Mason's Quiz Flashcards
Why was Hitler such a successful orator?
- said to have given over 5000 speeches
- charismatic nature
- wrote his own speeches and edited them
- overwhelmingly powerful
- passionate
- practiced in front of a mirror
U Boats
U boats= German submarines
- used torpedoes against ally ships
- surfaced before they attacked
- very cramped,40-50 men on each sub
- tried sinking more ships than could be replaced
- hunted in groups of 20 called wolf packs
Black Pit
- area of the Atlantic Ocean that couldn’t be protected by ally aircraft
- many attacks occur here
- millions of tons of supplies lost by 1942
- nearly 100 ships sunk every month,
- June—834,000 tons of goods lost(worst month for allies)
Lend Lease
1941-Roosevelt signs lend lease bill, allowing USA the unrestricted ability to help supply the allies in their fight against the Axis
Enigma
-HMS Bulldog acquires this
-1943- a turning point
~allied radar system
~perfected forms of engagement w Germany
~RAF and British Navy on the offensive
Axis Defeated
- May 1945– war ends
- allied losses include 74,000 people on the Atlantic alone
- 2,000 royal canadian navy
- 1600 Canadian merchant navy
- 752 Canadian airmen
Battle of the Atlantic
- occurs from Sept ‘39-May ‘45
- longest continuous battle of WW11
- fought between allies and German forces for control of the Atlantic Ocean
- Germans want to cut back supplylines
- Canadian Merchant Navy, Royal Canadian Navy, Royal Canadian Air Force
Battle of Atlantic Begins
- begins hours after Britain declares war on Germany
- German sub attacks SS Athenia-passenger ship to Montreal
- Germans believed that disrupting supply lines would ensure German victory
Convoy
Massive groups of ships travelling together
Canadian Fleet
- small in beginning=6 destroyers and 3500 ppl
- beginning of war they only had 40 ocean merchant vessels, by the end of war they had over 400
- 12000 sailors and over 25000 voyages
Corvettes
Small single gun shops with depth charges
-quick and inexpensive to build
North African Campaign Leaders
Britain-Bernardo Montgomery(Egypt)
-Germany- Erwin Rommel(The Desert Fox)
Battle occurs over Libya Egypt border in area called Western Desert
|> inhospitable, very little vegetation and water
Why the Mediterranean?
- Mussolini declares war on allies in ‘40
- struggle for control on Suez Canal and access to oil in Middle East
- oil is crucial for armies(especially for Britain)
- canal provides Britain with link to overseas dominions
In the Beginning…
-Libya is an Italian colony,
British have been around Egypt since late 1880s
-allies have less troops, but they are better organized, trained, and equipped
-Italy attacks Greece-unsuccessful
-hitler sends Rommel to N.Africa to aid Italy
-Rommel is aggressive and pushes back against initial ally successes
Both sides build up strength
Second Battle of El Alamein
- October 1942
- British troops under Montgomery inflict decisive victory over Rommel
- pushes them back into Tunisia(hitler insisted no one retreat, Rommel didn’t listen)
- wants to preserve his force to fight another day
- ultra initiatives(breaking enigma code) aid ally forces through North Africa campaign