Transcript The Battles
WWII: European Theater
The Battle of the Atlantic
Battle of the Atlantic
Battle of the Atlantic – major threat
to the Allied Powers
Longest continuous military battle
Winston Churchill once
wrote that, '... the only
thing that ever really
frightened me during the
war was the U-boat
peril'
Sept 3, 1939-1945
Britain needed tons of food &
supplies imported
If sunk 150 ships a month would starve
the British
German wolf packs
Attacked at night
Especially easy after France fell
German control until 43’, “happy
time”
Allied power technology changes game
http://sillysoft.net/plugins/images/WWII%20Europe.jpg
U-boats succeeded in
sinking three million
tons of Allied shipping
...
1939 : 222 ships sunk (114 by submarine)
1940 : 1059 ships sunk (471 by submarine)
1941 : 1328 ships sunk (432 by submarine)
1942 : 1661 ships sunk (1159 by submarine)
1943 : 597 ships sunk (463 by submarine)
1944 : 247 ships sunk (132 by submarine)
1945 : 105 ships sunk (56 by submarine)
Operation Barbarossa
In 1941, Hitler
violated
nonaggression
pact and
invaded the
USSR
Why?
Ironic?
Hubert Menzel (German-Army)
'We knew that in two years' time, that is by
the end of 1942, beginning of 1943, the
English would be ready, the Americans would
be ready, the Russians would be ready too,
and then we would have to deal with all three
of them at the same time.... We had to try to
remove the greatest threat from the East....
At the time it seemed possible.'
Germans invaded Russia:
Purpose & Attitudes
Desired:
Soviet oil fields
living space (lebensraum)
SS to kill all Communists, “total
disregard for human life”
Hitler ordered that Leningrad
should “vanish from the surface
of the earth”
So arrogant only gave summer
gear
What does this tell you?
Leningrad
Moscow
Kiev
Stalingrad
N, Leningrad; C, Moscow, S, Kiev
One week into the German invasion, 150,000
Soviet soldiers were either dead or wounded
Destroyed everything they could find
Utilities
Stalin removed many industries and industrial workers
but left civilians - 800,000 civilians starved at Leningrad
alone
506 day siege of Leningrad
Stalin: no retreating, ordered deserters shot,
8,000 killed Moscow for “cowardness” , blame
ethnic minorities, killed “disloyal”
Leningrad
Moscow
Kiev
Stalingrad
Battle of Stalingrad, Aug 1942 – Feb 43’
1,000 tons of bombs dropped
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history/videos/world-war-ii-battle-of-stalingrad
New Soviet policy – FIGHTING RETREAT!!!
Hand to hand combat
“I was like a beast. I wanted only one thing – to kill. You know how it looks
when you squeeze a tomato and juice comes out? Well, it looked like that
when I stabbed them. Blood everywhere. Every step in Stalingrad meant
death. Death in our pockets. Death was walking with us”, Soviet General
Av. Life expectancy private soldier 24 hours!
Soviets lost 1.1 million (death & wounded)
Stalin, at first, forbade evacuation of the city
Winter arrives, German supplies stretched thin
Germans had to stop eastern offensive
Such huge losses
Winter in Stalingrad
The Winter Arrives
"My hands are done for, and have been ever
since the beginning of December. The little
finger of my left hand is missing and - what's
even worse - the three middle fingers of my
right one are frozen. I can only hold my mug
with my thumb and little finger. I'm pretty
helpless; only when a man has lost any fingers
does he see how much he needs then for the
smallest jobs. The best thing I can do with the
little finger is to shoot with it. My hands are
finished." 43 below zero
Stalingrad – Hitler’s Big Mistake
"I was horrified when I saw the map. We're quite alone,
without any help from outside. Hitler has left us in the
lurch. Whether this letter gets away depends on
whether we still hold the airfield. We are lying in the
north of the city. The men in my unit already suspect
the truth, but they aren't so exactly informed as I am.
No, we are not going to be captured. When Stalingrad
falls you will hear and read about it. Then you will know
that I shall not return." Anonymous German soldier
Psychological loss, man power loss, strategic loss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6b1PNWqpbM
Images stalingrad
http://www.history.co.uk/explorehistory/ww2/stalingrad/video.html;jsessionid=E5B94C334258967A0CEA989FF3798F88
British propaganda video send support stanlingrad
Where are England, USA and other Allied
Powers????
North African First….
North African Campaign
Why North Africa?
European controlled, Suez
Canal, oil fields, link to raw
materials Asia
MEDITERRANEAN
Italy enters war 40’ fighting
spreads N Africa where Axis and
Allied Powers had colonies
Also opens a new front
Why is that good????
http://www.history.com/shows/wwii-inhd/videos/north-africa-campaign#north-africacampaign
North Africa campaign – 1.5 min
North African Campaign
Spans 1940-1943
Part I: Western Desert
Sept 1940 Italians attacked British in
Egypt from base in Libya
Dec 1940 British counterattack in
December
Feb 1941 German General Erwin Rommel
“the desert fox” arrived to reinforce
Italians and take command
March – Nov 41’ launched offensive to
reach Egypt
More in spring in summer of 42’!
Fall 42’ - British halted Axis attacks and
Axis withdrew!
North African Campaign
Part II: Operation Torch
Nov 8 1942-Nov 11 1942
D. Eisenhower led British and
Americans
3 beach invasions (Morocco &
Algeria)
German troops to Tunisia
End of Nov, 1942 - Allied powers
entered Tunisia
Eisenhower & Patton
North African Campagin
Part III: Tunisia Campaign
Jan 1943 Allied amphibious
landing in Eastern Tunisia
Feb 43’ More movement into
Tunisia
Germans cut off from supply base
By May 43’ Allied captured Tunis
(capital)
May 13, 1943 Axis
surrendered
What is Tunisia a perfect
based for??
Taking Italy!
Remove Mediterranean threat completely
& take back parts of Europe (controversial)
Taking Italy: Where do you start?
Sicily first: Operation Husky
Operation “Mincemeat” diversion
plan
Hitler sent his men to Sardinia and
Corsica
Italians already weak from North Africa,
Allied won easily, but Axis armies fled
July 24, 1943, Mussolini = deposed and
arrested – new gov’t helped allies
Italy now part of ALLIED
POWERS
Moving up to Italy
3 Sept 1943 Allied invaded Italy
Thought would be easy
Germans took Italian military
installations moved North
Germans created defensive
line “Gustav Line” 75 miles
north of Naples
Hitler sends in 8 divisions –
hold Rome
Bogged down allied forces
Not until June 4, 1944 Allied
forces capture Rome
By mid 1943….
Axis advances stopped
-Soviet Union pushing west from
Poland
-Britain moving up from Italy
-Constant bombing of German cities
& industrial installations
-Destroy materials, demoralize
German population & get ready take
back France - Force German air force
protect Germany
Taking Back France: The Invasion of
Normandy
June 6, 1944 – D Day
Gen’l Dwight D. Eisenhower – led
Air & amphibious (water) attack
Canadian, UK, Free French & US
5 beaches, 50 mile stretch
Within a week coast taken back
4,000 landing craft
600 warships
11,000 planes
Largest land-sea-air operation in history
http://www.history.com/videos/d-day-allied-invasion-at-normandy#d-day-allied-invasion-at-normandy
news real video Normandy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPU4p7UQOtU
Images Normandy
August 25, 1944 Paris liberated
French resistance movement
Luxembourg and Belgium next (by
Sept)
http://videos.howstuffworks.com/battle-of-normandy-videos-playlist.htm#video47114
http://www.cyberlearning-
world.com/lessons/ushistory/ww2/europeant
heater.htm
Moving into Germany – Ending the War in
Europe
Sept 1944 at Germany’s border
Ruhr valley goal – Siegfried Line
Oct 1944, Aachen
Heavy casualties
First German city taken
Continue moving east
Battle of Bulge , Dec 1944
German offensive – Ardennes mountains
Germans were winning in the beginning, Allied
counteroffensive & Germans run out supplies
120,000 Germans died (also lost 600 tanks and guns
and 1,600 planes – leading to defeat))
~100,000 Americans casualties
Soviets move west through Poland and
storm Berlin, April 25, 1945
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rjtFurTyv8 German
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iCgc8hTlRbM British
Planning the End in Europe
Feb 1945: Yalta Conference:
Discuss post-war Europe
April 12, 1945
April 28, 1945: Mussolini executed
April 28, 1945: Hitler Married Eva Braun
April 30, 1945: Hitler & Eva commit
suicide
Gunshot & cyanide
Bodies buried in the street
May 8, 1945: Unconditional Surrender
VE Day
Eisenhower accepts surrender
Potsdam Conference
July – August 1945
Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Atlee)
and Stalin met in Potsdam, Germany
Drew up a blueprint to disarm Germany and
eliminate the Nazi regime
Division of Germany & Berlin
ALSO TALK ABOUT JAPAN…. “unconditional
surrender”
WWII: The Pacific Front
Japan - Post-Pearl Harbor
Immediately after PH, the
Japanese seize Guam, Wake
Island, Hong Kong, Burma,
Malaya, Borneo, Philippines
Philippines under control of
Army General Douglas
MacArthur
Invasion anticipated
Mixed Filipino force versus best
Japanese troops
Feb 12th, “I shall return”
American/Filipino surrender
4/9
Bataan Death March
Bataan “Death March” (42’)
70,000 – 60 miles About ¼
died
Surrender forfeit rights
Hell ships
Sent to Japan to work
"A Japanese soldier took
my canteen, gave the
water to a horse, and
threw the canteen away,"
“The stronger were not
permitted to help the
weaker. We then would
hear shots behind us."
The Japanese Empire
Trying to Contain the Japanese
Doolittle’s Raid (April 18, 1942)
Attempt to attack Japanese homeland with B-25 bombs via
aircraft carriers
16 bombers; 5 man crew
“The Japanese people had been told they were invulnerable ... An attack
on the Japanese homeland would cause confusion in the minds of the
Japanese people and sow doubt about the reliability of their leaders.
There was a second, and equally important, psychological reason for this
attack ... Americans badly needed a morale boost..” James Doolittle
Psychological Impact
Battle of Coral Sea (May, 1942)
Japanese attempt to take Port Moresby in
New Guinea and Solomon Islands
Australia isolated so unable to help Allied
Aircraft carriers (equally matched)
Fought entirely with planes!
American loses Yorktown, but stopped
the Japanese from taking Port Moresby
& isolating Australia
Battle of Midway (June 3-6,42)
Admiral Nimitz
Japanese wanted bring out Pac Fleet
Turning point (cryptology)
JN-25
Allied go on the offensive
Japanese lost 4 carriers, a heavy cruiser, 3
destroyers, some 275 planes, at least 4,800
men
American losses included 1 carrier, a destroyer,
about 150 planes, and 307 men
America on the Offensive:
Island Hopping
Army (Macarthur) versus Navy (Nimitz)
Naval Plan initiated - Island Hopping
Take strategic islands to get closer and
closer to Japan
Bypass strongly held islands
Bases & air control
Bomb and then invade islands
More resistance than expected,
reconnaissance problems
Fight till the death
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n79CRrEBCh0
Intro island hopping
Americans On the Offensive
Guadalcanal , Solomon Islands
Huge American offensive Aug 42’-Feb 43’
American victory
Control air base - communication
Fighting in the jungle
Every 2 killed in battle, 5 killed by disease
Foxholes/dugouts
Major supply problems
Gilbert Islands
Hopping Away!
Reefs
17 Japanese alive
Marshall Islands
Naval & aerial bombardment
Marianas – airfields!
“Great Mariana Turkey Shoot Out”
Saipan – mass suicides
14,111 US casaulties
What now?
http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/battle-of-saipan/videos/peleliu
Reconnaissance
Marines
Foxholes
Close contact
Constant fear
Reclaiming the Philippines
Macarthur convinced FDR to allow an invasion of
the Philippines
Outer islands first (Sept 44’ – East Indies as a base)
Oct –Dec 44’ - Battle of Leyte Gulf
All 4 Japanese carriers destroyed – Navy
should be finished!
Kamakaze – “divine wind” – better to die
than live as a coward
Jan 45’- Luzon, Philippines – OIL Blocked!!!!!!
On land - Strap mines to body throw under
tanks
largest campaign of Pacific (March 45’ taken)
Japanese lost 200,000 plus – US 8,000 plus
Fighting continued until the Japanese surrender on
August 15, 1945
Capt. Motoharu Okamura:
“I firmly believe that the
only way to swing the war
in our favor is to resort to
crash-dive attacks with our
planes…. There will be
more than enough
volunteers for this chance
to save our country.”
Closing in on the Homeland
Iwo Jima – Feb-March 45’
About 600 miles Japan – base for bombers & stop Japanese from
detecting American bombing raids (2 airfields)
Bombing, but 22,000 men in caves (6800 tons of bombs, 2 months)
Japanese technique no longer by shore – now inland
Large marine casualties first day
3 days later take Mnt (center defense)
Fighting continues… surprise attacks from tunnels
All Japanese (23,000 killed) except 1,00o POW
US 6,000 dead, 18,000 wounded
Mt. Suribachi
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Y0gdFi
sD9k&feature=relmfu
Okinawa - April-June 1945
4 air bases – launch bombing raids Japanese heartland
300 miles away mainland
Thought 65,000 really 130,000 about 450,000 civilians
War of attrition
Kamikazes attacked allied fleet
12,000 Americans died – 40% from kamikaze
Damage American carriers - 21 sunk ships; 66 damaged from Kamikazes
~70,000 Japanese killed and 7,400 men taken prisoner
Fire Bombing of Tokyo – March 1945
2,000 tons over 48 hours
Fire – firestorm (windy)
Worst single fire storm in history
Many suffocated to death
16 square miles around Tokyo
destroyed
80,000-130,000 killed
100,000 injured
Women, children, elderly suffered
men at war!
Operation Downfall
Nov 1, 1945 – Kyushu
No beaches…
Resistance from citizens
Harry Stimson - 1.7-4 million casualties..?
Potsdam Conference
July – August 1945
Truman, (Churchill and then Clement Atlee)
and Stalin met in Potsdam, Germany
Call for unconditional surrender of Japan ,
“surrender or face prompt and utter
destruction”
Bombs versus Invasion (Operation Downfall)
Dropping the Bombs
August 6, 1945: “Little Boy” on Hiroshima
140,000
August 9, 1945: “Fat Man” on Nagasaki
80,000
War in the Pacific: Atomic Bomb
32’ atomic split; 33’ Germany’s nuclear program’, 33’ Hitler fires
Jewish scientists
39’ Einstein wrote letter FDR; 40’ US & UK creates Uranium
Committee; 41’ “all out effort” to make bomb
Manhattan Project: New Mexico, Washington, Tennessee
Oppenheimer
Truman takes over April 45’ – learns about bomb
Potsdam - “Surrender or suffer prompt and utter destruction,”
US & UK told to Japan
Oppenheimer said it reminded him of, Hindu holy text, the
Bhagavad-Gita: “Now I am become Death, the destroyer of
worlds.“
45’ = Trinity test in New Mexico = release double anticipated