Notes

1. Stalingrad, Eastern front, Soviet Victory 2. Midway, Pacific Ocean, American Victory 3. D-day, Western front, Allied Victory 4.Battle of the Bulge, Western Front, Allied Victory
 * Soviets-1,000,500 men, 1115 planes, 900 tanks
 * Germans-1,011,500 men, 1,216 planes ,700 tanks
 * Germans could not use pincer movement to surround city or use tanks because of river
 * Zhukov used this to his advantage- close combat fighting, hug the enemy, stay within a street of Germans
 * Germans attacked Stalingrad because of "Stalin". The real objective was to capture the oil-rich Caucasus to replenish dwindling fuel for the Panzer and later the Tiger tank.
 * U.S.S Enterprise joined by U.S.S Yorktown, six cruisers and nine destroyers.
 * Yamamoto did not realize tactical importance of aircraft carriers: used them as support for the battleship.
 * American forces knew about Yamamoto's plan- thus they would not be lured away from main battle.
 * Fierce naval battle: Americans had upper hand from the beginning. Japanese dive-bombers unable to score major hits.
 * Japanese flagship "Akagi" hit by American bombers. Hit torpedoes and fire soon spread to fuel- ship doomed from that point on.
 * "Kaga" and "Soryu" suffered same fate. Only three bombs hit "Soryu" but damage was severe.
 * Within 5 minutes Japan lost half of it's carriers crewed by "the Elite". Japan never fully recovered.
 * With it's dying breath, the "Hiryu" scored a hit on the "Yorktown". A Japanese sub eventually struck the death blow to the "Yorktown" and the ship sunk at 6:00 on June 7th.
 * Arguably most important victory in WWII. Largest amphibious landing operation in history.
 * Allies landed on Gold, Juno, Sword, Utah, Omaha. Had German forces thinking invasion would come near Calais or Dunkirk. Allied paratroopers landed south, near Cherbourg.
 * British seize, intact,Pegasus bridge near the city of Benouville. First Allied casualty suffered here- Lieutenant Danny Brotheridge of the 6th Airborne Division.
 * American 82nd Airborne landed in St. Mere-Eglise. the town was eventually taken at heavy cost. today there is an effigy of Private John Steele, hanging by a parachute on the church steeple
 * [|Saint Mere-Eglise]
 * German Counterattack, Ardennes- heavily wooded
 * Southern Belgium. Luxembourg, and Germany. Germans take Monschau and Trier
 * Axis try to split American and British, captured much-needed supplies, achieve negotiated peace with Allies
 * Largest and costliest battle fought on American side in WWII. American troops inexperienced and taken by surprise
 * Very successful at first- stalled in December 1944
 * American: 89,500 (19,000 killed, 47,500 wounded, 23,000 captured POWs or missing)
 * German: 67,200 to 100,000 killed, wounded and prisoners of war/missing
 * British: 1,400 (200 killed, 1,200 wounded or POWs/missing)