List of World War II battles

USS Lexington explodes during the Battle of the Coral Sea.
A formation of Spitfires shortly before World War II.

This is a list of World War II battles encompassing land, naval, and air engagements as well as campaigns, operations, defensive lines and sieges. Campaigns generally refer to broader strategic operations conducted over a large bit of territory and over a long period. Battles generally refer to short periods of intense combat localised to a specific area and over a specific period. However, use of the terms in naming such events is not consistent. For example, the Battle of the Atlantic was more or less an entire theatre of war, and the so-called battle lasted for the duration of the entire war. Another misnomer is the Battle of Britain, which should be considered a campaign, not a battle.

Battles from 1941

1943

• Battle of OsankaricaAbout 2,000 Germans massacred all 69 men and women of the Pohorje Battalion. Germans lost 19 men dead and had 31 wounded.
• Battle of Rennell IslandJapanese bombers sink a cruiser.
• Third Battle of KharkovGermans retake Kharkov.
• Battle of the Kasserine PassBattle between US and German armored forces in Tunisia.
• Battle of NeretvaGerman Army offensive in southern Bosnia. Offensive launched to encircle and destroy Yugoslavian Communist Partisan forces. Supporting the German forces in this effort were Italian, Ustaše and Serbian Royalist Chetnik units. The partisans were badly mauled but managed to escape encirclement.
• Battle of the Komandorski IslandsNaval engagement between US and Japan in the Bering Sea.
• Battle of the RuhrBritish strategic bombing of the industrial Ruhr Area, which had coke plants, steelworks and ten synthetic oil plants. Targets included the Krupp armament works (Essen), the Nordstern synthetic-oil plant (Gelsenkirchen), and the Rheinmetal–Borsig plant in Düsseldorf.
• Battle of the Bismarck SeaU.S. and Royal Australian Air Force planes attack and sink most of a Japanese convoy carrying troops to reinforce Lae, New Guinea.
• Battle of the Bering SeaUnited States and Japanese navies fight an inconclusive battle.
• Operation CartwheelOperation to neutralize the Japanese base at Rabaul.
• Battle of AttuUnited States troops defeat and drive the Japanese off the Aleutian Islands of Alaska.
• Warsaw Ghetto Uprising5,000 Jews and 2,000 Germans die, Jews confined.
• Battle of SutjeskaAnother attempt by German forces in Yugoslavia, this time supported by Italian, Bulgarian, and Serbian units, to encircle and destroy the Yugoslavian Communist Partisan forces in southern Bosnia. Again, the partisans were mauled but escaped.
• Battle of Castle TurjakSlovene partisans took the castle guarded by the Slovene village sentries.
• Battle of KurskGermans attack Kursk salient at Orel and Belgorod, Russians drive them back. A very big tank battle.
• Allied invasion of SicilyAllies take Sicily from the Italians and German armies.
• Allied invasion of ItalyLandings at Calabria, Taranto and Salerno.
• Dodecanese Campaign
Battle of Kos
Battle of Leros
Allied and German scramble to occupy the Dodecanese Islands.
German amphibious and airborne operation to capture Kos.
German amphibious and airborne operation to capture Leros.
• Battle of SmolenskThe Soviets attack 850,000 German troops near Smolensk Fortified Region, drive them back inflicting severe losses.
• Battle of Kiev (1943)Kiev retaken by Soviets.
• Raid on Schweinfurtmilestone air battle between the Luftwaffe and the USAAF known as "Black Thursday"
• Schweinfurt-Regensburg missionanother big daylight air battle, first shuttle mission.
• Battle of BerlinGermany defend Berlin from the British.
• Battle of TarawaFirst major American amphibious landing in the Pacific.
• Battle of MakinAmericans capture the atoll of Makin Atoll.
• Salamaua-Lae campaignAustralian and U.S. forces capture two major Japanese bases at Lae and at Salamaua.
• Battle of WauAustralians defeat Japanese attempts to capture Wau, New Guinea.
• Battle of the Bernhardt LineU.S. 5th Army sustains 16,000 casualties fighting through the Mignano Gap to reach the Cassino defenses.
• Moro River Campaign
Battle of Ortona

1944

• Battle of Meiktila
• Battle of Monte CassinoFour battles in Italy Jan - May. Allies finally breakthrough towards Rome.
• Battle of Monte CasteloAn unsuccessful attempt to break through the Northern Apennines. The battle marked the Brazilian Expeditionary Force's entry into the land war in Europe.
• Battle of Anzio
Battle of Cisterna
• Battle of KwajaleinAmerican forces assault the islands of Kwajalein and Roi-Namur.
• Battle of the Admin BoxJapanese attempt a local counter-attack against an Allied offensive.
• Battle of EniwetokBattle between American and Japanese on Eniwetok Atoll.
• Battle of Imphal and Battle of KohimaAttempted Japanese invasion of India fails with heavy losses.
• U Go offensiveAllied successfully defend Manipur from the Axis
• Operation Ichi-GoSuccessful Japanese campaign to capture American air bases in China capable of sending bombers to Japan.
• Operation RösselsprungGerman attempt to capture Tito using airborne troops.
• Battle of NormandyAllies invade northern France (Operation Overlord), hard fighting from Cherbourg to Caen, Germans surrounded and destroyed at Falaise.
• Battle of SaipanThe battle was fought on the island of Saipan in the Mariana Islands and resulted disastrous for Japanese forces since most died.
• Second Battle of GuamAmerican forces capture back Guam.
• Battle of TinianAmerican forces capture Tinian.
• Operation BagrationSoviet offensive destroys German Army Group Center on the Eastern Front.
• Battle of Philippine SeaMajor carrier battle; US lose 123 planes and destroy 315 Japanese planes.
• Battle of Tali-IhantalaFinnish stop Soviet offensive.
• Warsaw Uprising20,000 armed Poles against 55,000 Wehrmacht and SS. 90% of city destroyed, more than 250,000 casualties.
• Operation DragoonAllied invasion of Southern France.
• Battle of DebrecenSoviets gain ground in Hungary but German and Hungarian forces manage to withdraw relatively intact after both sides suffer similar losses.
• Gothic Line offensiveBritish 8th Army and U.S. 5th Army attempt unsuccessfully to break into the north Italian plains.
• Battle of ArnhemThe major battle of Operation Market Garden; Allies reach but fail to cross the Rhine; British First Airborne Division destroyed.
• Battle of PeleliuA fight to capture an airstrip on a speck of coral in the western Pacific.
• Battle of AachenAachen was the first major German city to face invasion during World War II.
• Battle of the ScheldtDecisive Canadian victory, solved the logistical problems of the Allies, and opened the port of Antwerp for supplies directly to the front.
• Battle of Crucifix HillThe 18th Infantry, U.S. 1st Infantry Division take Crucifix Hill, a crucial position to help surround Aachen. Cpt. Bobbie E. Brown is awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroics.
• Battle of AngaurAmerican forces capture an island in Palau.
• Battle of Hurtgen ForestStubborn German defense, appalling losses to US army.
• Battle of LeyteAmerican and Filipino guerrillas forces capture Leyte.
• Battle of Leyte GulfThe largest air-sea battle in history.
• Operation Queenwas a joint British-American operation during World War II at the Western Front between Aachen and the Rur river.
• Battle of Mindoro
• Battle of ViandenThe only major open battle fought between the Luxembourgish Resistance against German forces.
• Battle of the BulgeGerman counterattack in Ardennes; General McAuliffe says "NUTS" at Bastogne.

1945

• Battle of LuzonThe battle where Mexico entered World War II, contributing pilots to help the United States and the Philippines defeat Japan in the South Pacific, with a loss of 37,870 Allied soldiers and 217,000 Japanese soldiers; an Allied victory.
• Operation ElephantAllied offensive against a German bridgehead at Kapelsche Veer in the Netherlands.
• Raid at CabanatuanUS Army Rangers rescue Bataan and Corregidor POWs from Japanese prison camp.
• Battle of BataanU.S. and Philippine Forces retake the historic Bataan Peninsula.
• Battle of KüstrinSoviet forces besieged and captured the strategic fortress town of Küstrin, paving the way for the final assault on Berlin.
• Battle of ManilaCity totally devastated after month-long battle between the American, Filipino, and Japanese forces; 100,000 civilians killed.
• Battle of CorregidorSpectacular combined U.S. and Philippine assault retakes island bastion from Japanese forces.
• Raid at Los BañosU.S. Airborne Task Force rescues more than 2,000 Allied POWs and civilian internees held by Japanese.
• Battle of Iwo JimaAfter a month, U.S. Forces take main offshore Japanese island.
• Battle of Meiktila and MandalayJapanese defeated in Central Burma.
• Battle of MindanaoU.S. Eighth Army together with the Philippine Commonwealth troops completes the recapture of Southern Philippines.
• Battle of the VisayasU.S. Eighth Army together with the Philippine Commonwealth troops retakes central Philippine islands.
• Operation Varsity134 Allied gliders land troops in Weisel.
• Operation Spring AwakeningThe last German offensive of the war, launched around Lake Balaton, in Hungary.
• Operation Encore10th Mountain Division and the Brazilian Expeditionary Force forced the German LI Mountain Corps from their positions in the Northern Apennines, leading to the start of the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy.
• Battle of West Henan–North HubeiIndecisive battle between China and Japan. Japan controls airbases after battle.
• Battle of GroningenCanadian forces capture Dutch city from SS troops.
• Battle of MonteseBrazilian forces capture town as part of the Spring offensive in Italy
• Battle of OtterloGerman forces attempt to break an encirclement by attacking Canadian and British forces.
• Battle of HalbePart of Battle of Berlin, Germans unable to break out.
• Battle of BerlinSoviet forces encircle and capture German capital; Hitler commits suicide.
• Battle of HamburgBritish forces capture German city.
• Battle for Castle ItterTroops of the 23rd Tank Battalion of the 12th Armored Division, Wehrmacht, SS-Hauptsturmführer Kurt Siegfried Schrader, and recently freed French prisoners of war defended Itter Castle against an attacking force from the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division.
• Prague Offensive1st, 4th, and 2nd Ukrainian Fronts of the Soviet Army crushed the last concentration of German troops (over 1,000,000 men in two army groups) in southeastern Germany and Czechoslovakia. These troops were Army Group Centre and the remnants of Army Group Ostmark.
• Battle of TriesteBritish army and Yugoslav Partisans capture the city.
• Battle of TarakanAllied attack as part of the Borneo campaign.
• Battle of Poljana(14–15 May 1945) Battle between Yugoslav partisans and HOS (Croatia), German Wehrmacht, Slovene Home Guard...
• Battle of OdžakLast battle of World War II in Europe. Between Yugoslav partisans and HOS (Croatia) from 19 April to 25 May 1945.
• Battle of West HunanChinese victory in final battle to expel Japan.
• Battle of OkinawaUS takes Japanese Island in the Ryūkyūs; many casualties to both sides.
• Battle of North BorneoAustralian victory during final stages of World War II in the Pacific.
• Battle of BalikpapanAllied victory over Japan.
• Battle of ManchuriaSoviet forces liberate Manchuria.
• Surrender of JapanJapan surrenders on September 2, 1945, officially ending World War II.

African Front

Main article: Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II

Mediterranean Front

Main article: Mediterranean and Middle East theatre of World War II

Western Front

Main article: Western Front (World War II)

Operation Blackout

Atlantic Ocean

Eastern Front

Main article: Eastern Front (World War II)

Indian Ocean

Pacific Front

Main article: Pacific War

China Front

Southeast Asia Front

Military engagements during occupations

Resistances

General

Specific

1940

1941

1942

1943

1944

1945

Major bombing campaigns

General

Specific

Operations

Main article: List of World War II military operations

Raids

Small to medium-sized raiding operations were carried out by both Allied and Axis armies during World War II. The modus operandi used included guerrilla attacks by partisans in occupied territory and/or combined operations involving the landing and removal of specialised light infantry, such as commandos, by means of small boats.

Raiding units

Defensive lines

Contemporaneous wars

References

See also

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Uses material from the Wikipedia article List of World War II battles, released under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license.