Transcript European Theater: June 1941

World War II
European Theater
Barbarossa, North Africa, Sicily
Europe – June 1941
December 1941
Nazi Germany and
its allies dominate
German Army at the gates of
Moscow
all of Europe and
April - June 1941
North Africa
Army Group
North
166 German divisions in 3
Army Group
1941
Center
Army Groups Fall
totaling
4.5
million men, 42,000
guns,
Operation
Barbarossa
4200 tanks and 4400
22 June 1941
Germany
continues to
aircraft assemble
along
Summer Russia
1941
Operation
advance
border between
Nazi into Barbarossa
an 1800
mile
Operation
Barbarossa
Germany andalong
Soviet
Germany
attacks
front
Russia
Russia
along
an 1800
Germany
advances
mile
Unprepared
for along an
intofront
Russia
winter,
themile
German
1800
front
advance is effectively
halted
Army Group
South
The Soviet winter counter-offensive, 5 December 1941 to 7 May 1942
Operation Blue: German advances from 7 May 1942 to 18 November 1942:
Operations Uranus, Saturn and Mars: Soviet advances on the Eastern Front,
18 November 1942 to March 1943:
World War II
European Theater
North Africa
North Africa: mid 1940 through October 1942
After two years of see-saw battles between the Italians/Germans and the
British, the British 8th Army under Montgomery finally breaks through in
Oct 1942 (2nd Battle of El Alamein) and drives the Germans west.
November
July 19431942 –3 The
Sepallies
‘43 advanced toward Tunisia to seize
Northports.
AfricaHowever,
1942
critical supply
the Germans
rushed
troops
into the ‘toe’ of
Operation
Baytown:
British
8th
Army
invaded
Military
defeats
in
the
Balkans
and
North
Africa
severely
dent
8 Sep ’43
Tunisia
and
form
the Operation
5th Panzer Torch.
Army. The
10 Julyfrom
–
17Italy/Sicily
August
43:
1942:
Italy
as8
aNov
diversion.
After
years
of
see-saw
confidence
intwo
Mussolini
as
a leaderbattles
and he is ousted in July
Germans
successfully
halted
the7th
Allied
advance
short
ofenough for a
Italy surrenders.
Knowing
that
they
arethe
notjust
yet
strong
Sicily
The
US
the
Italians/Germans
and
1943 was
bybetween
a conquered.
group
of
senior
military
and
politicians
with
King
9 Sep1st
‘43Army
direct
assault
into forced
Europe,tobut
their
goal.
The
British
was
now
go realizing
on the they must
thup
Army
under
Patton
attacked
the
British,
the
British
8
Army
under
Victor
Emmanuel’s
approval.
Germany rapidly disarms
the
Italian forces
and
occupies
Italy
10
Jul
1943 from
Operation
attack
somewhere,
theUS
Allied
Combined
Chiefs
Operation
Avalanche:
The
5th
Army
(Clark)
thenof
defense
and
wait
for
supplies
and
reinforcements
to
arrive
westernMontgomery
side of the island,
protecting
finally
and
Staff breaks
decidedthrough
to attack
North
Africa to assist the
Husky
made
the
Allied
main
amphibious
assault
() atASalerno
their
Marshal
very
long
Pietro
supply
Badoglio
lines,
becomes
as
well
as
Italy's
wait
prime
for
better
minister
weather.
the flankdrives
of thethe
British
8th
Army
British
8th Army in destroying the German/Italian
Germans
west.
on, while
theoccupied
1st
Airborne
conducted
a
French
American
Corps
to
the
south
of
15th
Army
Group
(AG)
with
Forces
thatBritish
were
fighting
inDivision
Libya.
At
three
landing
(under and
Montgomery)
that
attacked
up positions
supporting
amphibious
assault
Slapstick)
at
the
British
Corps.
sights,
In early
the
February,
Allies landed
Panzer
in(Operation
Morocco
Army
and
Algeria
the
US
7thAfrika
Army
(Patton)and
and
themain
eastern
side.
The Germans
were
quickly
defeat
the
Vichy
forces
there.
Feb
1943.
Battle
ofCasablanca
Kasserine
Pass:
This for
‘heel’
Italy.
Salerno
was
a British
very
difficult
operation
(Rommel)
arrivedthe
in
Tunisia
after
being
driven
from
Egypt
by
the
the
8th
Army
14-24
Jan
1943
Conference
able to evacuate
much
of of
their
men
10 Nov 1942:
battlepoor
wasGerman
a tactical
defeat for the
coordination
resulted
a
8th
Army.
(Montgomery)
invadeinSicily.
and
equipment. the allies, but
Churchill, Roosevelt
and the Combined
Joiint
but an operational
failure for (82nd
successfulAmericans,
invasion.Germans
occupied
Southern
505th
Parachute
Staff met at Casablanca
to discussRegt
next steps.
the
Germans
who
are
unable
to
follow
up 1st
France
and
Corsica
as
the
Airborne
Division) and
Rommel proposed that the
combined
German
Stalin
was invited
but declined.
on allied
their initial
success.
The
8th
Army
Vichy
government
began
to
British
Airborne
Division
Armies attack the weak
right
flank
to
With thetopple
Allies
stillassist.
unprepared
invade
in force
and
the twotoGerman
(due
to defections
in
N.
attempt to cut the 1st finally
Britisharrived
Army from
its supply
Europe,
a decisioninwas
to invade Sicily. If
Armies
surrendered
Africa).
lines prior to the 8th Army’s
arrival
in force. May 1943.
successful, the next logical step would be the
5
invasion ofClarkmainland
Italy (the “soft underbelly
Eastern
1 Abn Div
Center
of Europe”)
Western
Task Force
Task Force
th
Task Force
7
1
8
Montgomery
Patton
15th
Army Grp
Alexander