Battles of WWII CHC2D

Introductory: Agenda

•Power-point of battles of WWII and the Turning Points of WWII

•Activity – Find Your Other Half

Introductory: Purpose/Learning Goals

• After today’s lesson, I will be able to:▫ Name and Explain the 1st 5 Main Battles of WW@

Pearl Harbour Battle of Hong Kong Battle of the Atlantic Battle of Britain Battle of Dieppe

▫ State the importance of each battle Be able to explain the details and historical

significance (history pillar) of each battle

▫ Identify and explain with great clarity the turning points of WW2 and Canada’s influence.

1) Attack on Pearl Harbour •December 7, 1941: Pearl Harbour

(American Navy base located by Hawaii, USA) was attacked by Japanese Navy (360 planes) ▫Attack was meant as a warning to USA

from Japan from entering the war Japan was hungry for more land and

resources of the Pacific region•2500 Americans were killed; 1200 injured

TURNING POINT FOR USA: entered into war and declared war on Japan

•Entered into war and declared war on Japan!

Canada’s Response to Pearl Harbour

•Canadians did not respond well to attack on American soil

•Those who were originated from Axis were not to be trusted and casted aside (mainly Asian descendents) ▫Japanese Internment Camps

Japanese Internment Camps

• Japanese Canadians were casted aside (thought to be dangerous)

• Forced to leave homes and give up belongings▫Many belongings were

sold ▫Forced into isolated

camps where men and women were separated

DID YOU KNOW?

2) Battle of Hong Kong • December 8, 1941 (day

after Pearl Harbour) ▫ Japanese attacked

Northern Malaysia and moved towards British colony of Hong Kong

• 2000 Canadian troops were stationed ▫Non-combat ▫No support ▫Canadians fought

bravely alongside Britain

2) Battle of Hong Kong (cont’d)

•December 25, 1941 – Hong Kong surrendered

•Soldiers were either killed in defense or taken into captivity▫Japanese “Prisoner of War Camps”

•290 Canadians died in battle•267 died in Prisoner of War Camps

Prisoner of War Camps•Housed captured militants (e.g Canada,

Britain)•Conditions were brutal

▫Lack of clothing, food and shoes▫DENIED BASIC RIGHTS TO LIVE▫Form of revenge towards the Allies (by

Japanese)

3) Battle of Britain

• July 10, 1940•Hitler attacked Britain – wanted to

wipe out British Air Force ▫“blitzkrieg” ▫Hitler used the air to attack Britain

•However, British population proved to be stronger▫Hid in bomb shelters, subway

tunnels▫Civilians would fix Britain after an

attack They were not willing to back down!

4) Battle of the Atlantic

•On going throughout World War 2 •1940-1943•German U-boats sank many Canadian

vessels ▫Vessels carrying supplies for war in Europe

•German U-boats travelled in wolf packs▫Attacked and preyed on lone ships

4) Battle of Atlantic (cont’d)

•Closest to Canadian soil •Longest battle of WWII •Fight was “won by courage, fortitude, and

determination of British and Allied Merchant Navy”▫Consistently made dangerous trips across

Atlantic Ocean ▫Convoy System

Merchant ships sail in groups by an armed naval escort

5) Dieppe Raid • August 19, 1942

▫ 5000 Canadian soldiers + 1000 British soldiers planned to attack the French port of Dieppe (under German rule)

▫ Plan was to seize town, destroy facilities and return to England

▫ Key element for victory was the element of surprise

5) Dieppe Raid (cont’d)

• German troops were ready for Canadians ▫German troops overheard the

troops approaching the beach ▫By the time Canadians hit the

beach – the Germans were ready to attack

• 901 Canadians killed• 2000 captured • Country of Canada went into

mourning!

5) Dieppe Raid (cont’d)

•Lessons learned from Dieppe Raid:▫1) Allies learned the power of

the German army

▫2) Much more military strength is needed when attacking German army

▫3) Don’t let all soldiers go attack at once!

TURNING POINTS OF WW2CHC2D

Field Marshal – General Erwin Rommel (Desert Fox) •Led British and American

troops in North Africa (1941)

•Drove back German and Italian forces

•Sign that the Allies were approaching power and control!

Involvement of USA• After Pearl Harbour attack,

USA entered war with force! (1941)

• Declared and attacked Japan

• Defeated Japanese navy

• Dropped FIRST atomic bomb▫ August 1945 – Hiroshima▫ Catastrophic results for

Japan ▫ Second bomb dropped 3

days later (Nagasaki)▫ Japan eventually

surrendered…

Italy Defeat! •Canadian soldiers didn’t seem action since

Dieppe Raid

•Within 38 days, Canadians and other Allied troops were planning to invade Italy

•Mussolini’s dream of new Roman Empire was coming to an end▫His own people rebelled and threw him out ▫However, Germany troops quickly invaded

(Hitler didn’t waste any time!)

Italy Defeat!

•Battle was hard and difficult – 91 000 Canadians fought! ▫More than 30 000 were killed ▫German troops fought hard!

•Battle of Ortona = KEY MOMENT FOR CANADIANS

Battle of Ortona

•1375 Canadians lost their lives

•Battle lasted one month

•Series of street-fighting ▫Canadians

became experts at street-fightings

(Italy)

Battle of Ortona • Mouse-holing technique

▫Used explosive charges to blast a hole from the attic of one house through wall into another house

▫Canadian soldiers used grenades and spraying machine gun-fire – jumped through hole

▫Cleared house and moved onto the next

• Germans considered Canadians to be a tough opponent – put their best soldiers against us!!!

Italy Defeat! •On June 4, 1944: Allied armies entered

Rome▫Canadian, British, American (and other

Commonwealth country) soldiers marched to the cheers of the Italian people!