Rugged North Africa was the location of a desperate three-year battle between the resourceful Afrika Korps of Germany's Erwin Rommel against the inspired leadership of Britain's Lt. General Bernard Montgomery, aided by U.S. forces.
From the very onset of World War II, control of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean sea lanes was essential for the movement of troops and supplies that fueled the war effort. Thus, both oceans were well patrolled to gain strategic advantage.
World War II saw the skies over Europe, Africa, and the Pacific Ocean turn into roaring aerial battlefronts. The war began with wooden biplanes and ended with advancements in fixed-wing aircraft, culminating in new fighter jet planes.
The tank became a key strategic element on the battlefield for both Axis and Allied Forces during World War II. Advancements in tank design by the Allies helped tipped the balance in favor of Allied Forces at critical stages of the war.
Allied newsreels provided by the Imperial War Museum in London present a unique look and a fascinating record of how Allied Forces pushed the Nazi's to the brink of defeat as Fortress Europe became the main battlefield after D-Day.
The Nazis increasingly found themselves in retreat on all fronts as the net slowly tightened around the once-proud Reich. Newsreels of Allied Forces' extensive military efforts reveal how Germany's fate and defeat were ultimately sealed.
What started off as a key surprise victory at Pearl Harbor soon reversed course as the outcomes that followed at Midway, Guadalcanal, and Iwo Jima had the Japanese Navy reeling, with island after island falling into American hands.
Despite a radical turn of fortunes, the fanatical Japanese warrior code meant the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of Japanese soldiers, culminating in the blazing fury of the Kamikazes who wreaked havoc on Allied Forces with reckless abandon.