WWII Battles And Figures Flashcards
Battle of Britain
Operation Sealion
German Air and Bombing raids over Britains so Germany could control British skies to prep for invasion
1940-1942
Britain did not attack back since Prime Minister Neville wanted to appease hitler until Churchill takes over and finally fights back.
Ends in a British victory
Battle of Dunkirk
Operation Dynamo
Germany Army corners the Allied forces and 338,000 Allied soldiers manage to escape through the English Channel. Allies are pushed out of Europe and at great threat for invasion, but fortunately come out successful.
Siege of Leningrad / Operation Barbarossa
Invasion of soviets by the Germans and their Allies from June 1941 to Jan 1942. Germany attempted invasion to make more room for Lebrensruam, neat his enemy, and eventually aim to eliminate all Slavic people
Soviet Victory
Largest land offensive in human history
Battle of Stalingrad
Operation Uranus
German attempt to invade European Allies- hitler did it because he wanted room for his Lebensraum, but also get rid of his enemies name in a city.
PROPAGANDA: hitler creates a ‘new reality’ of Stalingrad’s outcome ~ a ‘heroic’ sacrifice
Soviets succeed in halting German invasion, but ~1.5 million deaths
D-Day Invasion of Normandy
Operation Overlord
Western Allied effort to liberate mainland Europe from Nazis in Northwest France 1944. The opening assault had 2 phases- and air assault of British, american, and Canadian planes and an amphibious landing of american infantry on the French coast.
Allied forces success turns tide of war in favor of aliens
El Alamein
Operation light foot
Battle between Allie and Axis powers in British-occupied egypt 1942. The allies try to eliminate axis threat to Egypt, Persian oil fields, and the Suez Canal. Allied victory began the end of the Axis Western Desert campaign
Pearl Harbor
Operation Z
December 7, 1941
Japanese surprise attack on the US in Hawai’i to prevent america from stopping Japan’s invasion of Asia. Japanese aircraft’s attached Pearl Harbor where a large part of US navy base received major damage. Caused America to declare war on Japan and Germany/Italy to declare war on america.
Kamikazes
Japanese suicide bomber planes— honorable roles
Coral Sea
Operation mo
Major naval pacific theatre battle in which aircraft carriers engaged eachother, may 1942. Fought between america, Australia, and japan in the Pacific Theatre. No ‘winner’, although japan lost less (the US lost the USS Lexington.) caused japan not to invade New Guinea
Set the stage for midway
Midway
Operation AL
General Yamamoto plans to attack midway (us base) but the us bombs first, Yamamoto wanted a crucial fueling station/base
USS enterprise and hormnet sent to surprise Japanese
June 1942- allied victory
Bataan Death march
Transfer of filipino and American prisoners of war by the Japanese in April 1942. Showed Filipino were suffering disproportionately— if you stopped you were bayoneted. 5,000-18,000 Filipino deaths and 500-650 American deaths.
Doolittles raids
Operation Tokyo raid
James Doolittle sends 9,800 b-25 bombers to japan and attack their airfields in 1942. Minor damage but lots of fear among the Japanese
Iwojima
Operation detachment
American invasion and capturing of Iwojima in 1945. America needed the 2 airfields. America raised the flag on mount subarachi overall a US success.
Okinawa
Operation iceberg
US invasion of Okinawa since the US wanted the kadena air base for operation downhill in 1945. Provided more air forces to beat Japan and an overall allied victory
Guadalcanal
Operation watchtower
Allied and japan sea clashes in the Pacific Ocean, more specifically the Solomon Islands in November 1942. It was a Japanese effort to reinforce island lane forces. American victory
