World History

Battle of Leyte Gulf

1944 World War II naval battle between the United States and Japan. Largest naval engagement in history. Japanese navy was defeated.

Gilbert Islands

20 to the 23 of November of the year 1943, Makin atoll, light resistance and low casualties. Tarawa atoll, heavy resistance at the beach, problems with the coral reefs. Heavy US casualties, 990 dead, 2296 wounded. Japan, 4,690 dead people. US soldiers needed hand grenades and flamethrowers to kill all the japanese soldiers. After Tarawa: AMTRACS invented to crawl over coral reefs. At least 2 months of aerial bombing proceeded to the next target. 3 to 4 days of sea bombardment preceded the landing. Most Japanese resistance was now inland in hills, caves and tunnels. Only the main islands in an island group were taken. Those big enough for an airfield or a usable port. Areas of heavy Japanese resistance were isolated and bypassed.

Marshall Islands

31 jan - 17 Feb 1944. First actual Japanese territory taken in the Pacific. 31 Jan - 4 Feb 1944, Kwajalein atoll. Over 8000 Japanese dead. 17 of February of the year 1944, the Eniwetok atoll.

Harry Truman

Became president when FDR died; gave the order to drop the atomic bomb

Bastogne

City around which the battle of the bulge was fought

Hiroshima

City in Japan, the first to be destroyed by an atomic bomb, on August 6, 1945. The bombing hastened the end of World War II.

Tunisia

Germans reinforced Tunisia with 140,000 men. Germans retreated to defensive positions in eastern Tunisia. During World War 2, TUnisia remained under France, a non-belligerent nation after the Franco-German armistice of 1940. Western Allies invaded French North Africa in November 1942, and Vichy French forces failed to actively defend the colonial holdings, and thus German and Italian forces stepped in within hours to bolster defenses.

North Africa

Germany and Italy controlled North Africa. Germany was ready to capture the Middle East and link their forces in Russia and North Africa. November 8 of the year 1942, Allied invasion of North Africa. Germans escaped to Italy, Italians were captured, and Allies had possession of North Africa.

Axis nations

Germany, Italy, and Japan formed this alliance in the 1930's.

Great Marianas Turkey Shoot

Given to the battle in the Marianas in June of 1944, in which the Japanese lost 273 planes and the Americans had finally penetrated the inner Japanese defense ring. Successful defensive naval battle that destroyed many Japanese aircraft carriers.

Ludendorff Bridge

It was in early March 1945 a critical remaining bridge across the river Rhine in Germany when it was captured during the Battle of Remagen by the United States Army forces during the closing weeks of World War II. Americans crossed the Rhine River over the Ludendorff railroad bridge.

German industry and manufacturing

Its scientists created the first deployed jet fighter (the Me-262), the first deployed rocket fighter (the Me-163), the first deployed ballistic missile (V-2), the first deployed cruise missile (V-1), the first assault rifle (StG-44), and much more. There was a capital called sortage. They were focused on producing military items such as tanks, rifles, munitions, airplanes and ships.

Nagasaki

Japanese city in which the second atomic bomb was dropped (August 9, 1945).

"I shall return"

MacArthur addressed US forces and the Filipino people by radio broadcast from Australia. Promised "I shall return". Japan defended inland with great success for the rest of the war. In the 17 to the 20 of October of the year 1944, US invasion of Leyte island. Doughlas MacArthur fulfilled his promise to return to the Philippines. 30 of December of the year 1944, Leyte island under Allied control. 13 of December 1944 to 24 of January 1945, Invasion and conquest of Mindoro Island.

American aircraft carriers

The United States had 105 aircraft carriers of all types in World War II. Sixty-four of them were of the smaller escort carrier type. The larger attack carriers had crews numbering from 1,000 to 3,500 men. 7 The large majority of these were in action in the Pacific.

Operation Downfall

The invasion of Japan that never happened.

Battle of Stalingrad

Unsuccessful German attack on the city of Stalingrad during World War II from 1942 to 1943, that was the furthest extent of German advance into the Soviet Union.

D-Day beaches

Utah (US), Sword (UK), Omaha (US), Gold (UK), and Juno (CA) beaches.

Normandy, France

Where D-Day occurred.

Hedgerows

dirt walls, several feet thick, that were covered in shrubbery and surrounded many fields in Normandy; Germans used them for cover and defense

Kamikazes

in World War II, Japanese pilots who loaded their aircraft with bombs and crashed them into enemy ships

Ryuku Islands

start of Japanese imperialism, claimed suzerainty over the islands (once tributary to Chinese Empire)

Holocaust

the Nazi program of exterminating Jews under Hitler and a large-scale destruction, especially by fire; a vast slaughter; a burnt offering

Operation Overlord

the code name for the Allied invasion of Europe at Normandy on June 6, 1944; also known as D-Day

Marianas Islands

the most intensive carrier battle "The Great Turkey Shot", American hellcat fighters had their way in the air shooting down 250 enemy planes. these islands were close enough so B29 bombers could hit Japan and return

Allied nations

those countries fighting against the Axis powers. i.e. Britain, France, USA, the Soviet Union, China

Sicily

An important invasion that lead to the removal of Mussolini from government, only to have him put back later.

Douglas MacArthur

United States general who served as chief of staff and commanded Allied forces in the South Pacific during World War II

Robert Oppenheimer

United States physicist who directed the project at Los Alamos that developed the first atomic bomb (1904-1967)

Rhine River

A river in Western Europe that flows from eastern Switzerland into the North Sea. Europe's most important inland waterway.

Manhattan Project

A secret U.S. project for the construction of the atomic bomb.

US Pacific fleet

ADMIRAL CHESTER W. NIMITZ He was commander of the: During WWII. Destroyed japanese shipping when it controlled the navy. Pearl Harbor is a U.S. Navy base on the Hawaiian island of Oahu and the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet. Beginning in the summer of 1940, the U.S. began to restrict the export to Japan of materials useful in war.

Battle of the Philippines Sea

Aerial and naval battle of Saipan in June 1944 between Japan's First Mobile Fleet and American navy; also known as Marianas Turkey Shoot. Last of five battles of World War II.

US bombing of Japan

After the capture of Tinian, mainland Japan was within range of American B-29 bombers. 5 hour trip from Tinian to Japan. Allies had been bombing Germany since the summer of 1942. No airplane built at the time could reach Japan. B-29 was designed and built to bomb Japan. Designed in 1942. First introduced in May 1944. 24 Nov 1944 -First bombing of Japan. August 1945 -bombing had resulted in severe destruction to all major Japanese cities: Tokyo, Nagoya, Kawasaki, Osaka, Yokohoma, Kobe. The US was able to bomb Japan almost without opposition. Japan had few fighter planes left to send up in defense

George Patton

Allied Commander of the Third Army. Was instrumental in winning the Battle of the Bulge. Considered one of the best military commanders in American history.

D-Day

Allied invasion of France and of western Europe on June 6, 1944

Dwight D. Eisenhower

American General who began in North Africa and became the Commander of Allied forces in Europe.

Battle of the Bulge

December, 1944-January, 1945 - After recapturing France, the Allied advance became stalled along the German border. In the winter of 1944, Germany staged a massive counterattack in Belgium and Luxembourg which pushed a 30 mile "bulge" into the Allied lines. The Allies stopped the German advance and threw them back across the Rhine with heavy losses.

Philippines

During the year 1943 to 1944, US forces under General Douglas MacArtthur advanced in New Guinea and the Philippines. After the attacks that drew the United States into World War II, President Franklin D. Roosevelt pledged to defend the American commonwealth of the Philippines. Under the command of General Douglas MacArthur, Filipinos fought alongside american soldiers in the Battle of Bataan.

Bombing of Germany

England and US bomb Germany, England used saturation, US used pinpoint, allies kill 1/3 million people and 5 million german homes

Benito Mussolini

Fascist dictator of Italy (1922-1943). He led Italy to conquer Ethiopia (1935), joined Germany in the Axis pact (1936), and allied Italy with Germany in World War II. He was overthrown in 1943 when the Allies invaded Italy.

Algeria

Fighting in Operation Torch algeria was involved. Algiers, French helped seize the city. During World War II, Algeria, along with NOrth Africa, were under the control of Nazi Germany and Vichy France. On November 8, 1942 the Allies launched the first major offensive of the war codenamed Operation Torch. The Allies retook Morocco along with Algeria, establishing the liberation of northern Africa.

napalm

Highly flammable chemical dropped from US planes in firebombing attacks during the Vietnam War.

Morocco

In Morocco, the French fought US forces for three days. Stopped on orders from their superiors in Algiers. Was then occupied by France, was controlled by Vichy France from 1940 to 1942 after the occupation of France by Naazi Germany. However, after the North African Campaign, Morocco was under Allied control and thus was active in Allied operations until the end of the war.

Volcano Islands

Invasion of Iwo Jima in the Volcano Islands. Iwo Jima island - 5 miles long. Iwo Jima, official Japanese, also known as Iō-jima, island that is part of the Volcano Islands archipelago, far southern Japan. The island has been widely known as Iwo Jima, its conventional name since World War II (1939-45).

USS missouri

On September 2, 1945, the Japanese emperor formally surrendered on the USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay.

Berlin

On the 23 of April 1945, Sovients forces entered the German capital of Berlin. On 2 May of 1945, German forces defending Berlin surrendered. On May 7 of the year 1945, Germany signed an unconditional surrender of all German forces at Reims, Germany. Repeated for the Soviets the next day in Berlin.

Omaha Beach

One of 5 beaches invaded during WWII D-Day. Biggest struggle because of deep water, little to no cover, and bluffs with Germans and machine guns

Guadalcanal

One of the Solomon Islands in southwest Pacific, Japanese building airstrip, August 1942 battle, Allies won.

Operation Torch

Operation Torch was the Anglo-American invasion of the French Morocco and Algeria during the North Africa Campaign. It began on November 8 and concluded on November 16 of 1942.

US third Army

Pushed its way through France until troops were at Luxembourg border, where Alfond's unit was station

Tokyo Bay

September 1945 - There was a surrender ceremony where the Japanese signed surrender documents aboard USS MIssouri. This was 3 weeks after bomb was dropped on Japan. When the bomb was dropped, the Japanese surrendered. The document of Tokyo Bay was the formal conclusion of the agreement. US Army General Douglas Mac Arthur presided for Allies.

Island hopping

Stragety of Allies in World War 2 of capturing some Japanese-held islands and going around others

Remagen, Germany

The Battle of Remagen during the Allied invasion of Germany in the unexpected capture of the Ludendorff Bridge over the Rhine. The Germans had wired the bridge with about 2,800 kilograms (6,200 Ib) of demolition charges. When they tried to blow it up, only a portion of the explosives detonated.

Battle of Midway

U.S. naval victory over the Japanese fleet in June 1942, in which the Japanese lost four of their best aircraft carriers. It marked a turning point in World War II.

Solomon Islands

US bypassed Japanese strongholds of Truk in the Caroline Islands and Rabaul in the Solomon Islands. During operation Watchtower, the US invaded the Solomon Islands.

Chester Nimitz

United States admiral of the Pacific fleet during World War II who used aircraft carriers to destroy the Japanese navy (1885-1966)

Iwo Jima

a bloody and prolonged operation on the island of Iwo Jima in which American marines landed and defeated Japanese defenders (February and March 1945)

Atomic bomb

bomb dropped by an American bomber on Hiroshima and Nagasaki destroying both cities