World War Two: Controversies and Conclusions. December 1944-September 1945

The Battle of the Bulge

Hitler’s desperate last gamble. Attacks in the Ardennes, the same region as in 1940. Caught the Americans off guard. Greatest casualties of the war. 28th and 106th Divisions particularly hard hit ~75,000 total American casualties (Germans slightly higher). General Patton comes to the rescue

US WIN

ULTRA

Throughout the war, the Western Allies are reading German transmissions. Particularly helpful in the war at sea. If we know where german subs are, we can just route around them. Gave us some help assessing air war damage. Hit and miss regarding land operations

Yalta

Feb. 1945. Churchill, Roosevelt, Stalin meet in the Crimea, Key topic, the fate of postwar Poland. Stalin wants his half, taken in 1939. Dilemma for Churchill, somewhat so for Roosevelt. Poland to be compensated with German territory. Will also be promised “free elections.” Roosevelt wanting Russian help vs. Japan

Iwo Jima going on. Atomic bombs not ready.

Stalin agrees to enter three months after Europe

Stalin’s troops at the gates of Berlin. Western Allies are not yet across the Rhine River (March 7)!

Dresden

Feb. 1945. Medieval city of dubious wartime value. Bombed by Americans and British. Casualties? 30K or 200K? City full of refugees? Atrocity? Or Total War?

Battle of berlin

Russians enter the German capital in April 1945. Wholesale slaughter on both sides. Hitler killed himself. Some survivors were put on trial at Nuremberg. Nonsense to suggest we could have got there

Iwo Jima

B-29s have begun to raid Japan from Marianas. Capturing Iwo Jima will provide fighter cover. Also, an emergency landing for a damaged a/c. The Japanese see this coming. 25K troops defend. Again, have advantage of extensive cave system. Bombarded for 72 days. Does almost nothing!

The island smelled like rotten eggs

Iwo Jima The consequences

American Marines come ashore February 19. Japanese garrison wiped out, takes five weeks. Americans suffer ~24K casualties (6821 KIA). Fighting on land bad enough. Kamikazes too

Was it worth it?

Okinawa

like Iwo – just bigger. April 1945 – Marines land unopposed at first ~100K Japanese troops concentrated south. Same tactics. Similarly difficult terrain. US casualties 75K, with nearly 20K dead. Between 70K-160K Okinawans perished too. Okinawa to be the base to invade Japan

US WON

Curtis LeMay

Took over 20th Air Force at the start of 1945. Resorts to “firebombing” tactics. Japanese cities vulnerable, made of paper/wood

The Firebombing Campaign

Starts on the night of March 9-10, over Tokyo. B-29s fly in low, unarmed, and roll out napalm. Burns 16 square miles. Kills ~100,000 people? Continues throughout the summer of 1945. Sixty-six cities hit. Many are all but destroyed. US support. didn’t really have sympathy cause citizens seemed to support.

Fleet boats

American submarines play a critical role. Initial failed owing to overly heavy torpedoes. Once they get rolling, they really roll. The Japanese are generally reluctant to use convoys

Path to Hiroshima

Manhattan Project commissioned by FDR. Largest government project ever to that point. Oak Ridge built from scratch. Was not there pre-1942! It’s only one part. Hanford, Los Alamos, others. Would have used it on the Germans. Japan is all that is left. Fighting to the death.

Hiroshima (little man)

Aug. 6- 1945. Saved as a target. Not hit by 20th Air Force. Target is a T-shaped bridge in the center of town. Mission goes off perfectly. Puts the bomb within 500 yards of its target! 80,000 lives instantly destroyed. Perhaps 300,000 eventually perish?

Japan response to Hiroshima

defiance, thought we only had one. Big six meet to decide. decide to die rather than surrender. Also had hopes Russia would help them

Nagasaki (fatman)

August 9, 1945. Not the target, but the secondary. Kokura was clouded over that day. Mission does NOT go off perfectly. Aircraft low on fuel, weather not at all perfect. Dropped the bomb 2 miles off the target. Hit a poor neighborhood. 40,000 lives instantly destroyed. Perhaps 100,000 eventually perish? proved we had more than one bomb.

Japan surrender

On the night of the 8th/9th, Russian armies break neutrality and advance into Manchukuo. Overrun depleted Japanese forces rapidly. Thwart Japan’s hopes for any negotiated peace. “Big Six” meet again to discuss possible surrender, the emperor breaks it. Decide to surrender

Wojtek

Soldier Bear. survived war. stayed in Scotland zoo. soldiers visit him.