Download Comic Life – Turning Points of World War II

Comic Life – Turning Points of World War II
Goal – Create a Comic Life document about the turning points of World War II.
What you need to be done:
1. Cover with a slogan and picture
2. 16 frames with at least four drawings over the turning points of World War II.
3. Each frame needs at least 2 sentences explaining what they are.
The four turning points of World War II.
1. Battle of Stalingrad (1942-43)
Stalingrad, Battle of, one of the most important battles of history was a turning point
in World War II (1939-1945). The battle was between the Soviet Union and Nazi
Germany. The leader of Germany at this time was Adolf Hitler. The leader of the Soviet
Union was Josef Stalin. It lasted about five months, from August 1942 until early 1943.
In the battle, Soviet troops kept German troops from capturing Stalingrad (now
Volgograd), an important Soviet industrial city on the Volga River. The German defeat at
Stalingrad ended the Nazis' eastward advance into the Soviet Union. The invading
German troops had to retreat from the Caucasus oil fields and the lower Don River
regions. During the battle, the German army lost about 300,000 soldiers, including about
90,000 prisoners. The prisoners included 24 German generals. Snow and bitter cold
took a heavy toll of German troops. The Soviets lost 1 million troops.
The German Sixth Army launched its drive on Stalingrad on Aug. 21, 1942, from
positions about 40 miles (64 kilometers) away on the Don River. By August 23, German
tanks had reached the Volga River, north of Stalingrad. Gradually, they forced their way
into the city.
By November, German forces had isolated Soviet troops in four "pockets" along the
riverbank in the city. German and Soviet units fought hand-to-hand for control of single
streets, houses, and factories. When the Volga froze over, Soviet troops pushed
supplies across on the ice at night. Soviet armies north and south of Stalingrad
counterattacked the German forces on November 19. The Soviet armies met west of
Stalingrad on November 23, surrounding the German units in and near the city.
Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler ordered his generals to continue the battle for Stalingrad. He
sent other German units to help the troops in the city, but the relief forces could not
break through the Soviet lines. The Soviet troops hammered away at the hungry, halffrozen German troops. Finally, German Field Marshal Friedrich von Paulus, Sixth Army
commander, surrendered on Jan. 31, 1943. The last German troops in Stalingrad
surrendered on February 2.
The Germans would never again advance in the East. The Soviets would eventually
push them all the way back to Germany. They would also enlarge their own country in
the process and take over many countries which would become Satellite Nations. After
World War II was over the Soviet Union would then fight the United States in the Cold
War.
2. Midway – June 4th-7th, 1942
The Battle of Midway was a major naval battle, widely regarded as the most important of
the Pacific Campaign of World War II. It took place from 4 June to 7 June 1942,
approximately one month after the Battle of the Coral Sea and exactly six months after
Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor. The United States Navy decisively defeated an Imperial
Japanese Navy attack against Midway Atoll, inflicting irreparable damage on the
Japanese carrier force and seizing the strategic initiative.
The Japanese operation, like the earlier attack on Pearl Harbor, was aimed at the
elimination of the United States as a strategic Pacific power, thereby giving Japan a free
hand in establishing its Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. It was hoped another
demoralizing defeat would force the U.S. to negotiate an end to the Pacific War on
conditions favorable for Japan.
The Japanese plan was designed to lure the United States' few remaining carriers into a
trap. The Japanese also intended to occupy Midway Atoll as part of an overall plan to
extend their defensive perimeter in response to the Doolittle Raid. This operation was
considered preparatory for further attacks against Fiji and Samoa.
American code breakers were able to determine the date and location of the attack,
enabling the forewarned U.S. Navy to set up an ambush of its own. Four Japanese
aircraft carriers and a heavy cruiser were sunk in exchange for one American aircraft
carrier and a destroyer. The heavy losses, particularly the four fleet carriers,
permanently weakened the Imperial Japanese Navy. Japan was unable to keep pace
with American shipbuilding and aircrew training programs in providing replacements.
3. Battle of El Alamein – October 23rd – November 3rd - 1942
More accurately known as the second Battle of El Alamein, the gruelling fight lasted from
October 23rd to November 3rd 1942. (The first battle in July had ended in stalemate,
with the Allies suffering heavy casualties.)
General Montgomery spent months amassing a huge, well-briefed army of British,
Australian, New Zealand, South African, Indian and French soldiers. Field Marshal
Rommel's German and Italian troops were now outnumbered two-to-one and were short
of reinforcements and supplies.
They met at El Alamein, a small town 60 miles from the Egyptian port of Alexandria.
The battle began with a massive artillery barrage on German positions - the heaviest
shelling since WWI. Allied armoured divisions attacked German lines but became more
bogged down in Rommel’s deep minefields.
After ten days of repeated attacks, the Allies finally broke through the enemy lines during
an intense night battle and the Axis forces retreated as far back as Tunisia.
El Alamein harked back to the days when battle lines were clearly drawn and tactical
moves made judiciously, like a deadly game of chess. It was a crucial victory for the
Allies.
Once France had been occupied, there was nowhere else the Allied troops could
engage with the Axis Powers in battle. Most importantly, it was critical that the Allies
secured North Africa and the Suez Canal – the gateway to the East.
The Battle of El Alamein was the first major Allied victory over the German Army.
El Alamein was a significant Allied victory and the most decisive in Africa with respect to
closing of a war front. After three years the African theatre was cleared of Axis forces
and the Allies could now invade Italy. The Germans lost 75,000 troops, and the Allies
only lost 50,000.
4. D-Day – June 6th, 1944
The D-Day Landings were the first operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, France
also known as Operation Overlord, during World War II. D-Day was in reference to the
day of actual landing, which was previously unknown until the time had actually come. In
planning, the day before the landing was referred to as D-Day minus one. Timing was
crucial. Optimal conditions were needed for the initial attack, especially the high tide.
Originally postponed 24 hours due to poor weather, D-Day came to be 6 June 1944; HHour was 6:30 am. The assault was conducted in two phases: an air assault landing of
American, British and Canadian airborne troops shortly after midnight, and an
amphibious landing of Allied infantry and armored divisions on the coast of France
commencing at 6:30 British Double Summer Time. It required the transport of soldiers
and material from the United Kingdom by troop carrying aircraft and ships, the assault
landings, air support, naval interdiction of the English Channel and naval fire-support.
There were also subsidiary 'attacks' mounted under the codenames Operation Glimmer
and Operation Taxable to distract the German Navy and the German army from the real
landing areas.
The operation was the largest single-day amphibious invasion of all time, with over
130,000 troops landed on 6 June 1944. 195,700 Allied naval and merchant navy
personnel were involved. After the invasion of German occupied France, France was
liberated from Germany shortly after. In all the United States lost 2,400 men on this day.