Download The Allies Turn the Tide The Battle of the Coral Sea had marked a

The Allies Turn the Tide
The Battle of the Coral Sea had marked a turning of the tide for the Allies (USA, Britain,
USSR). Although the war was not close to ending, the summer of 1942 gave glimmers of hope to
the Allies.
The Axis powers (Germany, Japan and Italy) never coordinated their strategy to defeat
the Allies. All had the same enemies, but each country nurtured individual dreams of conquest.
The Allies, on the other hand, were unified in their thoughts. They viewed Germany as
the most serious danger and were not concerned with the long-term threat posed by Japan or
Italy. The ultimate goal of the Allies was to win a two-front war, but their plan of attack
consisted of a “Europe First” strategy. Until Hitler was defeated, the Pacific would be a
secondary theatre of war.
American production during the war was an unstoppable force, churning out millions of
guns, tanks, and other supplies necessary to stop Germany. The problem faced by America was
getting the supplies across the Atlantic to the front lines.
Hitler, knowing the supplies were going to be shipped by sea, sent “Wolf packs” of
German U-Boats (submarines) to patrol the Atlantic and Caribbean. Their job was to prevent
the shipment of supplies across the ocean to the Allies. During the war, these Wolf packs sunk
more than 3, 500 merchant ships and killed thousands of Allied seamen.
By 1943 the Allies had figured out a way to combat these attacks. The ships were sent
with escorts as protection. The new invention of radar allowed the Allies to locate U-boats, and
long-range aerial bombers and underwater depth charges (underwater exploding devices)
sunk U-boats faster than Germany could manufacture them.
Germany had attacked Russia in June 1941 and although they killed or captured millions
of soldiers and civilians, Soviet Resistance and a fierce Russian winter prevented the Germans
from achieving their goal of conquering the Soviet Union.
In 1942, Hitler decided to try and capture the rich Caucasus oil fields in the USSR, but to
do so he would need to capture Stalingrad.
It was a ferocious battle and the Germans were met with resistance every step of the
way. Finally, the Soviets counterattacked and trapped the German forces. Hitler refused to
allow his soldiers to retreat. Starving, sick and suffering from frostbite, the surviving German
troops surrendered on January 31, 1943.
The battle of Stalingrad was important because it marked the true turning point of the
war in Europe. It ended any realistic plans Hitler had of dominating Europe. Nazi armies were
forced to retreat westward back toward Germany and the Soviet Union was now on the
offensive.
The deserts and mountains of North Africa were another battleground during the war.
This area was important because whoever controlled the region could control much of the
Mediterranean Sea. North Africa would also serve as a perfect launch point for an invasion of
Italy.
The British had been fighting the Germans and Italians in North Africa since 1940. Their
big breakthrough came in October 1942 in Egypt. The following month, Allied troops landed in
Morocco and Algeria to begin an invasion of North Africa led by General Dwight Eisenhower
(nickname- Ike).
German General Erwin Rommel (nickname- the Desert Fox) led his troops known as the
Afrika Korps against America in February 1943 at the Kasserine Pass in Tunisia. Rommel broke
through the American line initially, but American soldiers were able to stop the assault. Lack of
supplies forced Rommel to retreat.
North Africa was not an easy place to fight. Sandstorms choked and blinded troops. Mud
stopped the machinery. The high visibility made it difficult to move without being seen.
Poisonous reptiles, ants and scorpions were also problems. The fighting at Kasserine Pass
taught American leaders that the troops needed to be better trained for desert fighting.
Eisenhower put the forces of North Africa under the control of General George S. Patton
(nickname- Blood and Guts). Patton told his junior officers in 1943:
“You usually will know where the front is by the sound of gunfire, and that’s the
direction you should proceed. Now, suppose you lose a hand or an ear is shot off, or perhaps a
piece of your nose, and you think you should walk back to get first aid. If I see you, it will be the
last… walk you’ll ever take.”
Patton’s forces kept advancing with heightened confidence. The British advanced too.
Together they were able to trap the Axis forces in Tunisia. Rommel escaped, but his troops of
German and Italian soldiers were forced to surrender.
German was now on the defensive. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill (Prime Minister of
England) met in Casablanca, Morocco and decided that they would increase bombings of
Germany and they would invade Italy. The also decided that only unconditional surrender
would end the war, meaning the Axis would have to give up completely without any
concessions.
In July 1943 the Allies invaded Sicily, Italy led by General Dwight Eisenhower. Again,
they forced the Axis to retreat, this time giving the Allies full control over the Mediterranean. By
September of 1943, Benito Mussolini (leader of Italy) had been killed and Italy surrendered. By
mid October Italy had declared war on Germany.
British troops began to bomb Germany nonstop during nights. These massive bombing
were known as saturation bombing and the goal was to inflict maximum damage.
American bombers started targeting Germany’s key political and industrial centers.
They wanted to destroy Germany’s ability to make war and this was known as strategic
bombing. The all African-American fighter squadron known as the Tuskegee Airmen played a
key role in this bombing campaign, escorting fighter pilots and protecting them from enemy
fighter pilots. In more than 1,500 missions over enemy territory in Europe, the Tuskegee
Airmen did not lose a single bomber. Aside from the Tuskegee Airmen, the casualty rate was
20%. These air raids helped pave the way for an all-out Allied offensive.
Even though America was pursing a “Europe first” strategy, they were still fighting hard
in the Pacific. The Battle of the Coral Sea had given America confidence and was a warning to
Japan that the fight was not over.
Admiral Yamamoto was the commander of the Japanese forces in the Pacific. He decided
to take Midway, an American naval base in the Central Pacific that was vital to the defense of
Hawaii. Losing Midway would force America back to the California coast, thus finishing the goal
of the attack on Pearl Harbor- to render America helpless in the Pacific.
There was one problem with Japan’s plan. American code breakers had intercepted
Japanese messages and knew an attack was coming. Japan, not realizing that they were sailing
into an ambush, had their navy stretched out across more than 1,000 miles. The commander of
the US Navy in the Pacific, Admiral Chester Nimitz, had the American forces all concentrated
near Midway. On June 5, 1942, the most important naval battle of World War II took place and
America scored a decisive blow against the Japanese. Torpedo planes and dive-bombers sank 4
Japanese aircraft carriers along with all 250 aircraft on board and many of Japan’s most
experienced pilots. America lost only 1 aircraft carrier.
The Battle of Midway was the turning point of the war in the Pacific, ending the
seemingly unstoppable Japanese advance. Japan still had a powerful navy, committed troops
and fortified positions. But it would never again threaten Hawaii or Pacific domination again.
Japan was on the defensive end of the war.
After their domination at Midway, America felt strong. Their first offensive in the Pacific
took place in August 1942 with an assault on Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. After three
months of intense fighting, the United States Marines drove the Japanese off the island.
German U-Boat
Map of Guadalcanal
North Africa
Battle of Midway
Name:_______________________________
Date:____________________________
Period:_______________________________
Review Questions
1. Why did the Allies decide to concentrate on the war in Europe?
2. Why was the battle of Stalingrad a turning point in WWII?
3. What about North Africa’s location made control of the region so important?
4. What were the goals of British and American bombing over Germany?
5. How did the US victory at the Battle of Midway change the course of the war in
the Pacific?