Battles of WW2

Battles of WW2

1. August 19, 1942 - Raids on Dieppe

   • Test for a full scale invasion of Western Europe, and test Germany's defence along the French coast, and to gather intel on German's responses.
     • Town of Dieppe, on the coast of France.
       • 5000 of 6100 troops involved at the Raids of Dieppe were Canadians
         • Royal Regiment of Canada, Black Watch,South Saskatchewan Regiment,Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada, Essex Scottish Regiment, Les Fusiliers
     • Allies also wanted to prove to Germans that could hold a major port.
   • Lasted over 9 hours
   • Involvement
     • Canada, United Kingdom
     • Germany
   • Strategies
     • Four flank attacks were planned for just before dawn
       • main frontal assault on the town of Dieppe
         • Surprise was key to the plan.
     • The RAF's main objectives were to protect over the naval force and beach heads and force the Luftwaffe forces into the battle.
     • Led by Major-General J. M. Roberts
   • Also know as, Operation Rutter
   • Casualties
     • Canadian
       • RCAF lost 13 aircraft and 10 pilots
       • 3,367 casualties - including 1,946 taken prisoner and 907 Canadians killed
     • Royal Navy lost 1 destroyer 33 landing crafts 550 dead and wounded
     • British
       • RAF lost 106 planes and 81 airmen
       • 275 commandos
     • Germans
       • 311 dead, 280 wounded
       • Luftwaffe 23 Fw 190 25 Dornier Do 217
   • Results
     • Landing ships and escorts on the east met a small German convoy. This alerted the Germans, eliminating the element of surprise.
       • This encounter readied the Germans and since Royal Regiment of Canada landed late on Puys beach,The Germans forced the Canadians to surrender.
         • Most of the South Saskatchewans and Cameron Highlanders were successfully evacuated, but the rearguard did not.
           • The tanks were supposed to support the troops, but all entrances to Dieppe were blocked by barriers, trapping any tanks that made it that far.
             • A general withdrawal order was given at 11 am. The Allied forces retreated, and changed their military strategies to weaken German defence.

2. June 6, 1994- D Day

   • Strategies Used
     • Allies convinced Germans that their intended target was Pas de Calais
       • Make fake planes, land crafts,tanks around de Calais
     • Germans retreated after they were attacked from the east, west, and south by allied forces.
     • By June 11, 1994, 326,547 troops, 54186 vehicles and 104 428 tons of supplies had been landed on the beaches of French
     • Leaders
       • US Army general Dwight D Eisenhower and British General Bernard Montgomery.
   • Results
     • The allies won as the Germans were caught by surprise and were extrememly unprepared.
       • The allies pushed to Berlin,and as they crossed the continent, they freed every country of Nazi control
         • In April 1945. the USSR were the first to reach Berlin, and as they took over the city, HItler learned about Mussolini`s death.
           • Mussolini was executed by his own people, and to escape the same situation, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker, on April 30th 1945.
             • A week later on May 7th, Germany officially surrendered, and on May 8th, 1945, Europeans celebrated this as VE Day ( Victory in Europe)
   • Largest seaborne invasion in History
   • Allied invasion of Normandy
     • Americans attack Utah and Omaha beaches
       • 15 500 airborne troops
       • 23 250 on Utah beach
       • 34 250 Omaha beach
     • British attacked Cold and Sword beaches
       • 24 970 on Gold beach
       • 28 845 on Sword beach
     • Canadian attack Juno beach
       • 21,400 on Juno Beach
   • Involvment
     • Germany
     • UK, Canada, and US
   • Operation Neptune - involved landing the troops on the beaches, and all others helped establish a beach in French
     • began on D day (June 6 1944) and ended on June 30 1944
   • Operation Overload- Overload was the codename of the Allied invasion of north-west Europe
     • Operation Overlord also began on D day, and continued until Allied forces crossed the River Seine on 19 August 1944
       • 1213 naval combat, 4126 landing ships and landing crafts, 736 ancillary craft and 864 merchant vessels, 195 700 personnel were assigned.
   • Casualties
     • Canadian
       • The losses at Juno beach are 340 killed, 574 wounded and 47 taken prisoner
     • British
       • 1000 on Gold beach and Sword Beach. Airborne troops 600 killed and 600 missing
     • US
       • 465 dead, 3184 wounded, 1928 missing , 26 captured, and 2499 casualties were from the US airborne troops
     • Germany
       • 4000 to 9000 men killed. Naval losses included 24 warships 35 merchantmen120 vessels