World War II Chronicles: Recent Episodes
Radio America
World War II Chronicles is a weekly look back to 'This Week in World War II, 75 Years Ago.' Originally produced in coordination with the National Archives to mark the 50th anniversary of the war, World War II Chronicles features original newsreel reports and archival footage to tell the story as it happened, week by week. Hosted by famed World War II newsreel anchor Ed Herlihy, World War II Chronicles is produced by the American Veterans Center.
General Douglas MacArthur aboard his military ship, the USS Missouri sits down the Japanese in Tokyo Bay as they sign the surrender. He later goes on to give a speech that is based on the idea that the future is now filled with hope and that people can live in peace.
President Truman put out an announcement that the United States had officially received the unconditional surrender of Japan. As many people throughout the world celebrated that WWII was over, the Japanese Emperor spoke out for the first time about their tragic loss.
By the beginning of August The Big Three had settled on what would happen to Japan if they did not head President Trumans warning and surrender. After the Japanese did not stand down, two atomic bombs were dropped killing a devastating number of Japanese people.
At this point in time, General Douglas MacArthur was still leading U.S. forces against the Japanese empire. He was successful in his advances and was able to establish territory several miles long on a beachhead.
On the week of July 24th, 1945 Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, and President Truman meet along with several other affiliates to discuss political issues. Because all three of these men were seen as having some of the greatest power in the world at the time the meeting became known as the Big Three Conference.
In mid July, 1945 people in America weren't worried about the usage of fuel because it wasn't affecting them directly. The Deputy Solid Fuel Administrator for War, C.J. Potter wanted people to realize the affect that fuel consumption had on the military at the time so he put out a broadcast.
By mid July, 1945 the U.S. 10th Army began to move quickly in an attempt to take down the last pocket of the Japanese resistance on the Southern part of the Island. The pace and diligence of the U.S. military scared many soldiers in the Japanese resistance. This lead to many of them committing suicide instead of honorably surrendering.
In Spring of 1945, the detailed horror of what the Nazi's did in Germany and inside the concentration camps was revealed to the public. Before this period many people didn't know the extent of situation. The concentration camps became referred to as "Murder Mills" and even war veterans like General Eisenhower and Patton who saw thousands of deaths said they could barely stomach the site of what had taken place.
By the end of June, 1945 delegates from all over the world had spent weeks drafting and debating over the finalized version of the United Nation Charter. On June 26th, 1945 the last session and signing of the UN Charter was held in San Francisco. President Truman attended the conference and gave a speech where he addressed the positivity that would come from the signing and referred to it as a "great instrument for peace".
After finishing his service as a Supreme Commander in World War II, Dwight D. Eisenhower was given many notable awards and was greeted by millions of people who wanted to show their gratitude for his service. In London millions of people gathered to listen to his address to Parliament and watch as he was granted "Freedom Of The City". When he returned home to the U.S. he was greeted first in the nations capitol where he received the keys to the city and then as he went on to New York City he was greeted by an overwhelming 4 million people.
During June of 1945, U.S. forces were still out fighting Japan but many people on the home front were celebrating the victory over Germany. Millions of people gathered in Southern California to watch the victory parade that was held to honor Generals George S. Patton and James Doolittle. After the parade General Patton when on to give a speech in Boston and General Doolittle prepared to go back into battle to help his country in the fight against Japan.
Operation Pluto was an abbreviation for "Pipeline Under-water Transport of Oil. The pipe which laid under the English Channel was constructed by British engineers to be used as an asset during World War II. The pipelines were meant to deliver a substantial amount of fuel to Europe, specifically during the allied invasion of Normandy.
By the end of May and the beginning of June, 1945 thousands of U.S. soldiers were dead and injured in the battle against Japan. In a final effort to take down the Japanese resistance the U.S. Army and Marine forces teamed up to storm the beach of Okinawa. The Japanese were resilient until U.S. soldiers pushed them south to retreat to the city of Naha. As the battle continued President Truman broadcasted a warning to the Japanese telling them to surrender or face the same consequences as Germany.
By the 27th of May, 1945 the U.S. air craft carrier USS Franklin had been struggling for almost a week to stay afloat after being hit on the 19th by a Japanese dive bomber. The bomb left the ship in pieces and took many American lives. Even with all the damage the USS Franklin and what was left of its brave crewmen returned to the U.S. through the Panama Canal.
While the war in Europe had ended in May of 1945, many American soldier were still out fighting the Japanese at the Battle of Okinawa. At this stage in the battle the Japanese Kamikaze warfare tactics were greatly damaging U.S. carriers and causing many casualties. In efforts to try and stop the Japanese, the U.S. began to attack Japanese air bases on the island.
By the third week in May forty six delegates from around the world were gathered at the San Francisco Conference trying to draw up the United Nations Charter to preserve peace. The nations that were invited to this conference were nations that declared war on Germany and Japan and had subscribed to the United Nations Declaration. A great number of sessions were held through May and June of 1945 before the final draft of the UN Charter was made.
By May of 1945 America and its allied forces had finally won the war in Europe. On may 7th it became official when the German delegation signed the unconditional surrender of all German forces. The following day President Truman broadcasted the announcement and people filled the streets to celebrate the end of the 5 year long war.
On the last weeks of April, 1945 American forces had reached the Elbe River which lied only miles outside of Berlin. Alongside the river Americans ran into the Soviets Red Army who proceeded into the city of Berlin. General Eisenhower held the American Army back and allowed the Soviets to fight the battle of Berlin because he didn't want to suffer thousands of more casualties.
On April 12th, 1945 Harry S. Truman took the oath of office only hours after President Franklin D. Roosevelt's death. The week following President Truman gave a speech in which he stated that he planned to continue his predecessors commitment and the U.S. would continue to fight Germany and Japan.
On the second week of April 1945, President Franklin D. Roosevelt died from a hemorrhagic stroke. President Roosevelt was only several weeks into his fourth term when his physical health took a turn for the worst. Thousands of people including his successor Harry S. Truman gathered in the nationals capital to honor him at his memorial.
By April 8th, 1945 U.S. and allied forces were still battling to take down Nazi Germany. On the Western front U.S. soldiers had 300,000 Nazi's trapped in a geographical pocket in Ruhr Germany. After days of resisting U.S. advances, the 1st and 9th Armies teamed up and successfully split the pocket, leaving the Germans left to crumble.
By April of 1945 the United States had thousands of troops prepared to fight in what would become the largest naval assault in the Pacific War. On the 1st of the month troops landed on the island of Okinawa and met little resistance by the Imperial Japanese Army. The battle of Okinawa would continue for weeks with U.S. troops dominating the Japanese resistance.
In the final stretch to get the entire German resistance to leave the edge of the Rhine river U.S. and British soldiers team up. Together with forces coming at the Germans by air attack and by water the German don't stand a chance and the heart of Germany becomes open to the allied forces.
March of 1945 aircrafts bombings had become a staple weapon of the war. On the week of March 15th aircrafts carriers were given permission to drop the largest bomb ever created in the war to take out enemy targets. The bomb is known as "The Grand Slam" and weighing in at about 10 tons it played a vital role in the fast paced deterioration of the Nazi Germany army.
By March 11th, 1945 the U.S. soldiers had discovered that the only bridge the Nazi's had failed to demolish was the Ludendorff Bridge leading to the town of Remagen. In a race to get to the Germans before they blew up the the last connecting piece of the Shrine river the U.S. soldiers immediately began a full-scale attach on the bridge. Military engineers from the U.S. were able to dismantle most of the bombs the Germans had left on the bridges structure. It didn't take long for the U.S. soldiers to fully secure the bridge and reach the other side.
By March of 1945 the U.S., Canadian, and British forces had done serious damage to the Nazi army. With barely any line of defense left the Nazi's began to retreat across the Rhine. As they crossed the river they attempted to blow up all the bridges. On March 3rd 1945, the U.S. 9th and Canadian 1st officially teamed in a fight along the West bank that would later lead to the Battle of Remagen.
By 1945 the U.S. had been fighting Japanese forces for almost three years over the Philippine Island of Luzon and Corregidor, located in Manila Bay. Both islands were the last allies the U.S. had in the Philippines, so they fought long and hard to capture the territories. After several defeats U.S. soldiers won the battles once and for all the week of February 26th when General Douglas MacArthur had soldiers airborne and seaborne invade the island territories.
On February 19th, of 1945 U.S. Marines made an amphibious landing on the island of Iwo Jima to continue their fight against the Japanese. Although they were well prepared for battle the beach terrain proved to be a great struggle in their capturing of the island.
The Yalta Conference was a meeting where government leaders from the allied nations of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union met up to discuss how Germany and Europe should be organized following the end of WWII.
This week American soldiers along with other allied men who were prisons of war in the Philippines are liberated by U.S. Rangers.
Russias Red Army makes colossal gains on the Eastern front. Hitler and his Nazi Army face many defeats as they seem unprepared for the strength and fast pace progression of Stalins Red Army.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Thomas E. Dewey went neck and neck during the presidential campaign. President Roosevelt came out on top and was sworn into his fourth term as Commander and Chief.
The battle of Luzon was another fight in the Philippines led by General MacArthur. The battle was land based as the Japanese moved inland to use a defensive tactic. General MacArthur went on to win this battle claiming yet another Philippine island from the Japanese.
U.S. forces attacked the islands of Formosa and Ryukyu in their ongoing efforts to take down the Japanese resistance. Two U.S. carrier planes targeted the two bases on the islands that guarded the entrance to the China sea.
The Battle of The Bugle was Hitlers final offense on the Western front against the allies. After many days of fighting the allies won the battle and could make their way through too Berlin.
The Battle for Budapest was a fight by the Soviets Red Army and Romanian army against Hungarian and German forces for the Hungarian Capital of Budapest. The battle lasted more than a month.
In hopes of recapturing the port of Antwerp and splitting the British and U.S. forces, Germany compiled several divisions to move in on the port in the West.
General Douglas MacArthur along with thousands of his soldiers landed on the Philippine island of Leyte to begin another invasion. The U.S. suffered many casualties with this battle becoming one of the bloodiest from the Pacific War.
The Port of Antwerp was the third largest port in Europe. Once the allied forces gained access to the port the difficulties of getting supplies to the front line was greatly decreased.
After the long range B29 bomber was ready to be put to use in the field the U.S. began to use air strikes to attack the Japanese Capital.
The Nazi's last big ship was the Tirpitz and after is was destroyed Germany no longer had a Navy.
While chaos was brewing throughout the world, back in the U.S. the presidential campaign went on. Thomas E. Dewey went head to head with President Franklin D. Roosevelt in one of the closet election of the 1900's.
Nearly two years after leaving the Philippines General Douglas MacArthur fulfilled his promise and returned to the island to continue fighting. When he returned he brought 200,000 soldiers who landed on the island Leyte ready to fight.
To keep the U.S. progression of the war on track General MacArthur had an American task force raid the Peleliu Islands. The fight went on for several days as the Japanese stood their ground with strong counter attacks.
The world is finally hearing of the horrors from the Nazi Death Camps. Rabbis are marching on Capitol Hill pleading for Americans to help the Jews.
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Allied troops pushed out of German soil toward the Siegfried Line. This line is known as the West Wall around the city.
On the eastern coast of the Philippines, the Japanese sent four strike groups attacked U.S. Navy forces protecting MacArthur's troops.
June of 1944 England has been assaulted by the B1 Buzz Bomb. But only did they know, the B2 was coming their way. This bomb was invulnerable to interception. Listen to find out what happened.
June of 1944 England has been assaulted by the V1 Buzz Bomb. But only did they know, the V2 was coming their way. This bomb was invulnerable to interception. Listen to find out what happened.
In 1944, The Battle of Transportation was on the western front. In order to get supplies to the troops, America created The Red Ball Express. 6,000 trucks on August 24th revved towards the combat. Listen to find out what happens.
With the successful invasion of France, it was apparent that the end of the war was in sight. Beginning on August 21, 1944, representatives from the US, USSR, Britain, and later China, met in Washington to discuss a system for preventing another war. Named the Dumbarton Oaks Conference, after the estate in Georgetown where the diplomats met, the Allies agreed to the creation of the United Nations.
By mid-August of 1944, the Allied Armies were thundering towards the Seine River and Paris. Charles de Gaulle, leader of the Free French, convinced General Eisenhower to allow French troops to liberate the city. French Armored Divisions entered Paris on August 25. After more than four years, Paris and France were liberated.
Ten weeks after D-Day on the beaches of Normandy, a mighty new force, poised for a landing in Southern France, assembled in the Mediterranean. Originally intended to take place simultaneously with the Overlord landings, Operation Dragoon began on August 15, 1944.
Since D-Day, the Allied forces had pounded the German Army, through brutal fighting in the Hedgerows of Normandy. But it was not until June 27 that U.S. troops captured the critical port city of Cherbourg.
Following the successful invasion of Saipan, U.S. forces readied themselves for an assault on two other islands in the Marianas in the same week. The site of the first attack was an American territory held by the Japanese since the beginning of the war: Guam.
German officers had plotted numerous attempts to assassinate Adolf Hitler by the summer of 1944. Each time, the bombs had failed to explode. Their final attempt came on July 20, 1944, during a conference at Hitler's field headquarters in East Prussia.
The Roosevelt administration had been reluctant to recognize Charles de Gaulle's provisional government in France. On July 6, 1944, one month after he assumed authority in the liberated areas of France, de Gaulle came to Washington. For the US public, de Gaulle's visit was that of a popular hero.
On June 13, 1944, the German Air Force began launching one of the first guided missiles in history. In Britain, the bomb was commonly known as "the doodlebug" or the "buzz bomb," for the buzzing sound it made as it fell. The only way to combat the buzz bomb was to shoot it out of the sky with anti-aircraft guns or fighter planes.
Congress passed the Serviceman's Readjustment Act in the Spring 1944 to aid veterans transitioning back home. Known as "The G.I. Bill of Rights," President Roosevelt signed it into law on June 22, 1944.
In preparation for invasion, the first bombing raids attacked the Marianas Islands on June 11, 1944. As soon as the bombing began, the Japanese fleet decided to attack the US carrier force, which was protecting the invasion of Saipan. On June 19, Japanese air & naval forces began their attack; it failed miserably. The two-day battle of the Philippine Sea saw a result similar to the Battle of Midway.
In June 1944, the next targets for attack in the US Central Pacific campaign were the Marianas Islands. They were to be a staging area for a future invasion of Japan. Capturing the island of Saipan was the first objective.
As dawn broke on June 6, 1944, the Allied invasion force emerged from the mist along the coast of Normandy. Troops emerged along the mine-filled beaches of Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, and Sword. On Omaha, American casualties were especially heavy.
Since their breakout from the Anzio beaches in Italy, General Mark Clark's forces had been driving east. Instead of continuing in that direction, General Clark chose to move west on June 4, 1944, and enter Rome.
In late April 1944, Gen. Henry "Hap" Arnold was commanding aircraft to make America's Air Force the mightiest in the world. The B-29 Superfortress was designed to be a global bomber, and around it was built an entire new Air Force. The 20th Air Force was enacted to carryout bombing operations specifically against Japan.
The war of attrition in Italy continued during early 1944. After failed frontal assaults, the Allied commanders accepted the wisdom of a flanking movement. North African troops of the French Corps fought their way through seemingly impassable mountains, and by May 17, seized ground near German positions on Monte Cassino. Allied forces staged a breakout at Anzio on May 23.
By the Spring of 1944, the number of Americans in uniform had severely strained the labor force. Millions of housewives, older children, and the elderly took on work, dropping unemployment to 1.2%. Yet there was a demand for even more workers.
The Soviet offensive on the Eastern Front gained moment during the early months of 1944. In March, a sweeping offensive began in the direction of the Odessa-Lviv Railroad. The assault moved so swiftly, that by the end of March the Red Army had invaded Romania. In mid-April, the Soviets had recaptured the port city of Odessa.
The Black Market was just as much a problem on the home front as it was in Europe during WWII. On the home front, it was the take of the Office of Price Administration (OPA) to stamp it out.
During the Spring of 1944, the Japanese - occupying the Dutch East Indies - anticipated an American attack from the east. However, the Japanese had little air cover and little resistance -- but they would hold out until August. Long before then, General MacArthur would prepare for his return to the Philippines.
In early 1944, the sixteen major league baseball teams began spring training. By the time the season began in April, 60% of the starting players in 1941 were in the Armed Forces. With so many players drafted, the league began to fill their teams with teenagers and middle-aged men.
The Japanese offensive on the Burma-India front had reached Kohima and Imphal on April 6, 1944. A quick assemblage of British and Indian troops held out against a Japanese force six times the size, in bitter hand-to-hand combat.
To maintain neutrality during WWII was to court the wrath of belligerents on both sides. Only six nations in Europe remained neutral, and it was constantly tested. In April 1944, the Swiss were outraged when US planes mistakingly bombed a Swiss town.
During March of 1944, Allied Air Forces were engaged in massive dogfights over Axis territory. American pilots consciously attacked special targets to lure the Luftwaffe into battle.
Since American forces landed on the island of Bougainville in November 1943, they protected their newly won air fields which would enable air strikes. By early 1944, advances towards Rabaul became more intense and the Japanese realized they needed to relieve the pressure. They prepared to attack American positions during the first week in March.
Until March 4, 1944, the lack of long-range fighter escort prohibited U.S. participation in bombing raids over Berlin. Over the next week, massive squadrons of bombers swarmed over the German capital. American bombing over Berlin would continue to cripple German forces.
During February 1944, officers under General MacArthur's command were counseling him to launch a reconnaissance attack against the Admiralty Islands. Their occupation would complete the encirclement against the Japanese stronghold at Rabaul. MacArthur ordered an invasion for February 29, 1944.
The Landing Ship Tank, known as the 'LST' served as the backbone of Allied landings in the Pacific and Italy throughout early 1944. The first LST was completed in December of 1942, and these vessels became critical ships in warfare over the next year. They could obtain a remarkable amount of damage and still survive.
The hard fought Italian campaign of 1943 made the town of Cassino a key objective. To crack the German line, the hill of Monte Cassino was ordered to to be taken by Bernard Freyberg and the New Zealand Corps.
Truk in the Caroline islands was known as the "Gibraltar of the Pacific," and was dubbed the perfect island fortress of nature. For years, Truk's air fields were beyond the reach of U.S. planes, but an American air armada was sent on February 16, 1944.
U.S. strategists realized the need for greater air support for their upcoming offensive in the Marshall Islands. American carriers began raiding the communications center of the islands in Kwajalein. On January 31, 1944, U.S. Marines attacked Kwajalein atoll.
Stalemate had prevailed in the China Burma India theater since the Spring of 1942. Both sides prepared to launch offensives in 1944. In Early 1944, a commando unit was formed to be led by the youngest General in the U.S. Armed Forces: Brigadier General Frank Merrill, age 39. His unit was dubbed "Merrill's Marauders."
In Italy during the Fall of 1943, Allied Forces under General Clark had slowly pushed back the German defenders. But by December the Allied advance had stalled. On January 22, 1944, Allied troops stormed ashore at Anzio. Ultimately, the Battle of Anzio would be a stalemate to last for months.
As the war restricted automobile use, many Americans were forced to take public transportation. By December of 1943, railroads were carrying nearly two million people per month, many of which included military personnel. Threatened by a railroad strike, President Roosevelt ordered the War Department to take control of the railroads. By January 14, Railroad workers accepted terms with the government and returned to work.
Members of the U.S. Armed Forces dined on either garrison or field rations. Field rations were identified by letters including a, b, c, d, and k rations. The C & K rations were the most widely distributed. K rations were initially adopted for airborne units but were soon used by all forward units in emergency.
By December 1943, General MacArthur was prepared to launch the final phase of Operation Cartwheel, the landings on the Island of New Britain. U.S. troops landing in mid-December 1943 were met with little resistance. On December 26, U.S. Marines landed unopposed at Cape Gloucester.
As the Soviet offensive rolled onward, the Russians were aided by Anglo-American merchant convoys. Each convoy faced its own challenges -- including weather conditions and the possibility of Germany ambush. But by 1943, convoys to Russia were achieving greater success.
Soon after entering the war, the United States began flying bombing missions over Germany without fighter protection. U.S. policy called for providing air protection -- for each other. A long-range fighter to escort the bombers on their missions was needed. The solution was the P-51 Mustang Fighter.
Command of the cross-channel invasion known as 'Operation Overlord' was the most coveted command in the war. The decision of who to lead the force would be decided by President Roosevelt. On December 24, Dwight D. Eisenhower was named Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in Europe.
The historic first meeting for the "Big Three" -- Franklin D. Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin -- met in Tehran, Iran on November 28, 1943. The three pledged the destruction of the German forces, and the decision to invade France across the channel became irreversible.
In August 1943, Japan began to strategically use its fortress islands to protect the mainland from being attacked. The Gilbert Islands were vital in this defense, and they were the U.S. Marines' next target in November 1943.
Since August 1940, Berlin had been the target of sporadic Allied bombing attacks. But in November 1943, RAF Chief Arthur Harris sought approval from Churchill to make the bombing of Berlin a priority, and prove the value of his strategic bombing campaign. Known as the Battle of Berlin, the third RAF campaign of the war started on November 13.
The United Nations established the Relief and Rehabilitation Administration on November 10, 1943, to help refugees displaced from the war across Europe. Known as UNRA, the organization provided food, shelter, clothing, and medical aid to displaced persons.
Following the successful conquest of New Britain in the Solomon Islands, U.S. Forces refocused its next mission on the island of Bougainville. The island was defended by more than 40,000 Japanese, but possession of an airbase there would allow U.S. forces to counter the Japanese air base at Rabaul. U.S. Marines made a surprise landing at Bougainville on November 1, 1943, encountering little resistance.
Since the Soviet counteroffensive launched in August 1943, the Red Army had advanced like a steamroller. The Army broke through German defenses, as a Black Sea naval base fell back into the hands of the Soviets. At the end of October, Russian troops closed in and captured the Ukrainian capital of Kiev.
Selective Service, or "The Draft" as it became known, registered men age 18-37. By September 1943, in order to meet the needs of the Armed Forces, the U.S. was in danger of having to draft men over 40. The shortage was a result of reluctance to draft fathers. Congress instituted the "Daddy Draft" in October of 1943.
The war had radically altered the lifestyles of teenagers in America by the Fall of 1943. Parents were often out of the house, as fathers went off to war and mothers went to work. Some of American youth contributed to the workforce, while others misbehaved, leading to the development of community service youth programs to curb such behavior.
The power of radio was at its zenith during World War II. By 1943, over 900 radio stations were broadcasting to 30 million homes. Networks began to develop into worldwide news organizations, and radio became crucial in building morale at home.
In 1943, American submarines at last began to achieve major successes in the Pacific. In the Pacific Theater, U.S. submarines sank almost 1,300 ships, representing over five million tons of cargo -- an astounding achievement considering the submarine force consisted of less than 2% of the U.S. Navy's personnel.
In the Fall of 1943, the American home front was awash in money. On September 8th, the third war loan drive was launched to help absorb excess wages and pay the enormous costs of war.
After the U.S. entered the war, more than 100,000 Japanese Americans were rounded up and detained in internment camps. In early 1943, some Japanese Americans were allowed to serve in the Armed Forces. Consequently, thousands of Nisei - second generation Japanese Americans - volunteered to serve. More than 17,000 Japanese Americans fought for the U.S. in World War II. Among them, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team became the most decorated military unit in U.S. history.
The Allied command planned to invade the Italian mainland in two phases. The first step was an attack across the Straights of Messina on September 3, 1943. The hope was that this attack would divert attention away from a second, larger landing. On September 9, a second landing occurred at Salerno.
The Italian government began to negotiate an armistice with the Allies in the middle of August 1943. On September 3, Italian General Castellano signed the Italian surrender in Sicily. The surrender was kept secret until September 8, when Italian General Pietro Badoglio announced the armistice to the Italian people. The text was also announced in the United States. German reaction was immediate, devastating, and brutal.
No one on the American home front benefited more from the wartime economy than the farmer. Total farm income increased 250 percent, despite the loss of some 800,000 workers. The Lend-Lease Act sent great quantities of food overseas, and the government subsidy Parity brought agricultural prices into balance with industrial prices. These factors helped account for the farming boom.
During an intensive series of operations in late July 1943, the Americans lost 88 bombers. Despite these losses, the Eighth Air Force undertook its most ambitious mission to date on August 17, 1943 - the anniversary of its first bombing mission over Europe. B-17s took off for a factory at Regensburg and the ball bearing plant at Schweinfurt, to inflict damage on Germany's production line.
The discovery of preserving blood plasma was vital to the development of military medicine. Plasma could now be freeze-dried and sent to field hospitals and medics. Throughout the war, civilians were asked to donate blood to blood banks for soldiers' use at the front.
At dawn on August 1, 1943, 179 B-24 Liberators thundered away from bases in North Africa, headed for a sacred target across the Mediterranean. It was a daylight bombing of the oil refineries in Ploiești, Romania - one of the most daring raids of the war. The raid was a total disaster. The oil refineries, though badly hit, were still in operation, and still producing oil when Russian Armies rolled over them in August 1944.
Mussolini and Hitler met on July 19, 1943 - nine days after the Allies invaded Sicily. At their meeting in Northern Italy, Mussolini was unwilling to admit that Italy would not be in the war much longer. As the meeting came to a close, it was announced that the Allies were bombing Rome.
During the Summer of 1943, with U.S. planes raiding Germany during the day, the Royal Air Force continued their carpet bombing at night. On July 24, 791 RAF planes struck at Hamburg -- Germany's second largest city and Europe's second largest port. For six straight days, Hamburg was attacked by Allied bombs. The raids resulted in the first ever firestorm. Almost three quarters of the city was destroyed, and over 40,000 people died in the blazes.
As a follow-up to victory in North Africa, the Allies began an attack on Hitler's "Fortress Europe." On July 10, 1943 the landings at Sicily with more than 150,000 Allied troops met little opposition. On land, the operation progressed well as General Patton's 7th Army pushed towards Palermo, and General Montgomery's 8th Army battled up the island's east coast. The conquest of Sicily was accomplished in 38 days, paving the way for an invasion of the Italian mainland.
By the Spring of 1943, Hitler failed to comprehend Germany's inability to match the Soviets' in replacing men and materials. Instead, he planned an offensive to destroy a Soviet bulge within the German lines in the town of Kursk. The attack launched by the Germans on July 5, 1943 became the largest tank battle in history.
In late Spring 1943, General MacArthur and Admiral Halsey prepared to resume their counteroffensive in the Pacific, with a two pronged drive aimed at Rabaul -- codenamed Operation Cartwheel. On the night of June 29 6,000 Marines left Guadalcanal and landed on the beaches of Rendova and New Georgia islands. On August 5, 1943 the Japanese were driven from their last positions near airbases at Munda. Halsey was now positioned to attack the island of Bougainville.
During the summer of 1943, racial clashes broke out in several cities throughout the United States, including Beaumont, TX, Mobile, AL and Los Angeles. The worst of the wartime race riots occurred on June 20 in Detroit, MI. The nation's fourth largest city during the war, Detroit was overcrowded and tense, and the governor order martial law. So many race riots erupted during the war, that in October of 1943, the American Civil Liberties Union published a pamphlet detailing how to prevent race riots in your hometown.
Despite the bravery of black troops in the First World War, the U.S. Armed Forces were reluctant to admit African-Americans at the start of World War II. Under increasing public pressure, the Army Air Corps set up a training center for Black Americans in Tuskegee, Alabama. In April of 1943, the first class to graduate from the Tuskegee Institute were designated the 99th Pursuit Squadron in North Africa. Due to segregation within the Armed service, the squadron was all-black, but the bomber groups they escorted were not. The Tuskegee Airmen achieved distinction in the aerial assault of the Italian island at Pantelleria, and would live on as trailblazing legends in American history.
In the Mediterranean, Allied bombers were holding Italian islands and Italy itself under constant attack to ensure clear shipping lanes for the invasion of Sicily. Assaulting the island of Pantelleria was the first step. In the years prior to war, the Italians had labored to heavily fortify the island. On June 1, 1943, Allies began around the clock bombing of Pantelleria. The raid slowly intensified until June 11.
In addition to the 16 million Americans who left home for military service during World War II, another 15 million changed their residence. Most people moved for new jobs in war plants. As a result of the population movement, 'boomtowns' appeared throughout the nation, and with them came slums. In Washington, DC, the population grew from 900,000 in 1940 to almost 1.3 million by the summer of 1943.
During the Battle of Midway in June 1942, the Japanese had captured Attu and Kiska in the Alaskan Aleutian islands. Due to the terrible combat conditions in Alaksa, an American assault on the outposts could not be accomplished until May 1943. Until then, U.S. bombers shelled the islands in preparation for an invasion. On May 11, with overwhelming superiority in air, sea, and ground forces, American troops landed on Attu. For 18 days, U.S. forces faced some of the fiercest counterattacks of the war. Finally, on May 31 the island was secured.
In the Spring of 1943, the German U-boat service was coming close to winning the war on its own. The German submarine campaign proved a vital threat to the Allies. Suddenly, German submarine losses began to climb, and Allied shipping casualties dropped during the first weeks in May. With new tactics and technology, the Allies turned the tide in the Battle of the Atlantic.
On May 17, 1943, the crew of a B-17 named the "Memphis Belle" flew a mission over German-occupied Europe. With the raid on Wilhelmshaven, they become the first American crew to complete the required 25 missions with the crew intact. Their days in Britain became the focus of a 1944 documentary, with the raid on Wilhelmshaven as the featured event. After completing its tour of duty, the crew flew the plane back to the United States to participate in a morale building tour on behalf of the war bonds effort.
On the heels of the Allied victory in Tunisia, British Prime Minister arrived in Washington on May 12, 1943 for a meeting with President Roosevelt known as the Trident Conference. The Allies' position in the war had changed dramatically since Churchill had visited Washington in December of 1941. He made reference to the Allies' long struggle in an address to a joint session of Congress during his visit. The relationship between the Allies had altered significantly, and the US became the leading partner.
In Tunisia, the Allies had severely weaked the Axis in series of battles since February 26, 1943. By the last week in March, they were preparing for the final offensive. On April 7, U.S. forces in the in east and the British Eight Army in the west coverged to form an unbroken line of Allied forces. The Americans captured Bizerte on May 7, and by May 13 had achieved victory in North Africa.
Following the invasion of Poland in 1939, Jews living in Warsaw were forced into a walled ghetto. By July 1942, thousands were being deported to the Treblinka death camp. When the tragic news reached the Warsaw ghetto, the remaining Jews revolted. On April 19, 1943, SS troops were ordered to put down the Warsaw ghetto resistance. After four days of fighting, the entire area was destroyed, but the resistance continued for almost a month. It was May 16th before the Germans could announce that the Warsaw ghetto was no longer in existence. Though thousands of Jews had been killed, many had escaped to carry on the resistance.
After the retreat from Guadalcanal, Japanese commander Admiral Yamamoto -- the chief architect of the attack on Pearl Harbor -- sought to shore up his defenses. He staged a massive series of air strikes at Guadalcanal and New Guinea. Yamamoto mistakingly believed these raids to be successful. However, in early April 1943, U.S. intelligence intercepted information regarding Yamamoto's itinerary. On April 18, a squadron of P-38s intercepted Yamamoto's plane in the South Pacific. In additional to losing their greatest military strategist, Japanese morale suffered terribly when the announcement was finally made in May.
During the Spring of 1943, tensions between the Soviet Union and the Western Allies were easening. However, recent news about the disappearance of Polish soldiers in the USSR did not work to smooth this alliance. In what came to be known as the Katyn Massacre, the bodies of thousands of Polish soldiers who had been shot in the head were found in eight communal graves in the Katyn Forest. Medical evidence proved that the Poles had been killed in 1940 by the Soviets. However, the truth was not revealed for almost fifty years.
The relationship between labor and business was key to the American war effort. Yet despite patriotic efforts to maintain work, strikes continued. By 1943, workers resorted to the picket line again. Coal Miners caused most of the labor troubles in 1943. In late April, 3,000 coal mines were closed across the country, and the government eventually seized the mines.
Yugoslavia had ostensbily surrendered to Germany in April 1941. However, two years later, a Yugoslavian resistance was being led by a partisan who went by the name of "Tito." He soon received help from both the Soviets and the Western Allies. In Spring 1943, British and American supplied were flown in to aid the Yugoslav guerillas and contribute to the Yugoslavian resistance.
The ever-increasing number of German U-boats in the Atlantic were taking their toll on Allied forces. Since the U.S. had entered the war, Allied shipping losses in the Atlantic continued to grow. By the end of March, the Allies had lost over 80 vessels. The struggle wore on as more U-boats entered the Atlantic everyday.
Since March 1941, President Roosevelt had the power to sell, transport, exchange, lease, or lend military equipment, known as the Lend-Lease Act. By February of 1943, the United States had committed $10 billion in aid to nations fighting the Axis Powers. During the Second World War, 44 nations receieved Lend-Lease aid, totaling more than $50 billion. Following the war, Lend-Lease evolved into foreign aid, and eventually the Marshall Plan to help nations rebuild after the war.
In the Spring of 1943, Germany was subject to around the clock bombing raids from American planes by day, and RAF squadrons by night. On March 5 and 6, Allied bombers launched their first air offensive called The Battle of the Ruhr.
Following the defeats at Guadalcanal and Papua, the Japanese realized they were on the defensive, and needed reinforcements to reestablish their momentum. On February 28, 1948, a Japanese troop convoy of 18 ships left for New Guinea. However, in the Battle of the Bismarck Sea, American airpower eliminated the convoy entirely.
Americans had seen little fighting on the battlefield after the North African invasion. That all changed on Valentine's Day of 1943, when the first skirmish between American and German forces in World War II broke out.
For more than four months, the Marines had battled the Japanese on the island of Guadalcanal. But in December, the Marines began to receive relief from US Army forces. On January 10, 1943, the US launched a major drive westward to push Japanese forces off the island. By the week of February 8, after Japanese efforts to evacuate, US forces found only abandoned ships at the most western point of the island.
Encircled in a ring of Soviet troops, 284,000 soldiers of the German Sixth Army were ill and exhausted, under constant attack from the Russians. After a request to surrender was denied, the Sixth Army continued to disentegrate. On January 31, the Germans surrendered to the Soviets. The Red Army had taken a total of 91,000 prisoners since January 10th. For the Red Army, Stalingrad was their first stop on their road to Berlin.
On January 14, 1943, President Roosevelt and Prime Minister Churchill met at Casablanca in Morocco in the first of a series of wartime summits. It marked the first time a sitting President left the United States in a time of war. The Allies agreed that an invasion of Sicily would be the next operation in the European Theater, in addition to strategic bombing missions. On January 24, Roosevelt announced the Allied policy of unconditional surrender.
On the Island of New Guinea in the South Pacific, the Allies counterattacked Japanese forces. The battle along the island's north coast proved challenging. Reinforced with tanks and artillery, the Allies eventually began making headway.
Since September 1941, Leningrad had been under siege. However, by the following year, the Soviets were turning the tide of the war, and launched a counter-offensive to retake Leningrad. On January 12, more than 4,500 guns opened up on the Germans. On January 18, the siege had been broken. The Red Army successfully regained the city by the end of January.
At the end of 1942, the British offensive in Burma was routed by a Japanese counterattack over seeming impassable mountains. It became clear that the Allies would need to adopt guerilla tactics, which led to the creation of the 77th Indian Infantry Brigade. Nicknamed the "Chindits" in honor of a Burmese animal which symbolized protection, the unit was effective in ambushing Japanese outposts and destroying communications.
On December 31, an Allied convoy bound for Russia was intercepted by a fleet of large Nazi warships. Over a three hour period, the British destroyer escort fought with the Germans. The conflict came to be known as the Battle of the Barents Sea, and the German Navy had been routed.
To help finance the enormous cost of the Second World War, the federal government began to sell loans to private citizens and corporations known as "war bonds." In December 1942, the Department of Treasury launched the first War Loan Drive.
With each passing month of war, rationing became more of a necessity. After rubber and gasoline were rationed, the next item was shoes. Coffee and butter were also in short supply during the winter of 1942-1943.
The majority of fighting against Japan was conducted on tropical islands, such as Guadalcanal or the Solomon islands. On some of these islands, Malaria was the most common cause of death or illness, proving to be another challenge for Allied Forces to overcome.
The year of 1942 saw the race for the atomic bomb between the Allied and Axis powers. Throughout the year, as scientists gathered throughout the country, the possibility of the bomb moved closer to becoming a reality.
On November 19, a Soviet counteroffensive was being launched to the north of the city of Stalingrad. The following day, the Red army attacked to the south of Stalingrad. Within a week, the German Sixth army was in danger of being cut off.
On November 15, 1942, in a naval battle off the coast of the Solomon Islands, the USS Juneau was one of two cruisers attacked. On board Juneau were the Sullivan brothers, five brothers who joined the Navy to avenge the death of a childhood friend at Pearl Harbor. It was the first time since the Civil War that a single family suffered such a great loss.
In the fall of 1942, the Japanese managed to bring only a trickle of supplies and men to the island of Guadalcanal. To achieve a decisive victory in the battle, the Japanese sent enough reinforcements to outnumber the Americans. However, American radar installations detected the Japanese advances.
On November 8, 1942, the greatest amphibious operation to date, Operation Torch, commenced. 60,000 troops advanced in an effort to liberate Nazi and Vichy French controlled North Africa.
By mid-October, General Bernard Montgomery had amassed an enormous superiority in North Africa. The British 8th Army prepared for the next round in the Battle for Egypt.
World War I Flying Ace Eddie Richenbacher was asked to examine aircraft in 1942, when on an inspection trip in the South Pacific, his plane lost navigational capabilities. Running out of fuel, the B-17 crash landed on October 21. He would spend almost two weeks at sea, until the brutal conditions took their toll.
During World War II, few Americans were allowed to travel outside of the States if they were not engaged in government business. However on August 20, 1942, Wendle Wilke was announced to be President Roosevelt's Goodwill Ambassador and embarked on a World Tour. He returned home on October 13, reporting to the President the state of global affairs during the war.
Five weeks after the Battle for Bloody Ridge on Guadalcanal in the South Pacific, the Marines defeated an all-out offensive launched by the Japanese. By November, the war had become one of attrition.
During 1942, in an effort to conserve rubber, the Office of Price Administration had instituted gas rationing, or mileage rationing as it was officially called. This was part of the greater effort on the home front to contribute to the global war that was consuming the lives of Americans.
All Americans participated in total war as a wartime economy took over the United States home front. Supplies of oil, tin, and rubber were cut off, while the rationing of other good such as aluminum took place. By the fall of 1942, scrap & salvage drives had become a patriotic duty.
On September 15, 1942, German ground forces began what was meant to be their final assault on the Soviet city of Stalingrad. But Soviet troops held tenaciously. On September 22, German troops reached the center of Stalingrad -- but the Russians refused to surrender.
Labor Day in 1942 was no day of rest, as most war plants were churning out production 24 hours a day. The War Production Board was considering an extended work week to meet wartime production demands.
Since their defeat at the Battle of the Coral Sea, the Japanese regrouped in their efforts to invade Australia. Heavy fighting progressed in New Guinea as the Japanese sent in reinforcements towards the Allied base. It would be some time before the Allies finally moved towards a counterattack.
On August 23 1942, a massive Japanese invasion fleet was dispatched to the island of Guadalcanal in response to American landings earlier than month. The Battle of the Eastern Solomon Islands began the following day.
On August 19, 1942, assault troops from Canada, Britain, and America made the first amphibious landing of the war in Europe. Their mission, a raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe. However, German defenses proved formidable.
General Carl Spatz was an early advocate of the use of bombers. He was appointed to command US air forces in Europe in July of 1942. On August 17, 1942, the first All-American bombing raid over Europe commenced, carried out by the US 8th Air Force in B-17 bombers.
After the Battle of Midway, the United States Navy felt prepared to launch their first offensive attack in the Pacific. On August 7th, 1942, US Marines hit the beaches of three of the Solomon Islands: Guadalcanal, Florida, and Tulagi Islands. In 24 hours, nearly 18,000 US troops had landed, taking the Japanese completely by surprise.
The United States was fearful of Axis terrorism, which the government and citizens alike feared could "disrupt our industries, destroy our morale, and damage the impact of our fighting armies." There came a close call when German spies landed in U-Boats on Long Island, but their leader, George Dasch, turned himself and his fellow spies in. However, Americans remained wary of more attacks on the home front.
Perhaps the most difficult commodity that become subject to rationing was meat. Beef became quite scarce in American homes, and alternatives such as horse, rabbit, and muskrat meat were used. Americans were even encouraged to cook meatless meals.
By 1942, Japan had conquered nearly all of Burma, through which China had been receiving supplies from the United States. To keep China in the war, the US used air transport to supply China. At first, the flight was dubbed the "Aluminum Trail," due to the 400+ downed planes that littered the path.
One third of the Hollywood—about 7,000 individuals—joined the US military to aid in the war effort. Some of the biggest names to enlist included Jimmy Stewart and Clark Gable. Most of this workforce was dedicated to making war films.
When the Nazis attacked the Soviet city of Kursk, they intended to cut off the Soviet Union's economic supply lines rather than its army. However, the Soviets lost less men than the Nazis anticipated, and the culmination of this battle led to a turning point in the war on the Eastern Front.
As early as May 1942, Erwin Rommel's Africa Corps rolled onto the offensive, defeating the British in the Battle of the Cauldron. Rommel's troops went on to take Tobruk in Libya, an act so impressive that Rommel was promoted to Field Marshal. Unsatisfied, Rommel continued to Egypt, where the Axis overtook the seaport Mersa Matruh
On June 18, 1942, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt met in Washington, DC, to discuss the possibility of opening a second front for the war in Europe, although what a second front constituted remained under debate. At this meeting, the then-little-known General Dwight D. Eisenhower became the the commander of the Allied forces in Europe.
On June 16th, 1942, President Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Office of War Information to fight the propaganda war on the home front and the war front. The OWI produced advertisements, surveys, films, and radio programs until 1945, when President Truman disbanded the OWI and transferred its responsibilities to the US Information Agency.
After the bombing of Tokyo, Japan was eager to attack the US Navy base in the Midway Islands. Instead, because US codebreakers broke the Japanese naval code JN-25b, three US aircraft carriers were waiting for the Japanese planes. While the United States lost an aircraft carrier and a destroyer, Japanese losses were far greater, and the Battle of Midway came to be known as the turning point for Americans fighting in the Pacific Theater.
For the first time in the war, more than 1,000 bombers took part on a single raid. On the night of May 30th 1942, "Operation Millennium" commenced, and the Royal Air Force dropped almost 1,500 tons of bombs on the city of Cologne.
General George C. Marshall encouraged the creation of a Women's Auxiliary Corps—known as WAC for short—to help the war effort, and on April 14th, 1942, Congress authorized its creation. Women from all over the country flocked to recruiting stations not only for the first chance to serve in the United States Army, but to become one of the 450 officers.
Commanding General Jonathan Wainwright surrendered to the Japanese on the Filipino island of Corregidor. After over five months, the Japanese had conquered the Philippines - a task they believed would take fifty days. This delay was crucial in helping destroy the Japanese momentum in the South Pacific.
The Japanese High Command chose to extend its defensive perimeter and prepared an assault on Australia. As a result, on May 4th a series of skirmishes broke out which became known as the Battle of the Coral Sea.
By the spring 1942, both German and the U.S. were facing a crisis on the home front. The Germans' morale was sinking, and Roosevelt faced rising inflation.
After the US began to provide military aid to China, a squadron of fighter planes was allocated for air defense over the China-Burma-India Theater. Known as the "Flying Tigers," the American Volunteer Group would prove formidable in the skies.
With morale among the military and among Americans staggeringly low in early 1942, a dangerous mission was planned to strike Japan. On April 18, 1942, 16 B-25 bombers took off from the USS Hornet, deep in enemy waters, in what would become known as the Doolittle Raid.
The final assault on the Philippines was in full force. On April 9, American Resistance on Bataan collapsed in the largest surrender in American history - marking the beginning of the Bataan Death March.
Winning the Battle of the Atlantic was vital to the success of the Allies in World War II - something that the Germans knew. The threat of u-boat attacks made delivering supplies a great risk.
By the last week in March 1942, the German battleship Tirpitz was in need of repair. The British commandos had achieved their objective in the raid on the St. Nazaire dry dock.
In the Spring of 1942, the United States faced a shortage of materials necessary for wartime production, and began issuing ration stamps to help the war effort.
In early 1942, MacArthur was ordered by President Roosevelt to go to Australia and leave the Philippine islands after heavy fighting. Given the Allies' precarious position, on March 11, the General left the islands, but vowed to return.
As the United States entered its fourth month in the war, Japanese successes continued throughout the Pacific. The Allies suffered a defeat at the Battle of Java Sea, and realized the challenges that lied ahead.
Multiple Axis victories in the winter of 1942 signified a long a difficult fight for the Allies. Many serious defeats would serve as roadblocks before the tide eventually turned in the Allies favor by mid-year.
The Roosevelt Administration's civil liberties record was barred, as thousands of Japanese Americans were relocated to internment camps this week in 1942.
On February 15, 1942, the Japanese captured Britain's critical base at Singapore. This event raise the stakes of the war in the Pacific, and eroded the prestige of the British Empire in Asia.
The media and government propaganda encouraged the participation of women, both on the homefront in production lines, and directly through the transportation of military supplies.
On January 26, 1942, the first US troops arrived in Europe, in Northern Ireland. This marked the beginning of the Allied effort to defeat Nazi tyranny.
Few could imagine the extent of Nazi Germany's antisemitic policies. The Wannsee Conference, held in January of 1942, outlined the horrific "Final Solution" to exterminate the European Jewish population.
American industry braced for the war effort on the homefront like never before in its history. President Roosevelt created the War Production Board to prepare war efforts accordingly.
In the opening weeks of 1942, the empire of Japan advanced throughout Southeast Asia; Singapore and the Dutch East Indies were under fierce attack.
General Douglas MacArthur faced pressure after the Japanese resumed their attack on the Philippines, with intense bombing of Manila and surrounding islands.
Over Christmas week of 1941, President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill met to reaffirm their "Germany first" policy in the war.
Following Pearl Harbor, the Japanese expanded their empire into the Philippines, Indochina, and the Java Sea. Americans in the Philippines faced serious pressure from the enemy.
In the immediate aftermath of Pearl Harbor, the United States prepared to enter total war.
December 7, 1941 - a date which will live in infamy. With the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States was plunged into World War II. By Christmas, 1941, half the world's population would be at war.