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Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942

Though the Japanese could claim a tactical victory, it was an operational and strategic defeat for them.

Fought in the waters southwest of the Solomon Islands

Japanese intended to capture Port Moresby, on New Guinea. An air base there would threaten northeastern Australia.

Japanese forced to cancel Port Moresby invasion. In the fighting the carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku's were badly damaged and eliminated from the Midway operation.

Battle of the Coral Sea, 7-8 May 1942

Battle of Midway, 4-7 June 1942Fought over and near U.S. Pacific base at Midway. Prior to this action, Japan possessed naval superiority. After Midway, the two opposing fleets were equals.

Japanese tried to draw out and destroy the U.S. Pacific Fleet's aircraft carrier, which had embarrassed the Japanese Navy in Doolittle Raid and at Battle of Coral Sea.

The intended surprise was thwarted by intelligence. This allowed Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, to establish an ambush by having his carriers ready and waiting for the Japanese.

Japan lost four irreplaceable fleet carriers, U.S. lost only one. The base at Midway remained operational.

Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu

Midway's airfield

Japanese aircraft carrier Hiryu

Battle of Guadalcanal August 7, 1942 - February 7, 1943Marked the first significant ground victory by Allied forces over Japanese forces in the Pacific theatre. Often referred to as a "turning point" in the war.

Guadalcanal campaign was costly to Japan both strategically and in material losses. Japan lost control of the Solomons Islands and the ability to interdict Allied shipping to Australia.

The greatest single factor reducing troop effectiveness on Guadalcanal was disease, particularly malaria. For every man who became a casualty in combat, five fell to malaria.

Japan24,600-25,600 dead (ground),3,543 dead (naval),1,200 dead38 ships sunk,683-880 aircraft destroyed

U.S.1,768 dead (ground),4,911 dead (naval),420 dead (aircrew)29 ships sunk,615 aircraft destroyed

The U.S. carrier Wasp burns after being hit by Japanese submarine torpedoes.

U.S. Marines come ashore on Guadalcanal on August 7, 1942.

Dead Japanese soldiers on the sandbar at Guadalcanal.

North African CampaignStrategically important for both the Allies and the Axis powers. The Allies used the campaign to open a second front against the Axis powers, and ease Axis pressure on the Russian front.

The Axis had planned to dominate the Mediterranean through control of Gibraltar and the Suez Canal and planned a campaign in North Africa with a strike to the rich oil fields of the Middle East.

This would have cut off nearby oil supplies to the Allies, and would have tremendously increased the oil supplies available for the Axis war machine.

Libya, November 27, 1941. A British Crusader tank passes a burning German

Afrika Korps panzers advance during the North African campaign.

Erwin RommelHe was the commander of the Deutsches Afrika Korps and also became known by the nickname "The Desert Fox”

Sent to North Africa in January 1941 to the assistance the Italians, he won the reputation as a strategist.

He took the initiative in the fight with the British until the summer of 1942, when the balance of force shifted decisively in their favor.

He made Montgomery pay a high price for British victory.

Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery

The hero of North Africa. He was one of the most inspirational military commanders of World War II. Montgomery was also the senior British military commander at D-Day.

The defeat of the Germans at El Alamein, was the first they had experienced and within North Africa, the Germans could only retreat and they quit North Africa in May 1943.

George Smith PattonWas a leading U.S. Army general in World War II in campaigns in North Africa, Sicily, France, and Germany, 1943–1945.

He soon became famous for his daring assaults, rapid marches, and use of armor. He also, however, slapped a hospitalized enlisted man suffering from shell shock (Patton accused him of cowardice).

His immediate superior, Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, refused to bow to popular pressure and dismiss Patton but did order him to stay quietly in his headquarters in occupied Sicily.

Brilliant field commander, had little understanding of strategy but could win battles. Jealous and ambition he was difficult to deal with, and Eisenhower and Montgomery had their hands full with him, especially Montgomery, whom Patton despised.

Old Blood and Guts

The Battle of StalingradFought during the winter of 1942 to 1943. In September 1942, the German’s Sixth Army advanced to Stalingrad. Primary task was to secure the oil fields in the Caucasus and, Hitler ordered the taking of Stalingrad.

The Battle is considered to have been the turning point in World War II. The battle bled the German army dry in Russia.

German Sixth Army did not need to fight for Stanlingrad. They were well on their way to the Caucasus in south-west Russia, when Hitler ordered an attack on Stalingrad.

Hitler ordered the taking of Stalingrad simply because of his hatred of Joseph Stalin. For the same reason Stalin ordered that the city had to be saved.

The failure of the German Army was nothing short of a disaster.

A complete army group was lost at Stalingrad and 91,000 Germans were taken prisoner.

With such a massive loss of manpower and equipment, the Germans did not have enough manpower to stop the Russian advance.

Scorched Earth PolicyWhen Germany attacked the Soviet Union in 1941, Joseph Stalin ordered both soldiers and civilians to initiate a scorched earth policy to deny the invaders basic supplies as they moved eastward.

The process was repeated later in the war when retreating German forces burned or destroyed farms, buildings, weapons, and food to deprive Soviet forces of their use.

In the AtlanticGerman sub warfare threatened to destroy the supply line of ships that was vital to British resistance.

By the spring of 1943 U.S. used radar, aircraft coverage, sonar, more escorts, better training, and improved intelligence to avoid attacks.