WWII had many battles fought between the allies (America, Britain, and Russia) and the Axis Powers(Germany, Italy, and Japan). And yet it was tragic and many lives were lost, it is still very interesting to learn about. It was the deadliest human conflict in history, and it has effects still active to this day. Here are some of the most interesting battles that would be fascinating to learn about.
- D-Day (aka Normandy Landings)
D-Day happened on June 6th, 1944 on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France. The first ship landed at 06:30 hours (6:30 AM) and many more followed. You’ve probably heard the phrase “storming the beaches” before, well this is where that phrase comes from. They “stormed” or forcefully captured the beach before capturing the surrounding land. This was the largest seaborne attack in history. There are many reenactments of this event that occur on the anniversary. Some of the most famous large scale historical performances are from France and Ohio, along with many smaller ones.
- Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor wasn’t really a battle per se but more of a bombing, but it still is interesting to learn about! This happened on December 7, 1941 and is widely known as the event that brought the U.S. into World War II. This was a bombing attack on the Pearl Harbor port in Hawaii from the Japanese Imperial Navy’s Mobile Unit. It was a planned attack and the first bomb dropped at around 07:55 hours(7:55AM). The attack lasted just over an hour as American fighters scrambled to get in the air and defend the other bases. In the attack, the USS Arizona, USS Oklahoma, and USS Utah were sunk and still sit at the bottom of the port to this day. There is a memorial at the site where you can view the sunken ships.
- The Battle Of Midway
This battle was America’s response to the Pearl Harbor Attacks and took place on June 4, 1942, near the island of Midway Atoll. The battle was a ship/aircraft based fight and consisted of fighter planes and dive bombers attacking the Japanese planes and their ships. The Japanese had 4 main carrier ships while the Americans had 3. The battle was long and lasted more than a day. In the intense battle, 1 American carrier was sunk, the USS Yorktown, and all 4 Japanese carriers were sunk. The retired carrier, the USS Midway was named after the battle and a theater with a film about the battle sits in its hangar bay. The USS Midway now forever sits docked in San Diego, just across the bay from the North Island Naval base. It is a museum and memorial that brings in millions of visitors a year.
- Battle Of The Bulge
This battle took place mainly on Christmas Day 1944, and the soldiers weren’t at their best due to the cold weather. The Germans started with a surprise attack which was successful due to the allies’ overconfidence based on favorable defensive terrain and an upper-hand in intelligence. Their lines were thinly held with fatigued troops as an artillery barraded them with bullets. V-2 rockets destroyed the Cine-Rex cinema, killing 567 people, the biggest death toll from a single rocket attack. The Americans fought back but the Germans held their ground. During the chaos, hundreds of American prisoners of war were forced to resupply German soldiers. Eventually, the Americans got a grip and took out the panzer forces. Finally, after much fighting, the Americans came out victorious.
- The Battle Of Iwo Jima
This battle took place on February 19, 1945. It was one of the battles that ended the war and the soldiers who participated mostly consisted of the U.S. Marine Corps. They landed on the beach at 08:59, one minute ahead of schedule. Facing many Japanese soldiers, they took the beach and began to scale the volcanic mountain on the island. Facing much more pushback from Japanese troops, they eventually took the island. When they arrived at the top they raised an American flag to mark their victory. An infamous picture was taken of the soldiers raising the flag. It is displayed in the U.S. Marine Corps challenge coin along with the U.S. Marine slogan, “Semper Fidelis”.
These are some of the many fascinating World War Two battles. While it was a tragic and bloody war, it is still extremely interesting to learn about and gives us examples on the cruelty of war.
