what were 3 major battles of wwii
Battle OF Britain
Timeline of the Battle of Britain
1940 August 1st- Hitler decreed the Battle of Britain with the command "The German Air Force is to overcome the British Air Force with all means at its disposal, and as soon as possible. August 13th"Eagle Day". The Luftwaffe launched its offensive against Britain, with 1,485 sorties. The Germans lost 45 'planes and the RAF 13. August 15th- A day of intense attacks. The Luftwaffe launched a total of 1,790 sorties and lose 75 'planes. The RAF lost 34. August 17th- The Germans established an 'operational area' around Britain. In it, any ship was to be sunk without warning. August 25th- The RAF launched its first raid on Berlin. September 7th- Some 300 German bombers, escorted by 600 fighters, attack London. September 15th- The RAF claimed to have shot down 183 German 'planes - a figure later found to be inflated. September 17th- Hitler postponed "Operation Sealion" until further notice. October 12th- "Operation Sealion" postponed until 1941. |
pearl HarborJust before 8 a.m. on December 7, 1941, hundreds of Japanese fighter planes attacked the American naval base at Pearl Harbor near Honolulu, Hawaii. The barrage lasted just two hours, but it was devastating: The Japanese managed to destroy nearly 20 American naval vessels, including eight enormous battleships, and almost 200 airplanes. More than 2,000 Americans soldiers and sailors died in the attack, and another 1,000 were wounded. The day after the assault, President Franklin D. Roosevelt asked Congress to declare war on Japan; Congress approved his declaration with just one dissenting vote. Three days later, Japanese allies Germany and Italy also declared war on the United States, and again Congress reciprocated. More than two years into the conflict, America had finally joined World War II.
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Battle OF stalingradThe Battle of Stalingrad is considered by many historians to have been the turning point in World War Two in Europe. The battle at Stalingrad bled the German army dry in Russia and after this defeat, the Germany Army was in full retreat. One of the ironies of the war, is that the German Sixth Army need not have got entangled in Stanlingrad. Army Groups A and B were well on their way to the Caucasus in south-west Russia, when Hitler ordered an attack on Stalingrad. From a strategic point of view it would have been unwise to have left a major city unconquered in your rear as you advanced. However, some historians believe that Hitler ordered the taking of Stalingrad simply because of the name of the city and Hitler's hatred of Joseph Stalin. For the same reason Stalin ordered that the city had to be saved.
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what was the Blackout Of Great Britian?
On the 1st September 1939, two days before the outbreak of war, Britain was blacked out. The Blackout imposed on all civilians in all cities was absolute. No chinks of light, no see through curtains, no car headlights. Even the red glow of a cigarette was banned. Britain was plunged into complete darkness.
People put heavy curtains on windows and had covers on their headlights that deflected the light downwards. They thought that if no light was showing, they would not be easily seen from above. |
what was The blitz of great britian?
The Blitz is the title given to the German bombing campaign on British cities during World War Two. However, the term ‘Blitz’ is more commonly used for the bombing campaign against London. After the failure of the Battle of Britain, the Germans attempted to bomb London into submission
More Info. on the Blitz |
what was The home-front of Great britain?
The government knew that cities would be bombed, and thought that gas would be used. A million coffins were prepared. It was feared that many child casualties would affect morale, so pressure was put on parents to send the children away to the safety of the countryside.
Families gathered at railway stations. A label was tied to the children giving their destination. The evacuations began on 1st September 1939. Some parents refused to allow their children to leave, but amazing numbers sent them away. Over one million children left London by train. School children travelled with their teachers. Children under five went with their mothers. Pregnant women were also evacuated For many children the journey was exciting, they had never seen the country before. It was the first time they had seen farm animals. For many others it was the first time they had been away from home and they were very distressed. |
How were Children affected by world war 2?
Children were massively affected by WW2 nearly 2 million children were evacuated from there homes. Children had to endure rationing. gas mask lessons, and living with strangers. 1 out of every ten people that died was a child.‘Operation Pied Piper’ was a huge undertaking. Six cities had been deemed vulnerable to German bombing – memories of Guernica were still fresh – and in London alone there were 1,589 assembly points for children to gather at before they were moved on. Those children who were evacuated were given a stamped postcard to send from their billet address to inform their parents where they were. Operation Pied Piper’ planned to move 3.5 million children in three days. In the event, the 1.9 million who were evacuated was a remarkable achievement though some children stayed with their parents as evacuation was not compulsory. The impact of evacuation on children depended to an extent on which social strata you were in at the time. Parents who had access to money invariably made their own arrangements. Children at private schools based in the cities tended to move out to manor houses in the countryside where children at that school could be, in the main, kept together. But 1.9 million children gathered at rail stations in early September not knowing where they were going nor if they would be split from brothers and sisters who had gathered with them.
WHat are Evacuations, rationings, and air raids?
Evacuation-
Being an evacuee must have been scary and exciting at the same time. The children had to leave their families and homes behind and try to fit in with host families in the country. At the station Children had labels attached to them, as though they were parcels. They stood at railway stations not knowing where they were going nor if they would be split from brothers and sisters who had gathered with them. They felt scared about being away from their families but also excited about going to a place they had never seen before and only read about in books. On arrival The children arrived in the countryside, tired, hungry and uncertain whether they would ever see their families again. They were taken to the village hall, where they would be met by the billeting officer (the person in charge of finding them homes). A 'pick-you-own evacuee' sessions would then take place, where host families (the people they were going to live with) haggled over the most presentable children while the sicklier and grubbier children were left until last. Rationing- During WW2, you couldn't just walk into a shop and buy as much sugar or butter or meat as you wanted, nor could you fill up your car with gasoline whenever you liked. All these things were rationed, which meant you were only allowed to buy a small amount (even if you could afford more). The government introduced rationing because certain things were in short supply during the war, and rationing was the only way to make sure everyone got their fair share. Air Raids- air raids are when bombs are dropped from planes on targets on the ground. One of the most devastating bombings of World War 2: Tokyo (November 1944-August 1945) – 100,000-plus killed The major strategic bombing of Japan by the USAAF began in November 1944 and continued until Japan’s surrender on 15 August 1945. The US had previously executed a minor bombing raid on the Japanese capital in April 1942; this early effort gave America a victory in terms of morale, but the bombing did not begin in earnest until more than two years later. When the powerful B-29 Super Fortress bomber came into service, the Americans made full use of it, putting its capabilities to extensive use over Tokyo. In fact, nearly 90% of the bombs that fell on Japanese home soil were dropped by B-29s. Of all the sorties over Tokyo, the raid of 9-10 March 1945, codenamed Operation Meetinghouse, was the most significant, and indeed is considered the single most destructive bombing ever. Around 1,700 tons of bombs fell on the city, destroying an estimated 286,358 buildings – made largely of wood and paper – and killing an estimated 100,000 citizens or more in the resulting firestorms. When the 1,000,000 injured and made homeless respectively are added to this figure, one begins to get a small sense of the sheer scale of destruction witnessed on those terrible nights of 1945. More information on devastating wwii air raids. |
what was school like for children?
Yes, children did go to school though some schools moved from towns to the country. As well as ordinary lessons children learned air raid drills, gas mask drills, and leaving classrooms when the sirens sounded to go to air raid shelters.
To raise money for the 'war effort', schools started 'Spitfire Funds' and National Savings Groups. More than 6,000 school savings groups started in 1940. Children saved money each week. Many schools gave children free milk, and there were school dinners too, for a small charge. One thing stayed the same though, Exams! |
When and why were ration cards introduced?
Ration cards were used during wartime so people could get food and other supplies, but in small amounts so they wouldn't waste anything. Ration Cards were introduced on April 20th, 1939. The first items to be rationed were bacon, butter and sugar. They were important because it helped people keep track of how much they bought and it reminded them of how hard the war was on the homefront.
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Major electronic and mechanical inventions during ww2
The microwave oven was invented close to the end of the war. It was important because it cost less than a real oven and i could cook food faster than a oven.
Nylon was a major inventions during the war because it could be used for so many things! Things like fishing line, surgical sutures, and toothbrush bristles and nylon stockings started being commercially produced in 1939. it could also be used for parachutes and tents. In some uniforms, nylon was also used to make that uniform a little sturdier. |
Average Cost of a Home?
The average cost of a house in 1945 was about 10,000 dollars. The average home was a one level Ranch House. Inside the house was usually pretty plain. the furnishings usually included family pictures if you could afford it, and picture of the family member the was in the war. The floor was usually was of concrete, or wood if it wasn't to expensive. Not many people had telephones, but if you did, it was a dial telephone.
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what were the Lead Genres and MUSICIANS?
One of the most popular genres of music was swing. Swing was a very up beat, happy music. Even through the war, people were trying to keep there heads up, and they were doing that through music Duke Ellington was a very famous musician during World War 2.
Duke Ellington's "It Don't Mean a Thing" |
What were the major department stores during World War 2?
Spooners was the major department store during World War 2. Spooners had everything from medicine and bandages, to food and drinks. Everything that you could need was sold there. Spooners was important because it was good to have a store that had everything in one spot instead of having to go around town and waste gas.
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