US troops landing on Omaha Beach, Normandy, June 6, 1944
Photograph Courtesy of the US Coast Guard
World War II: Conferences & Aftermath |
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The battles of the World War II were fought across the globe from the fields of Western Europe and the Russian plains to the China and the waters of the Pacific. Beginning in 1939, these battles caused massive destruction and loss of life and elevated to prominence places that had previously been unknown. As a result, names such as Stalingrad, Bastogne, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima became eternally entwined with images of sacrifice, bloodshed, and heroism. The most costly and far-reaching conflict in history, World War II saw an unprecedented number of engagements as the Axis and Allies sought to achieve victory. The battles of World War II are largely divided into the European Theater (Western Europe), Eastern Front, Mediterranean/North Africa Theater, and the Pacific Theater. During World War II, between 22 and 26 million men were killed in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause.
World War II Battles by Year and Theater
1939
September 3-May 8, 1945 - Battle of the Atlantic - Atlantic Ocean
December 13 - Battle of the River Plate - South America
1940
February 16 - Altmark Incident - European Theater
May 25-June 4 - Dunkirk Evacuation - European Theater
July 3 - Attack on Mers el Kebir - North Africa
July-October - Battle of Britain - European Theater
September 17 - Operation Sea Lion (Invasion of Britain) - Postponed - European Theater
November 11/12 - Battle of Taranto - Mediterranean
December 8-February 9 - Operation Compass - North Africa
1941
March 27-29 - Battle of Cape Matapan - Mediterranean
April 6-30 - Battle of Greece - Mediterranean
May 20-June 1 - Battle of Crete - Mediterranean
May 24 - Battle of the Denmark Strait - Atlantic
September 8-January 27, 1944 - Siege of Leningrad - Eastern Front
October 2-January 7, 1942 - Battle of Moscow - Eastern Front
December 7 - Attack on Pearl Harbor - Pacific Theater
December 8-23 - Battle of Wake Island - Pacific Theater
December 8-25 - Battle of Hong Kong - Pacific Theater
December 10 - Sinking of Force Z - Pacific Theater
1942
January 7-April 9 - Battle of Bataan - Pacific Theater
January 31-February 15 - Battle of Singapore - Pacific Theater
February 27 - Battle of the Java Sea - Pacific Theater
April 18 - Doolittle Raid - Pacific Theater
March 31-April 10 - Indian Ocean Raid - Pacific Theater
May 4-8 - Battle of the Coral Sea - Pacific Theater
May 5-6 - Battle of Corregidor - Pacific Theater
May 26-June 21 - Battle of Gazala - North Africa
June 4-7 - Battle of Midway - Pacific Theater
July 1-27 - First Battle of El Alamein - North Africa
August 7-February 9, 1943 - Battle of Guadalcanal - Pacific Theater
August 9-15 - Operation Pedestal - Relief of Malta - Mediterranean
August 9 - Battle of Savo Island - Pacific Theater
August 19 - Dieppe Raid - European Theater
August 24/25 - Battle of the Eastern Solomons - Pacific Theater
August 25-September 7 - Battle of Milne Bay - Pacific
August 30-September 5 - Battle of Alam Halfa - North Africa
July 17-February 2, 1943 - Battle of Stalingrad - Eastern Front
October 11/12 - Battle of Cape Esperance - Pacific Theater
October 23-November 5 - Second Battle of El Alamein - North Africa
October 25-26 - Battle of Santa Cruz - Pacific Theater
November 8 - Operation Torch - North Africa
November 12-15 - Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - Pacific Theater
November 27 - Operation Lila & Scuttling of the French Fleet - Mediterranean
November 30 - Battle of Tassafaronga - Pacific Theater
1943
January 29-30 - Battle of Rennell Island - Pacific Theater
February 19-25 - Battle of Kasserine Pass - North Africa
February 19-March 15 - Third Battle of Kharkov - Eastern Front
March 2-4 - Battle of the Bismarck Sea - Pacific Theater
April 18 - Operation Vengeance (Yamamoto Shot Down) - Pacific Theater
April 19-May 16 - Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - Eastern Front
May 17 - Operation Chastise (Dambuster Raids) - European Theater
July 9-August 17 - Invasion of Sicily - Mediterranean
July 24-August 3 - Operation Gomorrah (Firebombing Hamburg) - European Theater
August 17 - Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid - European Theater
September 26 - Operation Jaywick - Pacific Theater
November 20-23 - Battle of Tarawa - Pacific Theater
December 26 - Battle of the North Cape - Atlantic Ocean
1944
January 22-June 5 - Battle of Anzio - Mediterranean
January 31-February 3 - Battle of Kwajalein - Pacific Theater
February 17-May 18 - Battle of Monte Cassino - European Theater
March 24/25 - The Great Escape - European Theater
June 4 - Capture of U-505 - European Theater
June 6 - D-Day - Invasion of Normandy - European Theater
June 6-July 20 - Battle of Caen - European Theater
June 15-July 9 - Battle of Saipan - Pacific Theater
June 19-20 - Battle of the Philippine Sea - Pacific Theater
July 25-31 - Operation Cobra - Breakout from Normandy - European Theater
August 15-September 14 - Operation Dragoon - Invasion of Southern France - European Theater
September 15-November 27 - Battle of Peleliu - Pacific Theater
September 17-25 - Operation Market-Garden - European Theater
October 23-26 - Battle of Leyte Gulf - Pacific Theater
December 16-January 25, 1945 - Battle of the Bulge - European Theater
1945
February 9 - HMS Venturer sinks U-864 - European Theater
February 13-15 - Dresden Bombing - European Theater
February 19-March 26 - Battle of Iwo Jima - Pacific Theater
March 7-8 - Bridge at Remagen - European Theater
March 26-June 21, 1945 - Battle of Okinawa - Pacific Theater
April 7 - Operation Ten-Go - Pacific Theater
April 16-19 - Battle of the Seelow Heights - Eurpean Theater
April 16-May 2 - Battle of Berlin - European Theater
April 29-May 8 - Operations Manna & Chowhound - European Theater
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