World War II List of Battles By Year and Theater

World War II: Conferences Aftermath | World War II: 101 | World War II: Leaders People The battles of the World War II were fought across the globe from the fields of Western Europe and the Russian plains to the China and the waters of the Pacific. Beginning in 1939, these battles caused massive destruction and loss of life and elevated to prominence places that had previously been unknown. As a result, names such as Stalingrad, Bastogne, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima became eternally entwined with images of sacrifice, bloodshed, and heroism. The most costly and far-reaching conflict in history, World War II saw an unprecedented number of engagements as the Axis and Allies sought to achieve victory. The battles of World War II are largely divided into the European Theater (Western Europe), Eastern Front, Mediterranean/North Africa Theater, and the Pacific Theater. During World War II, between 22 and 26 million men were killed in battle as each side fought for their chosen cause. World War II Battles by Year and Theater 1939 September 3-May 8, 1945 - Battle of the Atlantic - Atlantic Ocean December 13 - Battle of the River Plate - South America 1940 February 16 - Altmark Incident - European Theater May 25-June 4 - Dunkirk Evacuation - European Theater July 3 - Attack on Mers el Kebir - North Africa July-October - Battle of Britain - European Theater September 17 - Operation Sea Lion (Invasion of Britain) - Postponed - European Theater November 11/12 - Battle of Taranto - Mediterranean December 8-February 9 - Operation Compass - North Africa 1941 March 27-29 - Battle of Cape Matapan - Mediterranean April 6-30 - Battle of Greece - Mediterranean May 20-June 1 - Battle of Crete - Mediterranean May 24 - Battle of the Denmark Strait - Atlantic September 8-January 27, 1944 - Siege of Leningrad - Eastern Front October 2-January 7, 1942 - Battle of Moscow - Eastern Front December 7 - Attack on Pearl Harbor - Pacific Theater December 8-23 - Battle of Wake Island - Pacific Theater December 8-25 - Battle of Hong Kong - Pacific Theater December 10 - Sinking of Force Z - Pacific Theater 1942 January 7-April 9 - Battle of Bataan - Pacific Theater January 31-February 15 - Battle of Singapore - Pacific Theater February 27 - Battle of the Java Sea - Pacific Theater April 18 - Doolittle Raid - Pacific Theater March 31-April 10 - Indian Ocean Raid - Pacific Theater May 4-8 - Battle of the Coral Sea - Pacific Theater May 5-6 - Battle of Corregidor - Pacific Theater May 26-June 21 - Battle of Gazala - North Africa June 4-7 - Battle of Midway - Pacific Theater July 1-27 - First Battle of El Alamein - North Africa August 7-February 9, 1943 - Battle of Guadalcanal - Pacific Theater August 9-15 - Operation Pedestal - Relief of Malta - Mediterranean August 9 - Battle of Savo Island - Pacific Theater August 19 - Dieppe Raid - European Theater August 24/25 - Battle of the Eastern Solomons - Pacific Theater August 25-September 7 - Battle of Milne Bay - Pacific August 30-September 5 - Battle of Alam Halfa - North Africa July 17-February 2, 1943 - Battle of Stalingrad - Eastern Front October 11/12 - Battle of Cape Esperance - Pacific Theater October 23-November 5 - Second Battle of El Alamein - North Africa November 8-16 - Naval Battle of Casablanca - North Africa October 25-26 - Battle of Santa Cruz - Pacific Theater November 8 - Operation Torch - North Africa November 12-15 - Naval Battle of Guadalcanal - Pacific Theater November 27 - Operation Lila Scuttling of the French Fleet - Mediterranean November 30 - Battle of Tassafaronga - Pacific Theater 1943 January 29-30 - Battle of Rennell Island - Pacific Theater February 19-25 - Battle of Kasserine Pass - North Africa February 19-March 15 - Third Battle of Kharkov - Eastern Front March 2-4 - Battle of the Bismarck Sea - Pacific Theater April 18 - Operation Vengeance (Yamamoto Shot Down) - Pacific Theater April 19-May 16 - Warsaw Ghetto Uprising - Eastern Front May 17 - Operation Chastise (Dambuster Raids) - European Theater July 9-August 17 - Invasion of Sicily - Mediterranean July 24-August 3 - Operation Gomorrah (Firebombing Hamburg) - European Theater August 17 - Schweinfurt-Regensburg Raid - European Theater September 3-16 - Invasion of Italy - European Theater September 26 - Operation Jaywick - Pacific Theater November 2 - Battle of Empress Augusta Bay - Pacific Theater November 20-23 - Battle of Tarawa - Pacific Theater November 20-23 - Battle of Makin - Pacific Theater December 26 - Battle of the North Cape - Atlantic Ocean 1944 January 22-June 5 - Battle of Anzio - Mediterranean January 31-February 3 - Battle of Kwajalein - Pacific Theater February 17-18 - Operation Hailstone (Attack on Truk) - Pacific Theater February 17-May 18 - Battle of Monte Cassino - European Theater March 17-23 - Battle of Eniwetok - Pacific Theater March 24/25 - The Great Escape - European Theater June 4 - Capture of U-505 - European Theater June 6 - Operation Deadstick (Pegasus Bridge) - European Theater June 6 - D-Day - Invasion of Normandy - European Theater June 6-July 20 - Battle of Caen - European Theater June 15-July 9 - Battle of Saipan - Pacific Theater June 19-20 - Battle of the Philippine Sea - Pacific Theater July 21-August 10 - Battle of Guam - Pacific Theater July 25-31 - Operation Cobra - Breakout from Normandy - European Theater August 12-21 - Battle of the Falaise Pocket  - European Theater August 15-September 14 - Operation Dragoon - Invasion of Southern France - European Theater September 15-November 27 - Battle of Peleliu - Pacific Theater September 17-25 - Operation Market-Garden - European Theater October 23-26 - Battle of Leyte Gulf December 16-January 25, 1945 - Battle of the Bulge - European Theater 1945 February 9 - HMS Venturer sinks U-864 - European Theater February 13-15 - Dresden Bombing - European Theater February 16-26 - Battle of Corregidor (1945) - Pacific Theater February 19-March 26 - Battle of Iwo Jima - Pacific Theater April 1-June 22 - Battle of Okinawa - Pacific Theater March 7-8 - Bridge at Remagen - European Theater March 24 - Operation Varsity - European Theater April 7 - Operation Ten-Go - Pacific Theater April 16-19 - Battle of the Seelow Heights - Eurpean Theater April 16-May 2 - Battle of Berlin - European Theater April 29-May 8 - Operations Manna Chowhound - European Theater    World War II: Conferences Aftermath | World War II: 101 | World War II: Leaders People