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10 Bloodiest Battles of World War II
10. Battle of Monte Cassino, 17 January–18 May 1944: 185,000 casualties
Waged between the Allies and the joint German and Italian troops in the
early part of 1944, the Battle of Monte Cassino was one of the hardest
fought battles of the Second World War. The main objective for the
Allied forces fighting their way up from Southern Italy was to break
through the Germans’ Gustav Line — a series of military fortifications
running across Italy — and gain control of Rome. Named after the
1,400-year-old monastery of Monte Cassino that stood at the center of
the German defensive line (and which was controversially destroyed by
American bombers during the battle), the fighting was made up of four
smaller battles that took place in January, February, March and May,
respectively. The eventual capture of Rome came at a high price, with at
least 125,000 casualties on all sides — and as many as 185,000 by some
estimates.
9. Battle of the Bulge, 16 December 1944–25 January 1945: 186,369 casualties
The Battle of the Bulge — so-called by the British because of the
“bulge” in the map where the German forces broke the Allied line — was
the last major German offensive on the Western Front of World War II.
Also known as the Ardennes Offensive — named after the densely forested
area of Belgium, France and Luxembourg — the aim of the operation was to
split the Allied troops in two, capture Antwerp in the process, then
destroy the remaining Allied forces. Fortunately for the Allies, the
battle did not go to plan for the Germans. Despite catching an
overconfident and unsuspecting Allied force unawares, superior numbers,
timely reinforcements and improving weather conditions (which allowed
the Allied air forces to take to the skies) sealed the Germans’ fate.
With around 840,000 men committed, it was the largest battle the
American Army fought in World War II, as well as among the bloodiest.
8. Battle of Kursk, 5 July–23 August 1943: 257,125–388,000 casualties
A decisive victory for the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front, the Battle
of Kursk saw the largest series of armored tank clashes of the entire
war and the costliest single day of aerial conflict in history. Having
been warned months in advance of the Germans’ intention to eliminate the
Kursk “bulge” — created in the aftermath of their devastating defeat at
the Battle of Stalingrad — the Red Army was well prepared to take on
the Nazis. Through a vast and brilliantly constructed network of
minefields, anti-tank guns and defenses 155 miles deep, the Soviets wore
down their attackers and then launched counter strikes, hemming the
Germans back across a broad front. According to the Soviets, the Germans
alone lost 500,000 men — killed, wounded or captured — though other
estimates are more conservative. The Soviets went on to liberate most of
Ukraine in what was to be a major turning point in the war.
7. Second Battle of Kharkov, 12 May–28 May 1942: 300,000 casualties
Kharkov was a strategically important city in the Ukraine that had
seen fierce fighting in the autumn of 1941, when the Germans captured
it. The following year the Red Army launched a major offensive to retake
the prized city. Unfortunately for the Red Army, the Germans were still
very much active in the area and were able to call upon forces to
launch a strong defense and counter-offensive. The Germans encircled the
three Soviet armies and effectively destroyed them. In a devastatingly
effective operation, the Germans wiped out nearly 280,000 Russian men
and 650 tanks. A disaster for the Soviets, the Second Battle of Kharkov
pressed home the importance of staying on the defensive to the Red Army
and inflated the Germans’ confidence — which many saw as playing a part
in their downfall on the Eastern Front.
6. Battle of Luzon, 9 January–15 August 1945: 332,330–345,330 casualties
Luzon, the largest island in the Philippines, was seen as being of great
strategic importance to the United States. Despite General MacArthur’s
belief in value of the island, American troops would have to wait until
1945 to launch an attack on Luzon, which was taken by the Japanese in
1942. When the Americans did make it back to Luzon, the fighting —
complicated by the Japanese use of the famous kamikaze pilots — was
frenzied and fierce, with incredibly high numbers of casualties,
particularly for the Japanese. By the 11th of February American troops
had captured Manila; however Japanese resistance — from scattered forces
making sorties from the mountainous areas of the island — continued for
some considerable time afterwards.
5. Battle of France, 10 May–25 June 1940: 469,000 casualties
The Battle of France marked the end of the so-called Phoney War — that
strange, uncertain period of the Second World War which saw neither side
commit to serious military action — and witnessed the German forces
invade France and the Low Countries. Despite similar numbers in their
respective forces, the Germans managed to overcome the French, bolstered
by the British Expeditionary Force and Belgian and Dutch divisions.
This was mainly due to superior German training and communication, and
the Allies’ wrongly held belief that the Maginot Line — the heavily
fortified French border with Germany — would firstly hold; and secondly,
that the Germans would concentrate their efforts on it. In the event,
the Germans attacked through Belgium and Holland, thereby rendering the
line an expensive mistake. The Germans devastated the inexperienced
French (and other Allied) troops and took the entire country soon after.
4. Battle of Narva, 2 February–10 August 1944: 550,000 casualties
The strategically important Estonian county of Narva Isthmus saw
ferocious fighting between the German army — bolstered by Estonian
conscripts desperate to resist Soviet re-occupation — and Stalin’s Red
Army. Both sides were desperate to hold the valuable territory.
Separated by historians into two distinct phases (the Battle for Narva
Bridgehead and the Battle of Tannenberg Line), the fighting was amongst
the most intense seen in the entire war. In the end, after months of
terrible combat that left tens of thousands dead — particularly on the
side of the Soviets, who suffered at the hands of German counterattacks —
Hitler evacuated all troops from Estonia. The country was then largely
free until the Soviets reoccupied it shortly after the war ended.
3. Battle of Moscow, 2 October 1941–7 January 1942: 1,000,000 casualties
Soviet Russia’s successful defense of their capital against the German
forces who sought to capture it in 1941 was a major turning point in the
war. Hitler believed that if he could capture Moscow, the spirit of the
Red Army war machine would be crushed and they would be at the Germans’
mercy. However, due to a combination of fierce and strategically
well-executed Russian resistance (bolstered by reinforcements from the
east) and a terrible winter with temperatures down to minus 22 degrees
Fahrenheit (–30°C) and colder, the Germans were destined not to take
Moscow. Losses were massive on both sides. The Soviets suffered at least
650,000 casualties (perhaps many more) while in just twenty days of
fighting the Germans are believed to have lost around 155,000 men — a
mark of the devastation they suffered here.
2. Battle of Berlin, 16 April–2 May 1945: 1,298,745 casualties
The last major offensive of the war in Europe, the Battle of Berlin saw
the fall of the German Army, the suicide of Hitler and the beginning of
the end of the Second World War. The inexorable push of the Soviet army
westwards saw them advance as much as 25 miles a day before stopping
just 35 miles east of the German capital. The Red Army then proceeded to
attack the city from the east and south, while a third group devastated
German defenses from the north. The relentless Soviet army marched ever
onwards, causing widespread panic in the already depleted German
defenses (bolstered by inexperienced Hitler youth members) and,
following fierce and bloody fighting, took the Reichstag on the 30th of
April 1945, more or less signaling the conclusion of the war.
1. Battle of Stalingrad, 23 August 1942–2 February 1943: 1,250,000–1,798,619 casualties
The Battle of Stalingrad, which saw Hitler’s major push for dominance
on the Eastern Front, was marked by terrible losses on both sides. The
Russians alone had over a million men wounded or killed. Barring their
inability to conquer Moscow in the previous year, the war had generally
been progressing well for the Germans up until this point, with valuable
successes in North Africa and Europe. However, previously unseen
brutality and crippling losses devastated the German offensive and
severely dented their confidence. Once their Romanian and Italian allies
had been eliminated, the Germans found themselves surrounded in
Stalingrad, vulnerable and starving in the rubble to which the Luftwaffe
had reduced the city. Some would argue that the Germans never fully
recovered from this most destructive of battles — one of the bloodiest
of all time.
1) Battle of Stalingrad - ~2.000.000 (East Front) 2) Battle of Moscow - ~1.500.000 (East Front) 3) Battle of the Dnieper - ~1.000.000 (East Front) 4) Battle of Kiev (1941) - ~750.000 (East Front) 5) Operation Bagration - ~600.000 (East Front) 6)Battle of Narva - ~500.000 (East Front) 7) Vistula–Oder Offensive - ~400.000 (East Front) 8) Battle in Berlin - ~350.000 (East Front) 9) Battle of Kursk - ~350.000 (East Front) 10) Battle of Luzon - ~250.000 ( Pacific Theater)
Second Battle of Kharkov - ~200.000 (East Front) Battle of the Bulge - ~150.000 (West Front) Battle of France - ~150.000 (West Front) First_Battle_of_Kharkov - ~100.000 (East Front) Battle of Monte Cassino - ~100.000 (Itala)
France were 2-1 up in the 52nd minute when the pitch was invaded by three people in suits. Dejan Lovren approached one before security caught up with them and ejected them. Pussy Riot, a Russian feminist protest punk rock group based in Moscow, have claimed responsibility for the invasion. They wrote on Facebook: "Zip closure! Right now, there are four members of the band in the World Cup final: "Millicioner comes into play" on the World Championship field!" The game resumed shortly after before Paul Pogba struck to make it 3-1 before Mbappe added a fourth. Antoine Griezmann's penalty and Mario Mandzukic headed into his own net in between Ivan Perisic's thunderbolt. Mandzukic pulled another back after a Hugo Lloris mistake but France won 4-2 to win their second ever World Cup. However the game was marred by the pitch invasion, and Pussy Riot have made a list of demands.
H ow about this for a test of Arsenal’s “cojones”? Stepping into the furnace of one of Europe’s most intimidating venues, with a collection of kids and first-team misfits, they emerged with three of the most satisfying points to provide the strongest answer to the criticism that has poured down on them since their pitiful defeat at Watford. In many ways, winning in this manner will taste sweeter than if they had cruised to a three-goal victory. Arsenal had something to prove tonight: they had to dig deep, to show their mettle. They duly did just that, eventually claiming all three points through a stunning overhead kick from Olivier Giroud. Jack Wilshere said Watford captain Troy Deeney was wrong to question Arsenal’s character in the aftermath of their meltdown at Vicarage Road. Deeney was not the first to do so, and will not be the last, but here was a statement of intent from Wenger’s side that will surely restore some much-needed faith across the club. And what a v
1) Battle of Stalingrad - ~2.000.000 (East Front)
ReplyDelete2) Battle of Moscow - ~1.500.000 (East Front)
3) Battle of the Dnieper - ~1.000.000 (East Front)
4) Battle of Kiev (1941) - ~750.000 (East Front)
5) Operation Bagration - ~600.000 (East Front)
6)Battle of Narva - ~500.000 (East Front)
7) Vistula–Oder Offensive - ~400.000 (East Front)
8) Battle in Berlin - ~350.000 (East Front)
9) Battle of Kursk - ~350.000 (East Front)
10) Battle of Luzon - ~250.000 ( Pacific Theater)
Second Battle of Kharkov - ~200.000 (East Front)
Battle of the Bulge - ~150.000 (West Front)
Battle of France - ~150.000 (West Front)
First_Battle_of_Kharkov - ~100.000 (East Front)
Battle of Monte Cassino - ~100.000 (Itala)