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ROYAL, DOMINION & ALLIED NAVIES in WORLD WAR 2

Campaigns, Battles, Warship Losses, Military Background

by Gordon Smith, Naval-History.Net


Links to Main World War 2 Pages:
- Royal Navy Organisation
- Casualties - killed, died, missing
- 1,000 Warship Service Histories
- Convoy Escort Movements
- Battles, Major Warship Losses
- Naval & Military Campaigns
- Navies Daily, 1939-42
- Admiralty War Diaries

on to Introduction
or return to World War 2, 1939-1945


In Memory of my father, ORDNANCE ARTIFICER GEORGE SMITH 1916-43

 



Based on the "The War at Sea" by Gordon Smith, published by Ian Allan 1989

"an invaluable reference book on the war at sea .... as well as an informative guide to naval strategy", Lloyds List

"enormously helpful and a great time-saver" .... "I only wish it had come out about four years ago" - John Terraine, Sunday Telegraph

"... a remarkable book. ... For the researcher or professional reader, "The War at Sea" will be invaluable. The general reader .... will benefit from having the whole picture explained .... and .... from the simplicity and conciseness of the information and its presentation" - Ships Monthly



Photographs are mainly courtesy of Steve Johnson of Cyberheritage (CH). My thanks to him



     
    Internet/E-Book and Original Introductions
  1 Beginning & End, Battle Honours, Victoria Cross at Sea, 1939-45
     
1939 2 Atlantic & Europe at the Start, Main Role of Royal Navy
  3 Battle of Atlantic starts, 'Phoney War' on land, Battle of River Plate
     
1940 4 Invasion of Norway, Battles of Narvik, Blitzkrieg on Western Europe, Dunkirk evacuation starts
  5 Evacuation of Dunkirk ends, Italy at war, Action at sea in the Mediterranean, France falls
  6 Mediterranean at the Start, including North Africa, East Africa, Near or Middle East
  7 Fall of France, Battle of Britain, War in Mediterranean
  8 U-boat packs in Atlantic, Blitz on Britain, Attack on Taranto, German raiders at sea
     
1941 9 Battle of Cape Matapan, Battles for Greece & Crete, Capture of U.110, Enigma codes, Loss of 'Hood', sinking of 'Bismarck'
  10 Invasion of Russia, Malta Convoys, Japan prepares for war
  11 Indian & Pacific Oceans at the Start
  12 Pearl Harbor attacked, Loss of 'Repulse' & 'Prince of Wales', Singapore falls, 'Channel Dash' by German big ships, to February 1942
     
1942 13 Russian convoys, Raid on St Nazaire, Battle of Sirte Gulf, SE Asia & SW Pacific occupied, British landings on Madagascar
  14 Malta, Atlantic & Russian convoy battles, Raid on Dieppe, Battles of Midway, Alamein, and for Guadalcanal
  15 Landings in French North Africa ('Torch'), Final battles for Guadalcanal & Stalingrad, 'Cockleshell heroes', Battle of Barents Sea, to January 1943
     
1943 16 Battles for Tunis & North Africa, Battle of Atlantic peaks, U-boats withdraw, 'Dambusters' raid'
  17 Invasion of Sicily ('Husky'), Battle of Kursk, Italy surrenders, Salerno landings ('Avalanche'), U-boat packs return to Atlantic, X-craft attack 'Tirpitz'
  18 British Aegean campaign, Battle for Italy, Battles for New Guinea & Solomons, US landings on Tarawa, 'Scharnhorst' sunk in Battle of North Cape, Burma campaign
     
1944 19 Air war on Germany, Atlantic & Russian convoy battles, Anzio landings ('Shingle'), Indian Ocean operations, Battles of Cassino, Preparations for D-day
  20 Invasion of Normandy ('Overlord'),Capture of Rome,  V-1's on England, Saipan landings & Battle of Philippines Sea, Attacks on 'Tirpitz', S of France landings ('Dragoon')
  21 Western Allies cross into Germany, U-boat's British Inshore campaign, V.2's hit London, Russians reach Eastern Europe, Battles of Leyte Gulf
     
1945 22 Russians reach Germany, Indian Ocean operations, British inshore & Russian convoy battles continue, US takes Iwo Jima, British Pacific Fleet in action, Okinawa invaded, Defeat of Germany
  23 Germany surrenders, Battle of Atlantic ends,  Italy taken, Burma & Okinawa conquered, A-Bombs tested & dropped, Defeat of Japan
 


on to Introduction
or return to World War 2, 1939-1945

revised 13/12/10