The United States at War

1. WWII Battles The United States at War

2. Military Expansion • Since the war spanned two global fronts-Europe and the Pacific- the United States needed more than the 5 million men who volunteered. • The Selective Service System expanded the draft and provided an additional 10 Million soldiers.

3. U.S. at War • U.S. Military Personnel (Active) • 1918 2,897,167 • 1940 458,365 • 1941 1,801,101 • 1942 3,858,791 • 1943 9,044,745 • 1944 11,451,719 • 1945 12,123,455 • 1946 3,030,088

4. Casualty Comparison Between Wars War Deaths Wounded 116,516 405,399 33,746 58,151 204,002 670,846 103,284 153,303 World War I World War II Korean War Vietnam War

5. Arsenal of Democracy In 1941 FDR called upon American industries to build 50,000 aircraft per year. U.S. Aircraft Production in WWII • : 47,000 • : 86,000 • : 103,000 War Production: 1941-1945

6. United States and Great Britain “Now that we are, as you say, ‘in the same boat,’ would it not be wise for us to have another conference…the sooner the better”.-Winston Churchill to President Roosevelt two days after attack on Pearl Harbor • Meetings between Churchill and Roosevelt helped decide that the first attack of the Allied powers would be against Hitler • Battle of the Atlantic • Hitler tried to prevent the exchange of food and war materials from the U.S. to Great Britain and the Soviet Union. • Seven months into this, 681 allied ships had been destroyed • Cargo ships were organized into convoys and escorted by destroyers and airplanes

7. Turning Points in the Eastern Front and Mediterranean

8. Battle of Stalingrad • Soviet Union had been occupied by Germans since1941. • The Germans mainly focused on Soviet Oil Fields and the major industrial center Stalingrad. • Such harsh battle on part of Germans left Soviets willing to surrender • Soviet leaders recommended blowing up the city themselves after evacuating • Stalin decided to press on • Fighting paid off for Soviets: the return of harsh winter weather drove Germans into the ground… Soviets were able to move west toward Germany.

9. North African Front North Africa was controlled by Axis powers during the same time that the battle of Stalingrad was happening. The Allied powers decided to invade Northern Africa instead of reinforcing the eastern front – this greatly angered the Soviets. Eisenhower lead Operation Torch to invade North Africa. Months of heavy fighting led to the end of resistance. Further Turning Points

12. Life as a soldier… • Fox Holes were intended for soldier to have protection from firing during battle. • Also used for sleeping and resting

16. SC 270589 - American soldiers of Company G, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2d Infantry Division, U.S. First Army, take refuge in doorways during mortar barrage laid down by Germans after Yanks seized one of their forest strongholds camouflaged as a two-story residence. 165th Signal Company photograph by Pfc. James F. Clancy, 16 December 1944.

20. Italian Campaign Roosevelt, Churchill and other commanders met to discuss the acceptable surrender of the Axis powers: The Axis powers must surrender to whatever peace terms the Allies dictated Churchill suggested to first attack Italy Capture of Sicily in 1943: led to resignation of Mussolini Hitler moved into Italy to deter the Allies from moving onto German soil- 40 Miles from Rome “Bloody Anzio” lasted 4 months and left 25,000 Allied soldiers and 30,000 Axis soldiers dead Strong German resistance! Further Turning Points

21. WWII Europe and Africa

22. 92nd Infantry Division- Buffaloes In six months won over 230 awards and merits Mexican Americans- Company E of the 141st Regiment, 36th Division Became one of the most decorated divisions of the war Japanese Americans- 100th Battalion Witnessed brutal combat and became the Purple Heart Battalion Later Merged with the all-Nisei 442nd Regimental Combat Team Tuskegee Airmen None of the bombers they escorted was lost to enemy fighters, they destroyed 251 enemy aircraft and won more than 850 medals. New Heroes in Combat…

23. Letter"Myself and eight other Negro soldiers were on our way from Camp Claiborne, La., to the hospital here at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. ...We could not purchase a cup of coffee at any of the lunchrooms around there... As you know, Old Man Jim Crow rules. But that's not all; 11:30 a.m. about two dozen German prisoners of war, with two American guards, came to the station. They entered the lunchroom, sat at the tables, had their meals served, talked, smoked, in fact had quite a swell time. I stood on the outside looking on... Are we not American soldiers, sworn to fight for and die if need be for this our country?“ Life as an African-American Soldier

24. Navajo Code Talkers • The Navajo language is actually very complex and since it is an unwritten language nearly undecipherable. • Because of the various dialects and complex syntax and tonal qualities, without proper training it was impossible to understand. • 200 Navajo men were recruited to serve as code talkers in the U.S. Marines encoding messages. • Their ability to send critic information between American troops without the enemy translating them, is largely attributed to the U.S. victory in the Pacific.

25. After many years of very valuable service, the Code Talkers were recognized in the late 1960’s. http://www.history.navy.mil/faqs/faq61-4.htm

26. Life of a Soldier

28. "A year ago today I was sweating out shells on Anzio Beachhead -- today I am sitting in Hitler’s luxuriously furnished apartment in Munich writing a few lines home. -- What a contrast. -- A still greater contrast is that between his quarters here and the living hell of DACHAU concentration camp only 10 miles from here. -- I had the misfortune of seeing the camp yesterday and I still find it hard to believe what my eyes told me..." Evers took time to write home while he and his men were setting up a command post in Munich. Finding themselves in the apartment of Adolph Hitler, they discovered some sheets of Hitler's personal stationery. Evers wrote home on this stationery, gold-embossed with an eagle, swastika, and Hitler's name at the top. Letter from a Soldier

30. Who was Tokyo Rose? • http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5140/ http://www.earthstation1.com/Orphan_Ann/A_Love_Note_to_Tokyo_Rose.wav

31. Now for a little trivia!!! • What was the name of the German propaganda broadcaster? • Berlin Barbie • Berlin Betty • Wartburg Wilma • Frankfurt Fannie

32. Breakfast K Ration canned meat product (ham and egg) biscuits (K1 and K2) compressed cereal bar soluble coffee fruit bar gum sugar tablets four cigarettes water-purification tablets can opener toilet paper spoon Dinner K Ration canned cheese product biscuits (K1 and K2) candy bar gum beverage powders granulated sugar salt tablets cigarettes matches can opener spoon Supper K Ration canned meat product (ham and egg) biscuits (k1 and K2) bouillon powder confections and gum soluble coffee granulated sugar cigarettes can opener spoon Life of a Soldier

33. The Aircrew Lunch contained a selection of small loose candies, candy bars, and gum packaged in a two-compartment box with sliding sleeve. Aircrew Rations

35. Commanding General of the Allied Powers in the European theatre of Operations. Responsible for planning and ordering the D-Day invasion. Elected to president in 1951. http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/dl/dday/orderofthedayaudio.html http://www.eisenhower.archives.gov/ssa.htm General Eisenhower - “Iron Ike”

36. More Trivia!!! • General Patton’s dog was named… • Charlie • Willie • Franklin • Montgomery • What was the code name for General Eisenhower’s staff for his retreat outside London? • Da de da • Tweedle de dum • London Bridge • Little Camp David

37. What did Hedy Lamarr, the movie actress do to help the war effort? She co-invented a torpedo guidance system that was approved but not used. Sold the most war bonds. Spent more time entertaining troops than Bob Hope. Made more war movies than any other actress. What would WWII be without John Wayne? How many WWII movies did he star in between 1942 and 1966? 14 17 25 30 Even more trivia!!!

38. http://www.turtletrader.com/patton.html Often lead from the front lines. "slapping incident" he slapped and verbally abused two privates in a field hospital who he thought were exhibiting cowardly behavior. The soldiers were suffering from "shell-shock," and had no visible wounds. Eisenhower needed him as the invasion of France neared and reinstated him. He and his forced fought brilliantly in France and Germany. He became angered when he discovered the conditions in the concentration camps – he forced the civilians in the surrounding areas to march through the camps. General Patton • Commander of ground forces in the Allied invasion of North Africa. • He was a flamboyant military genius.

39. D-Day • “Operation Overlord”- a plan to invade France and free Western Europe • Allies gathered a force of 3 million troops to invade Normandy Beach • Dummy D-Day - a phantom army was set up to throw off German interference and fooled them into believing the attack would talk place in the French port Calais- 150 miles away from the actual attack. • D-Day: June 6, 1944 began the largest land-sea-air operation • Although plan of surprise worked- German retaliation was brutal.

41. Gaining Ground and Liberating • Despite large amount of casualties- Allies were able to hold the beachheads. • Within a month 567,000 tons of supplies 1,000,000 troops, 170,000 vehicles had been brought in. • General George Patton and his 3rd Army was able to advance into the French capital and was liberated from a 4 year occupation. • By September 1944, France, Belgium and Luxembourg had been freed.

44. Battle of the Bulge • America moves on to Germany • 1st German town to be captured: Aachen • In hope to gain back German territory by breaking through weak Allied supply lines Hitler sent tanks 60 miles into Allied territory creating a “bulge” in the lines • American troops who were captured were collectively shot with machine guns • After battling for a month with great loss, Germans had no choice but to retreat

45. April 25, 1945- Soviet Army had stormed Berlin Hitler prepared for the end He married his longtime companion Wrote his last address to the German people: He blamed the Jews for starting the war and his generals for losing it Shot himself as his wife poisoned herself As ordered previous to his death- Their bodies were burned Under these circumstances, the surrender was unconditional and was accepted by Roosevelt on May 8, 1945 Unconditional Surrender: VE-Day

46. Death Camp Liberation • Allied troops are moving east into Germany and Soviets are moving west across Poland into Berlin • July 1944- Soviet Troops were the first to come across the Nazi death camps • A thousand starving prisoners • World’s largest crematorium • Storehouse with 800,000 shoes

47. Unimaginable Discovery

48. The dead bodies of those that had not survived the camp lay in piles. After witnessing the horror of the death camps, a shaken Eisenhower vowed: “I want every American unit not actually in the front lines to see this place. We are told that the American soldier does not know what he is fighting for. Now, at least, he will know what he is fighting against.” American Reaction…