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US Enters WWII. Axis Troubles. Never had a coordinated strategy Shared the same enemies Had different end games Germany Hitler Wanted to dominate Europe and eliminate “inferior” peoples. Italy Mussolini had dreams of an Italian Empire from the Adriatic to East Africa. Japan
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Axis Troubles • Never had a coordinated strategy • Shared the same enemies • Had different end games • Germany • Hitler Wanted to dominate Europe and eliminate “inferior” peoples. • Italy • Mussolini had dreams of an Italian Empire from the Adriatic to East Africa. • Japan • Tojo wanted control of the Western Pacific and Asia
Benefits of Partnership • Allies shared a more unified goal for the war. • All, Roosevelt Churchill and Stalin, considered Germany the most dangerous enemy • Didn’t think Italy or Japan posed long term threats • Germany had the resources to bomb Britain, Fight the US and British Navies and invade the Soviet Union. • Allies agreed to fight the war with a “Europe First” strategy • Take care of Germany and Italy then worry about Japan.
Turning the Tides in Europe • America Joining the war boosted the Allies almost immediately • Increase in war supplies and industries • Problem came with delivering the goods across the Atlantic. • Hitler’s U-Boats • Used to stop the supplies before they could make the a difference • Hunted in “Wolf packs” • Sunk more then 3,500 merchant ships and killed thousands of sailors
Gaining advantage over U-boats • In 1943 the tides turned. • Convoys began protecting the merchant ships and major aircraft carriers • Plus, RADAR, a new invention helped locate U boats on the surface at night • Long range bombers and depth charges allowed allied forces to sink U boats faster than the Germans could replace them • Captured a u boat in 1944 and captured the German Enigma Machine and code book.
Enigma Machine • Code machine that encoded typed messages and could only be decoded with matching plugs and another machine. • German codes were almost impossible to decode without it. • Capturing an enigma was a huge boost for helping the Americans decode German messages.
Hitler in Russia • Germans invasion of Russia went in 3 different groups • One group to Leningrad, one group towards Moscow, and one group headed towards Stalingrad • Germans made it into Russia but didn’t reach the goal of capturing the Soviet Union • Resistance by Soviets and Brutal Winter caused halted Germans.
Focus on Stalingrad • In 1942 Hitler focused on southern Russia • Looking at the oil fields in the Caucasus mountains • To get access to Oil he set his sights on Stalingrad. • Battle for Stalingrad was slow and brutal • Fought in city streets, moving a block or two at a time • Soviets counter attacked and trapped the Germans • Hitler didn’t allow a retreat • Winter hit hard and the troops starved and surrendered on Jan 31 1943 • Stalingrad stopped the momentum of the Germans and shifted power to the Allies
Allies in Africa • While the battle for Stalingrad was taking place the Allies were fighting the Italians and Germans in the Deserts of North Africa • Stalin was not happy the Americans and the British were in Africa, wanted to start fighting in France • Roosevelt and Churchill wanted more time to prepare an attack on the Germans in France • Africa required less planning and less supplies • US Forces lead by Eisenhower, Germans lead by Erwin Rommel • Rommel got the early victory in Tunisia, but was forced to retreat due to lack of supplies • Eisenhower needed a stronger attack and wanted a better tank commander to lead the push in Africa- appointed George S Patton
Patton • No Nonsense… No Retreat • “you usually know where the front is by the sound of gunfire, and that’s the direction you should proceed. Now suppose you lose a hand on an ear is shot off, or perhaps a piece of your nose, and you think you should walk back to get first aid. If I see you, it will be the last… walk you’ll ever take.” • Patton advanced east and the British came west in Africa and they trapped Rommel's men in Tunisia • Rommel escaped but his army didn’t the 240,000 troops surrendered in may 1943.
New Plans • Now after loosing Russia and Africa, the Germans were on the Defense • Roosevelt and Churchill met in Casablanca, Morocco to plan their next move. • Decided 2 things • Increase bombing in Germany and Invade Italy • Only Accept Unconditional Surrender. • Germany and Italy will not be allowed anything in surrender, leaders should not expect to remain in power.
Invasion of Italy • Plan to start in Southern Italy, Sicily, as can access easily from north Africa. • British and Americans made separate landings in Sicily but joined forces as they moved north. • Commanded by Eisenhower • Axis escaped to mainland Italy, but now the Allies control the western Mediterranean ski, which ultimately sets them to capture Italy and force Italy to Surrender on September 1943 • Mussolini’s rule ends, but Hitler would rescue Mussolini from a mountain fortress and gave him power over a Nazi puppet state
Push North through Italy • The Campaign to push through Italy into the German controlled North was slow • Mountains and rivers crisscross all of Italy • Heavy rains and snow made traversing mountains with tanks impossible • Had to use mules to cross the mountains • Germans Also held the best defensive positions • Battles were back and forth but the Allies we not able to push into Germany from Italy.
Attacks on Germany • Stalin still wanted the Allies to start in France so the Germans would have to fight a 2 front war • Allies still wanted more time to ready the troops for a French invasion. • Did start nonstop bombing runs from England into Germany • Nighttime bombing raids were a daily occurrence in many German Cities • The Goal was Saturation Bombings trying to inflict maximum damage.
Importance of B-24s • By day the American Bombers practiced Strategic Bombing • Hitting key political and industrial centers • Bombers were protected by fighter squadrons • The most famous squadrons were the Tuskegee Airmen • African American squad that ran more than 1,500 missions and didn’t loose a single bomber • Bombings missions were one of the most deadly missions with a 20 percent casualty rate.
War in the Pacific • While the main focus was Europe, the Americans couldn’t just Ignore the pacific • The Japanese were still making strides in the Pacific though the battle of the Coral Sea did move the momentum in US favor • Japan wanted to stop the Americans in the Pacific before they could retaliate for Pearl Harbor • Admiral Yamamoto sought to destroy the American Aircraft carriers in the Pacific
Midway • Yamamoto turned his attention to Midway • An American naval base that was vital to the US defense of Hawaii • If the Americans were to Loose Midway they would need to retreat all the way back to California • Yamamoto’s plan was to capture midway and then the Aleutian islands near Alaska • Yamamoto didn’t plan on the US commander, Chester Nimitz, knew their plans. • US Navy code breakers had interpreted Japanese messages
Battle of Midway • Nimitz sent all available carriers to Midway • All the navy in the pacific was concentrated on Midway • Japan on the other hand were spread all over the pacific • Battle began on June 4 1942 • One of the most important naval battles of WWII • US used torpedo planes to overwhelm the Japanese ships, sinking 4 aircraft carriers with over 250 planes on board. (along with most of the Japans best pilots) • Became the Turning point and ended the advance of the Japanese forces in the pacific. • Never again threatened Hawaii, Japan is now on Defensive
Pacific Offensive • Americans would go on the offensive after Midway with key battles to move them into position to reclaim land lost • Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands • A dual attack on Japan • Recapture of the Philippines • Move towards Tokyo Bay.
