Battles in Europe

• Battle of the Atlantic – This is an on going fight to keep the shipping lanes open. Convoys of naval and merchant ships sailed together to avoid “wolf-packs”

• Stalingrad – 1941 Hitler invades the USSR. Winter stops the Germans. In the spring Stalingrad is attacked. Soviets fight and capture 250,000. Beginning of end for Germany.

• Operation Torch – The US enters the war in N. Africa. They join with British and drive Germans out of N. Africa. Then to Sicily and Italy moving towards Germany.

• Tuskegee Airmen entered the war at this point.

• Operation Overlord – Better known as D-Day. Landing on the beaches of Normandy France. June 6, 1944. Once this was accomplished the allies were moving north in Italy and east from France. The Soviets were moving west from the USSR

• Battle of the Bulge – This was the Germans last attempt at an offensive move. December 1944 the Germans attacked the allies line at Bastogne. This put a bulge in the front line. The Germans were pushed back and that was pretty much the end of the war.

• Bombing Germany– Berlin, Hamburg, Leipzig and Dresden– Destroy Germany’s ability to manufacture

weapons

• Crossing the Rhine River– Allied Forces cross in March 1945– Advance east towards Berlin– Soviets advance from the west

• Final Months of War in Europe– FDR dies of stroke 4/12/1945– Harry Truman becomes President– Hitler commits suicide 4/30/1945– 5/7/1945: Germany give unconditional

surrender– V-E Day (Victory in Europe): 5/8/1945