &
84,000 Germans killed/injured/captured
 Germans retreated & were depleted in
manpower, morale, & equipment
 “Ultimately, it shortened the time Hitler
had left” (375) because Hitler used his
major reserves to fight
