War in Europe North Africa to Berlin
War in EuropeNorth Africa to Berlin
Patton vs. Rommel Operation Torch: Allied
invasion of North Africa German general Erwin
Rommel commands “Afrika Corps” & nearly captures all of North Africa
Americans take heavy losses b/c they didn’t know how to fight the Germans
General George S. Patton leads American forces against the Germans
The battle of the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia, U.S. beat Rommel in largest tank battle
D-Day June 6th 1944Normandy, France 6 June 1944 Operation Overlord:
D Day—commanded by Dwight D. Eisenhower
150,000 troops by sea, 23,000 troops by air
Omaha Beach—American troops faced machine gunners as they came ashore—2,000 American casualties
U.S. Paratroopers land behind enemy lines to prevent reinforcements from coming in
Other beaches met light opposition
Germans thought the attacks were coming further north—no reinforcements were sent
Battle of the Bulge 17 December 1944, German
forces make one last assault to drive the Allies back
Heavy snow—battle took place in the wooded region of northern France
Largest counterattack the Germans launched during the war
200,000 German troops attacked 80,000 U.S. troops
German ordered a surrender, but the Allies sent in reinforcements
Germany retreated and their offensive failed
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Air War Bombing missions crush
German industry B-17 Flying Fortresses & B-24
Liberators perfect aerial bombing
Norden Bombsight makes bombing extremely accurate from high altitudes
P-51 fighters could escort bombers to & from the target
Cologne, Germany 1945
Yalta Conference Roosevelt, Stalin, & Churchill
meet in Yalta This meeting was to discuss
Russia’s entry in the war against Japan 3 months after German surrenders
Discussed dividing up Germany after the war
Roosevelt decided to run for a fourth term and he easily won
Final Attacks on Germany Allied bombers blasted German
cities Attack on Dresden—total civilian
deaths estimated between 30,000 and 60,000
The U.S. occupied western Germany to the Elbe River—The Soviets occupied the east
Hitler committed suicide on April 30, 1945 while hidden in a bunker below Berlin
Germany surrendered on May 7th– next day was called VE (Victory in Europe) Day