Deadly Serious The Allies are facing a world completely dominated by Hitler. Submarines are strangling Britain, while the Russians are losing badly, and continually retreating.  After America joins the war, the term 'Allies' is used to refer to all the countries working together to defeat Hitler. These now include America, Britain, Soviet Russia, and the British Commonwealth countries.

	Submarines Surround America When America responds to Pearl Harbor by declaring war on Japan, Hitler promptly declares war on America, a move he previously resisted. This allows him to shift his submarine attack to the American East Coast (lower right). Almost all support for the Allied war effort is shipped from American ports, and German U-boats can now choke this off with almost no loss. U-boat commanders call it the 'happy time,' attacking boldly on the surface, using just the gun on the foredeck. They sink 600 vessels.
	Germans Pushed Back The first really good news comes at the end of 1941, after Stalin is able to transfer large reserves of fresh forces from Siberia. The Soviets manage to stop the German offensive just outside Moscow, and then mount a powerful counter-attack in mid-winter. The exhausted Germans are pushed back all along the front (top right). The Soviet attack is eventually stopped after a moderation in the record-cold weather (-40° F). Meanwhile, the Germans suffer their first defeat in North Africa, in a decisive tank battle.