Germany on the Run

By the middle of 1943, the Allies are beginning to believe that they might actually be able to win this war. The Soviets not only hold their ground at Stalingrad, but are able to turn the tables and capture the attacking Germans.

Hitler's army in Russia is exhausted, and stretched far too thin, with most of its heavy equipment destroyed. Things are also going badly in Italy, where the British and Americans are teaming up to drive the Nazis back north.

The final blow is the Allied D-Day invasion of France, which catches the Germans off-guard. This is a proud moment for the Americans, who lead the assault. But Hitler's war machine has already been broken, by the Soviets.
Hitler defeat at Stalingrad, 1943 map

  Final, Desperate Push
Stopped at Moscow, Hitler diverts half his army to Stalingrad, still hoping to grab the oil. His Panzers sweep quickly across Ukraine to trap the Soviets, with their backs against the Volga River. But the difficult process of rooting out pockets of Soviet resistance in the accumulating rubble proves tedious and costly. In the end, it's the Germans who are surrounded. They surrender.

Italian Campaign, 1943 map

  Up from the South
The Allied advance up the Italian peninsula presents fresh concerns for the Germans. Starting from North Africa, the Allies first take the island of Sicily, then bypass much of southern Italy to land directly at Salerno (see map). They are stopped by strong German fortifications blocking the main road north, which are only overcome after four separate, costly attacks. The Italian campaign effectively pins down a large German force, preventing it from joining efforts to stop the D-Day invasion.


D-Day invasion, 1944 map

  Amphibious Assault
The D-Day invasion is a joint Allied effort, storming five beaches on the French coast. Total Allied forces are just one-tenth of those involved in the Battle of Moscow. Still, it's a grand spectacle, and a real nail-biter in the early going. The planned day of the assault comes in the last hours of a terrible Atlantic storm. General Eisenhower, the overall commander and future US President, hesitates until the last minute before giving the go-ahead. Landing craft have to operate in heavy, confused seas.