The War in Europe andNorth Africa

Planning for War

During WWII, two of the greatest leaders of all time collaborate on the best plans FDR and Churchill

They meet in December of 1941 Washington, D.C.

Decide to focus their attention in Europe first Japan and the Pacific second

Churchill and FDR

Battle in the Atlantic

Hitler’s attack on American shipping increases after Pearl Harbor What is the goal?

Without supplies from the U.S., the war could not be fought

U.S. ships were largely unprotected Early 1942 – 87 ships sank Late 1942 – 600+ more ships sank

Attack on Shipping

A New Plan for Shipping

The Allies now send their ships in convoys Supply ships with protection Used sonar and radar to detect and

destroy U-Boats By 1943 the tide has turned in the

Atlantic Germany cannot build enough U-Boats The United States is cranking out ships

like crazy

Atlantic Convoy

Atlantic Convoy

The Soviet Union’s Sacrifice The Germans invaded the Soviet Union in June

of 1941 They were stopped in November of 1941 Why?

Hitler turns his attention to the south in 1942 He is confident (overly) that he will take it

quickly He used the Luftwaffe to bombard the city By late 1942, Germany controls 90% of the city The fighting was intense and deadly What happens now?

Battle of Stalingrad

Battle of Stalingrad

The Soviet Union’s Sacrifice The Soviets use the winter to

counterattack Hitler was too dumb to retreat

The Soviets cut off German supply lines They started to freeze to death They had no food or supplies

Germany surrenders on January 31, 1943 Cost of the Battle of Stalingrad:

1,100,000 Soviet lives

Battle of Stalingrad

Battle of Stalingrad

Battle of Stalingrad

Battle of Stalingrad

North Africa Germany seeks Oil and Suez canal in North

Africa Stalin wanted the Allies to attack across the

English Channel Divert attention from Eastern Front FDR and Churchill were not prepared for this

They launch Operation Torch Land at Casablanca, Oran, and Algiers

Over 100,00 Allied troops German General Erwin Rommel surrenders

his Afrika Korps in May of 1943

Operation Torch

North Africa

The Italian Job FDR and Churchill meet in Casablanca

Decide to only accept unconditional surrender They knew a full scale invasion was inevitable

Decide first to attack Italy They capture Sicily in the Summer of 1943

Il Duce is thrown from power Hitler used Italy as a buffer and fought at Anzio

“Bloody Anzio” Around 25,000 Allied causalities Around 30,000 Axis casualties

Bloody Anzio

Famous Units Tuskegee Airmen

99th Pursuit Squadron Pivotal in North Africa and Italy

Buffaloes 92nd Infantry Division African-American division

Company E Mexican-American One of the most decorated in WWII

Purple Heart Battalion 442nd Regimental Combat Team – All Nisei soldiers Most decorated in US History

Tuskegee Airmen

Purple Heart Battalion

Invasion of Normandy

Allies gathered almost 3 million troops They set up a fake army to confuse the

Germans Made them think they would attack

at Calais Hitler didn’t think we would attack at

Normandy Because he wouldn’t have done that

Hitler kept a large army at Calais just in case

Dwight D. Eisenhower is Supreme Allied Commander of the invasion “Ike”

Ghost Army

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE2Euz3ucdE

Operation Overlord

Bad weather pushed back the invasion D-Day is given the go on June 6, 1944

First wave was the airborne troops Three divisions (23,000)

They were followed by the largest land-sea-air force in history (132,500) The fighting was brutal and deadly Especially at Omaha Beach http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPU4p7

UQOtU

Airborne Troops

Into The Jaws of Death

Omaha Beach

Sword Beach

Breaking out of Normandy Allies lost around 12,000 troops on D-Day They established five beachheads for

landings A month later they had:

Landed a million troops Landed over 500,000 tons of supplies

Omar Bradley leads the way in the air George Patton and his Third Army on the ground

On August 23, Patton reaches the Seine They liberate Paris on August 25, 1944

Landing Force

Landing Force

Battle of the Bulge

Hitler was desperate for a victory Allies had captured Aachen

German tank divisions break through the lines in the Ardennes They made it 60 miles into Allied territory

Battle was a month long Result was devastating for the Germans

120,000 troops lost 600 tanks lost Luftwaffe essentially wiped out

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

Battle of the Bulge

Suicide and Surrender

Soviet troops had reached Berlin by April 25 German soldiers attempted to escape

Hitler and Eva Braun (wife) hid in a bunker Hitler shot himself on April 30th, 1945 Braun swallowed poison Bodies were burned

Third Reich surrenders on May 8, 1945 V-E Day

V-E Day