As a result, names such as Stalingrad, Bastogne, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima became … It led to one of the largest ever armored clashes, the Battle of Prokhorovka, fought on July 12, 1943. World War 2 Battles. The Battle of Britain is the name given to the World War II war waged by the German Air Force against the United Kingdom during 1940. Battles of WW2 were fought on different frontiers such as Russia, the ocean of the Pacific, Western Europe and China. The battle was sparked by the mutual collision of French and German invasion forces in the lower Ardennes Forest. U.S. Navy Photograph. From Versailles Treaty to the Roosevelt-Churchill conferences, the history of international politics during this period was as intriguing as WW2 itself. Battles - All by Date. World War II: November 13, 1944 to February 19, 1945: 7,000 killed: Germany Battle of Iwo Jima: World War II: February 19 to March 26, 1945: 6,821 killed: Japan Lorraine Campaign: World War II: September 1 to December 18, 1944: 6,657 killed: Germany Naples - Foggia Campaign: World War II: September 9, 1943 to January 21, 1944: 6,266 killed: Germany By using ThoughtCo, you accept our, Timeline of World War II From 1939 to 1945, An Overview of the Key Events of World War II, World War II Worksheets, Crosswords, and Coloring Pages, Operation Lila & Scuttling of the French Fleet, Operation Dragoon - Invasion of Southern France, M.S., Information and Library Science, Drexel University, B.A., History and Political Science, Pennsylvania State University. World War II: Conferences & Aftermath | World War II: 101 | World War II: Leaders & People. The Battle of Kursk was an unsuccessful attempt … The main body of surviving troops retreate… March 27-29 - Battle of Cape Matapan - Mediterranean. World War II (WWII) was a long and bloody war that lasted about six years. WW2 featured plenty of bloody battles. April 6-30 - Battle of Greece - Mediterranean. Beginning in 1939, these battles caused massive destruction and loss of life and elevated to prominence places that had previously been unknown. Battle of the Ardennes; The Battle of Ardennes, fought between 21 and 23 August 1914, was another of the early frontier battles, conducted during the first month of the war. Kennedy Hickman is a historian, museum director, and curator who specializes in military and naval history. Map of Europe 1936-1939: German aggressions prior WWII. These places have become an important part of history and have been memorialized. The battle which involved over 270 warships (64 Japanese, 216 American and 2 Australian) was fought off the Philippine islands of Leyte, Luzon and Samar from October 23 to 26, 1944, and ended as a disaster for Japan as the Imperial fleet was virtually destroyed. 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. Red pushpins are leading to war, blue are early WWII, green are late WWII (after tide turns toward Allies), and yellow are formal Surrenders. The World Book Encyclopedia begins its discussion of World War 2 with the following words: "World War 2 (1939-1945) killed more people, destroyed more property, disrupted more lives, and probably had more far reaching effects than any other war in history." It was the bloodiest conflict, as well as the largest war, in history. Casualties Opposing force Battle of the Atlantic: … Map of Europe after World War One. 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. The operation failed to capture the Queen, and the German forces failed to hold on to the airfields after Dutch counterattacks. These conflicts created devastation and death, and had a toll on the economy of most countries. Name Date Location Campaign U.S. May 20-June 1 - Battle of Crete - Mediterranean. It was a series of offensives between the German and Soviet forces on the Eastern Front near Kursk, 450 kilometers southwest of Moscow. Having taken approximately 50 million lives, it's said to be the bloodiest war known to history [source: Chatterjee]. When World War II swept through Europe and pulled in all of the major powers around the globe, it left oceans of blood in its wake. During World War II, between 22 and 26 million men were killed in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause. Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, Irish Sea, Labrador Sea, Gulf of St. Lawrence, Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Around 18,000 sailors and merchant seamen killed, 3 killed and 8 later died in captivity/executed. The Germans first attacked Leningrad by artillery shell on Sep… Operation Citadel was the German codename for the offensive. Articles incorporating text from Wikipedia, http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/ww2_statistics.htm#active_enl, http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history.do?action=Article&id=6712, http://cgsc.cdmhost.com/cdm4/document.php?CISOROOT=/p4013coll8&CISOPTR=130&REC=2, http://www.history.army.mil/books/wwii/salerno/sal-conclusion.htm, http://www.germanwarmachine.com/info_43.html, http://www.defense.gov/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=24591, http://ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-CN-Midway/USN-CN-Midway-13.html#our, United States aircraft production during World War II, Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, https://military.wikia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_battles_involving_the_United_States?oldid=4201454, Pages using duplicate arguments in template calls. The Battle of Leyte Gulf, sometimes also referred to as the Second Battle of the Philippine Sea was the largest naval battle in World War II and according to some historians, the largest naval battle in history. A map showing important battles and locales of WWII. Possibly USS Gambier Bay (CVE-73) receives attack by the Japanese surface units. Map of the Major Operations of WWII in Asia and the Pacific The main combatants were the Axis powers (Germany, Italy, and Japan) and the Allies (France, Great Britain, the United States, the Soviet Union, and China). The official death toll of Japanese men killed in China, according to the Japan Defense Ministry, is 480,000. Wrecked Junker JU52 airplanes [Via] German paratroopers dropped in and around The Hague in order to capture Dutch airfields and the city. Map of the Major Operations of WWII in Europe. 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. This is an incomplete list of all battles involving the United States during World War II. This section contains details of actions, battles and offensives fought during World War One on all fronts. Image: 80-G-384160: Battle of Leyte Gulf, October 1944. Officially beginning on September 1, 1939, when Germany invaded Poland, World War II lasted until both the Germans and the Japanese had surrendered to the Allies in 1945. Map of the World after World War One. Battle of Britain (1940) The Battle of Britain, in which more than 100 Canadian pilots fought alongside their allies. Battle of Dunkirk. The siege was instigated by Germany under the leadership of Adolf Hitler. This 900-day-long siege counts as the most tragic period of the city’s history, where an estimated 700,000 people in a population of about 2.5 million died in the blockade due to bombardment, cold, and starvation. May 24 - Battle of the Denmark Strait - Atlantic. As a result, names such as Stalingrad, Bastogne, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima became eternally entwined with images of sacrifice, bloodshed, and heroism. 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. He has appeared on The History Channel as a featured expert. The Battle of Stalingrad caused about two million casualties from Soviet and Axis forces and stands as one of the century’s worst military disaster. Battle of Madang; Battle of Mayoyao Ridge; Battle of Muar; Battle of Bessang Pass; Battle of Biak; Battle of Bobdubi; Bombing of Darwin; Bombing of Kuala Lumpur (1945) Bombing of Rabaul (1942) Bombing of Singapore (1944–1945) Operation Boomerang; Battle of Borneo (1941–42) Bougainville counterattack; Invasion of Buka and Bougainville; Battle of Bukit Timah This Battle of Narva is not to be confused with the other Battle of Narva that occurred between 1700-1721 during The Great Northern War (although both were fought in … World War II, conflict that involved virtually every part of the world during 1939–45. September 3-May 8, 1945 - Battle of the Atlantic - Atlantic Ocean, December 13 - Battle of the River Plate - South America, 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, 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, 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, November 8-16 - Naval Battle of Casablanca - 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, 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 3-16 - Invasion of Italy - European Theater, September 26 - Operation Jaywick - Pacific Theater, November 2 - Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - Pacific Theater, November 20-23 - Battle of Tarawa - Pacific Theater, November 20-23 - Battle of Makin - Pacific Theater, December 26 - Battle of the North Cape - Atlantic Ocean, January 22-June 5 - Battle of Anzio - Mediterranean, January 31-February 3 - Battle of Kwajalein - Pacific Theater, February 17-18 - Operation Hailstone (Attack on Truk) - Pacific Theater, February 17-May 18 - Battle of Monte Cassino - European Theater, March 17-23 - Battle of Eniwetok - Pacific Theater, March 24/25 - The Great Escape - European Theater, June 4 - Capture of U-505 - European Theater, June 6 - Operation Deadstick (Pegasus Bridge) - 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 21-August 10 - Battle of Guam - Pacific Theater, July 25-31 - Operation Cobra - Breakout from Normandy - European Theater, August 12-21 - Battle of the Falaise Pocket - 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, December 16-January 25, 1945 - Battle of the Bulge - European Theater, February 9 - HMS Venturer sinks U-864 - European Theater, February 13-15 - Dresden Bombing - European Theater, February 16-26 - Battle of Corregidor (1945) - Pacific Theater, February 19-March 26 - Battle of Iwo Jima - Pacific Theater, April 1-June 22 - Battle of Okinawa - Pacific Theater, March 7-8 - Bridge at Remagen - European Theater, March 24 - Operation Varsity - European 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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