Major Battles

June 6, 1944, 160,000 Allied troops landed across a 50-mile streath of heavily fortified French coastline to fight Nazi occupied Normandy, France. More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircraft supported this invasion. The D-Day cost was high, more than 9,000. However, by the days end, America had placed itself in the middle of the war in Europe.

The Battle of Iwo Jima took place in February 1945. The capture of Iwo Jima was part of a three part plan the United States had for winning the war in the East.

Despite its size, Iwo Jima was considered to have tactical importance. There were two airfields on the island under Japanese control, and they were being used by Japanese fighter planes to attack American ships.

The Battle of Okinawa was fought on the Ryukyu Islands of Okinawa and was the largest amphibious assault in the pacific war of World War II. The battle lasted 82 days, from early April until mid June 1945. The purpose of the battle was to capture Okinawa Island and use it as a base for air operations.

The Battle of Stalingrad is considered by many historians to have been the turning point in WWII in Europe. Germans were surrounding a Russian City called Caucasus when Hitler suddenly ordered the attack on Stalingrad. This put them in a severe strategical disadvantage because they left a major city behind them unconquered. Some historians believe that Hitler wanted to control Stalingrad just because he hated the name Stalin.

The Battle of Midway, fought in June 1942, is considered to be one of the most descisive battles of WWII. The Battle of Midway destroyed Japan's naval strength when the U.S. destroyed Japans naval strength when the Americans destoryed four of its aircraft carriers.