Turning Back the German Army

1. Turning Back the German Army • In 1942 Allied forces began winning victories in Europe as well. Joseph Stalin, leader of the Soviet Union, appreciated the Lend-Lease aid, but the Soviets were doing most of the fighting against Hitler. He urged Roosevelt and Churchill to open a second front by attacking Germany in the west as it would take pressure off of the Soviet Union. Churchill urged caution, believing GREAT BRITAIN and the US were not ready for a full scale invasion of Europe, there was also very genuine concern of getting bogged down in northern France as had happened in WWI. Churchill wanted to start attacking the periphery, or edges, so Roosevelt ordered the invasion of German held Morocco and Algiers in northern Africa (French territories). • The Struggle for North Africa • Roosevelt decided to invade Morocco and Algiers for two reasons • it would give the army some experience without requiring lots of troops • they would be able to help the British fight the Germans in Egypt • Egypt was important to the British because the Suez Canal allowed Britain’s Asian colonies (India, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaya, Australia) to send supplies to Britain • German forces in the area were under the command of General Erwin Rommel, nicknamed the “Desert Fox” • Britain forced Rommel to retreat at the Battle of El Alamein, but he remained a serious threat • the American invasion of North Africa(Nov 1942) was led by General Dwight D Eisenhower and US forces in Morocco were led by General George Patton who quickly captured the city of Casablanca • American forces headed east towards Tunisia while British forces headed west with the goal of trapping Rommel between the two Allied forces • American troops encountered Germans for the first time in western Tunisia at the Battle of Kasserine Pass, where the Americans were outmaneuvered and outfought (7.000 casualties and 200 tanks lost) • Eisenhower fired the general in charge and put Patton in his place • the British and Americans finally pushed the Germans out of North Africa, with the last surrendering in May 1943 • Who was actively fighting Hitler on continental Europe in 1942? • Why didn’t Churchill want to invade France yet? • Why did Roosevelt invade Morocco? • Why was the Suez Canal important to the British war effort? • What happened at El Alamein? • What happened at the Battle of Kasserine Pass?

2. Using the map and pictures, what challenges do you think the soldiers faced while fighting in North Africa?

3. The Battle of the Atlantic • the war against German submarines in the Atlantic intensified and after Germany declared war on the US U-boats entered American coastal waters (including the Gulf of Mexico) • American cargo ships were easy targets especially at night when the glow from cities silhouetted the vessels • cities dimmed their lights, hung black-out curtains, and drove with their headlights off • by Aug 1942 Germans had sunk about 360 cargo ships, many of which were oil tankers, resulting in the rationing of gasoline and fuel oil • to keep the oil flowing the government built the first long-distance oil pipeline from the oil fields in Texas to the refineries in Pennsylvania • the US navy set up a convoy system to use navy warships to escort groups of cargo ships which greatly reduced the number of lost ships (subs couldn’t attack then escape without being attacked) • in May and June of 1942 German submarine sank over 1.2 million tons of shipping while at the same time British and American shipyards built over 1.1 million tons of new shipping • from July 1942 onwards American shipyards produced more than the German submarines could sink and American planes and warships used new technology such as radar, sonar and depth charges to locate and attack submarines • the Battle of the Atlantic turned in favor of the Allies • What were the u-boats targeting and why? • How did people on shore help foil the u-boat attacks? • Why was the first oil pipeline built? • How did the navy protect cargo ships? • What technology helped the Allies win the Battle of the Atlantic?

5. Stalingrad • in the Spring of 1942 Hitler believed he would win the war, but he had to knock out the USSR, and the only way to defeat the Soviets was to destroy their economy • Hitler ordered his army to capture oil fields, industries and farmlands in southern Russia and the Ukraine • the key to the attack was the city of Stalingrad which controlled the Volga river, and was a major rail junction – if Stalingrad could be captured the Soviet army would be cut off from critical supplies necessary for continuing the war • when the Germans entered the city in September 1942, Stalin ordered the Soviets to hold the city at all cost – retreat was not an option • fighting took place from house to house, costing thousands of lives • Soviet reinforcements arrived in November surrounding Stalingrad and trapped 250.000 German troops in the city. • by the end of the battle 91.000 Germans were alive to surrender and only 5.000 survived the Soviet POW camps • the Battle of Stalingrad put Germany on the defensive for the rest of the war • Why did Hitler target Stalingrad? • How did the Soviets defend Stalingrad? • What can be inferred about Soviet POW camps? • What is the significance of the Battle of Stalingrad?

6. Why do you think the Soviet soldier is waving the Red Army flag in the picture above?