Doolittle Raid/Tokyo Raid April 1942
In April 1942, America attacked the Japanese mainland. This attack was led Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle. Little damaged was actually done by this attack; however, it did hurt the prestige of the Japanese government. Japan had believed that the attack had been launched from Midway. Due to this Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was approved to attack Midway Island which also led to a loss of prestige for the Japanese government. Doolittle was eventually rewarded a Congressional Medal of Honor for the Doolittle Raid. |
Battle of Bataan/Bataan Death March
April 1942 Japan attacked the Philippines after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Japan quickly captured Manila and the Americans and Filipinos had to retreat back to Bataan Peninsula. The US and Filipino soldiers held off the Japanese for three months even with lack of naval or air support. On April 9, U.S. General Edward King Jr. was forced to surrender. The 75,000 troops that were there during the surrender were rounded up by the Japanese and had to march about 65 miles. They were divided into groups of 100 and it took them roughly 5 days to do the march. The conditions were poor during this march and thousands of troops died due to this. |
1st Battle of El Amamein
June-July, 1942 This battle was a twelve day battle that took place in Africa. America went to help Britain fight Germany in Africa because many places were sending Britain supplies through the canal there. General Erwin Rommel was the leader of the German troop and was forced back in November 1942. Later that month the US helped invade North Africa and helped the British defeat the Germans so they could not have the resources in North Africa. |
Battle of Midway
June 1942 The Battle of Midway was an important turning point in the war on the Pacific campaign. America used intelligence to fight against the Japanese by figuring out the Japanese plans and surprising them. The Americans then fought using bombs to divert the attention of the Japanese. While the Japanese were distracted the Americans attacked while they were vulnerable, such as when the Japanese planes were refueling. While both the Japanese and the Americans lost many aircraft and sailors the Americans still ended up wining that battle. |
Battle of Stalingrad
July 17 1942 - February 2, 1943 Many consider this to be the greatest of the conflict between the Soviet Union and Germany. This battle was basically Germany attacking Russia and Russia defending themselves from the attack. It is considered a turning point for the Allies and was one of the bloodiest battles in history with total casualties nearing 2 million. Germany had come into Stalingrad expecting to be able to take it easily but Russia had built up their defenses. All attempts to help were stalled or stopped completely and Germany was forced to surrender. |
D-Day Invasion of Normandy
June - August 1944 The battle of Normandy allowed the Allies to take back over Western Europe from Nazi Germany's control. The battle began in June and was known as D-Day. About 156,000 US, British, and Canadian soldiers were on a 50-mile stretch of land that fortified France's Normandy region. There was extensive planning to pull off the in invasion of Normandy and by August all of northern France was free from Nazi control. This battle was the beginning of the end of the war. |
Battle of the Bulge
December 1944 This battle was called the Battle of the Bulge because of the bulge like shape the Allied forces took when the Germans were fighting back. Hitler had thought that he would split the Allies by using a surprise blitzkrieg. While the Americans were caught off guard, they fought back against the Germans. Lieutenant General George S. Patton successfully meandered in a way that proved vital to the Allies defenses which lead to the German's counter offense being neutralized. |
Battle of Iwo Jima
February 1945 The battle of Iwo Jima began because America needed a base near the coat of Japan. 3 United States marine divisions landed on Iwo Jima in February after preparing it with their air and naval forces. Around 23,000 Japanese troops, both army and navy, tried to defend Iwo Jima. They fought from elaborate underground or cave-like structures. It took about a month of fighting but eventually the United States marines overtook the Japanese. |
Battle of Okinawa
April - June 1945 The battle of Okinawa was the last and the largest of the Pacific Island battles during World War II. It lasted from April 1 through June 22, 1945. It involved about 287,000 American troop and 130,000 Japanese soldiers. There were air forces that were vital to the Japanese at stake during this battle. At the end of it, Japan had lost over 77,000 troop and the United States had lost 14,000 with over 65,000 causalities. |