World War II Battles - Europe

Fighting the Battle of Dunkirk, the British Expeditionary Force struggled to hold off the German advance in order to allow Allied forces to evacuate to England. Forming a defensive perimeter around Dunkirk, British forces held out long enough to allow a wide variety of vessels to rescue over 330,000 men. Though a defeat, the success of the...

Operation Sea Lion was the German plan for the invasion of Britain. Germany hoped to launch Operation Sea Lion sometime in late 1940 following the Fall of France. After their defeat in the Battle of Britain, Germany indefinitely postponed Operation Sea Lion.

The Battle of Greece opened on April 6, 1941, when German troops attacked Allied forces in Greece. Beginning as the Greco-Italian War, the Battle of Greece initially saw Greek forces hold off the Italians. Coming to Italy's aid, Germany took over the conflict and won a swift victory. Despite triumphing in the Battle of Greece, the operation...

The Battle of Crete was fought from May 20 to June 1, 1941 during World War II. The Battle of Crete saw the Germans make large scale use of paratroopers during the invasion. Though a victory, the Battle of Crete saw these forces sustain such high losses that they were not used again by the Germans.

Launched on August 19, 1942, the Dieppe Raid was an Allied effort to capture and occupy the port of Dieppe, France for a short period. Meant to gather intelligence and test strategies for the invasion of Europe, the Dieppe Raid was a complete failure and resulted in the loss of over 50% of the troops landed.

Beginning in July 1943, Operation Husky was the Allied invasion of Sicily during World War II. Landing on the southern coasts of Sicily, American and British armies drove across the island forcing German and Italian troops to retreat to the mainland. Operation Husky cleared the way for the invasion of Italy and contributed to the fall of...

The Battle of Anzio began on January 22, 1944, with Allied troops landing as part of Operation Shingle. Blocked by the Germans at Monte Cassino, Allied leaders hoped to outflank the Winter Line by landing further north at Anzio. While a beachhead was established around Anzio, it was soon contained by German forces. The Allies would not break...

The Battle of Monte Cassino was fought January 17 to May 18, 1944, during World War II. Part of the Italian Campaign, the Battle of Monte Cassino saw German forces initially halt the Allied advance up the peninsula. After four engagements, which included the controversial destruction of Monte Cassino Abbey, the Allies succeeded in breaking...

The Great Escape took place March 24/5, 1944, and saw 76 Allied POWs escape from Stalag Luft III in Poland. Building a series of tunnels, POWs were able to create a passage under the camp's fence. Of the 76 who were part of the Great Escape only 3 reached freedom.

D-Day refers to the Invasion of Normandy which took place on June 6, 1944, during World War II. Landing on D-Day, Allied forces were preceded by airborne troops which dropped during the night. On D-Day, Allied forces gained a foothold in France from which they would advance to defeat Germany.

Operation Cobra was conducted from July 25 to 31, 1944, during World War II. Operation Cobra saw Allied forces concentrate for a breakout from the Normandy beachhead. Breaking through the German lines, Operation Cobra led to maneuver warfare in northern France and the creation of the Falaise Pocket.

Operation Dragoon was conducted August 15, 1944, as Allied troops landed in southern France. Coming ashore during Operation Dragoon, Allied forces caused German Army Group G to retreat from the region. Operation Dragoon forced the Germans to pull back to the Vosges Mountains.

Operation Market-Garden was conducted September 17-25, 1944, in an attempt to capture bridges over the Rhine. Market-Garden was devised by Bernard Montgomery and called for Allied airborne forces to be dropped near bridges in the Netherlands in conjunction with a ground offensive. While the first two sets of bridges were taken, the Germans...

The Battle of the Bulge was the result of a massive offensive launched by the Germans on December 16, 1944. A desperate attempt to defeat the Allies in the West, the Battle of the Bulge saw the Germans mass their remaining strength in an attempt to capture Antwerp. After initial success, the German offensive was stopped and defeated by Allied...

The Bridge at Remagen was the first Allied bridgehead over the Rhine River in the closing days of World War II. Known as the Ludendorff Bridge, the bridge at Remagen was captured by elements of the US 9th Armored Division on March 7-8, 1945, before it could be destroyed by the Germans. The bridge collapsed on March 17, 1945.