The five bloodiest battles in World War II

The five bloodiest battles in World War II

Battle of Okinawa

Although most of World War II took place in Europe and the Soviet Union, Okinawa was one of the bloodiest battles in the Pacific Ocean. This all-out battle, which is considered to be the largest, lasted for several months, with thousands of casualties on both sides.

Okinawa, the largest island in the Ryukyu Islands, is under the jurisdiction of Japan and has an important strategic position in the American war against Japan. 1in March, 945, the United States began to attack Japan. The Japanese military responded with devastating air strikes. After the US military gained more territory and lost naval support, Japan also launched a large-scale ground counterattack. Although the United States finally won the battle, the process was full of hardships and did not end until June.

In the battle of Okinawa, the Japanese army lost at least 6,543,800 troops, and the US army also consumed at least 6,543,800 troops. This does not include the number of wounded people. The number of wounded people of the US military in this battle is as high as 36,000. Most tragically, it is estimated that at least 654.38 million+500,000 Japanese civilians were killed in the Okinawa War.

Normandy landing war

1on the morning of June 6, 944, the allied forces launched an attack, which has now become a famous "d-day". British, American and Canadian troops rushed into five beaches on the Normandy coast.

Since morning, the allied forces have bombed the German troops stationed here with air force. Although the Allies hoped to take them by surprise, the Germans were more or less prepared and fought fiercely before giving up their positions.

In the next few months, the allies managed to occupy some surrounding towns, including fortress and Caen.

The attack lasted for several months until the end of August. The number of casualties on both sides is staggering: according to relevant estimates, there are at least 320,000 casualties in Germany (30,000 dead, 80,000 injured, and the rest are missing), while the number of allied casualties is as high as 230,000 (more than 45,000 dead).

Quiet night

After the battle of Normandy, the allied forces began to March into Belgium, and the situation seemed to improve. They believe that Nazi power should be greatly weakened. Unexpectedly, however, in the cold winter of 1944, when the allied forces advanced in the dense forests of Belgium, the Axis countries launched a powerful counterattack.

1944 12 due to bad weather, the allied air support forces could not take off, and Hitler's army took the opportunity to storm. Within a few weeks, the Nazi army and its tiger tanks were defeated and the allies had to retreat for miles. However, by Christmas, the situation was reversed. In mid-June, 5438+the following year 10, the allied forces made all-out efforts to recapture the original stronghold of Ardennes forest. Hitler's last struggle in the war was still in vain.

Some people think that this battle is the bloodiest battle that Americans have ever fought. 1.9 million soldiers were killed and at least 70,000 people were injured or missing.

In contrast, the number of casualties in Britain was 6.5438+0.2 million, of which 200 were killed. Germany also suffered heavy casualties, with about 654.38+10,000 casualties.

Stalingrad

1in the middle of 942, the Nazis turned their attention to Stalingrad. Located along the Volga River, this city is not only an industrial city that can produce military materials, but also an important strategic location for invading the Soviet Union. The Nazis carried out a crazy air raid on the city, with more than 654.38+0.5 million troops and about 500 tanks.

The Nazi command thought it was an easy victory, but the Soviet army fought back mercilessly. The fighting lasted for five months, and the gunfire continued in the street.

In June 5438 +065438+10, the Soviet Union launched a large-scale counterattack to repel the invaders. The Germans were exhausted and surrendered in February 1943.

This was a decisive battle, which turned the tide and was beneficial to the allies. Although the Soviet army won, his casualties far exceeded those of the enemy. Axis casualties were about 800,000, and Soviet casualties exceeded 6.5438+0.000. In addition, about 40,000 citizens were killed in this battle.

Battle of Leningrad

As we said before, historians and scholars sometimes have a loose definition of the word "combat". The battle of Leningrad is a typical example. The battle of Leningrad, also known as the siege of Leningrad, lasted several years, at least 900 days, from September 194 1 to June 1944.

In this battle, not only soldiers, but all men, women and children, even children, were mobilized. As long as they can contribute, they should protect the city's borders from Nazi tanks. Although the fighting was very cruel, the Soviet army and their people succeeded in stopping the German army from advancing and saving his city from complete destruction.

After a long war, the casualties in the battle of Leningrad are astronomical. The most terrible thing is that at least 6,543,800 civilians were killed in the war, accounting for about one third of the population of Leningrad at that time. Some of them directly became victims of war, while others died of disease, cold or hunger. Nazi troops cut off supplies from Soviet troops by closing the city. The Soviet army also lost more than 6,543,800 lives, not counting the 2 million wounded and sick. The number of casualties in Germany is controversial, but there are at least hundreds of thousands.