Most Interesting WW2 Battle

what ww2 battle interests you the most and just stands out to you.my favorite is the battle of the bulge.

 

For an Australian, the Seige of Tobruk and the Kokoda Track.

My father in law was at Tobruk and it is the one battle that I would actually have liked to participated in.

The first time the German 'Blitzkreig' was defeated in WW2.



John.

 

For me I like the Battle of Kursk as my of my favorites. As it was the largest tank battle unmatched in history as well as it was the final point in securing total Russian offensive dominance.

 

Cassino, thousands of brave men and nurses overcame incredible odds while fighting the Germans on a defensive stand. My uncle was there.

 

Among my "favorite" battles to study are the battles of Normandy, Leningrad, and Kursk.

 

Midway, the N. African campaign (all of it, I know that's a cheat), and Normandy.

 

battle of france 1940. Including the political battles.

 

Monte Cassino and Operation Market Garden

 

Battle for Crete for the Brave Defence of the Island by the NZ/AUS and British Troops against overwhelming odds

 

France 1940 campaign is something I never get tired of.

In the military part there is so much to take from. The OODA loop, mission command and combined arms stand out as battlewinning factors in that campaign.

The political aspect show how difficult coalition warfare is. Quick change of governments, choices that are made for political rather than sound military reasons.

And then the aftermath, where national pride get's in the way for absorbing lessons learned.

Even a such decisive victory could have easily gone the other way on several occations.

The east front has plenty of interesting points. Shifting focus during the autumn of 41, and the following debacle.

North Africa, or the British proving ground, is interesting since it is here that most of the pieces of the puzzle comes together.

France 44. The circle is closed. Britain has absorbed all the lessons from several setbacks and are finally par with the finest warriors of the war.

 

Well said Sir. I loved the "complete the circle" image, which makes the entire war a "favorite", not a single battle.

 

Good reason, in the same vein if I had to pick a certain "battle" then, it would be the mid-August conflict at Falaise. For a completely selfish reason. It was during this battle that my Father flew his last cargo support drop in his C-47. When he returned to Greenham Common after dropping food and medical supplies to the British on the north and the Americans on the south, he was given the news he had completed his required sorties into "contested airspace" and would be rotated home to instruct.

He was sure he was going to get his number (I think he said 45) in the month of July when Operation Cobra occurred, but he only got three sorties during July. He didn’t get back to the states until the beginning of Sept., but he was "out of the war" from then on. He married his high school sweetheart in 1946, and here I am!

 

Leningrad for me as this is where im from and where a large portion of my family fought and suffered. The entire siege to me is a testament of what man can endure and accomplish when fighting for what he loves.


Others would be Stalingrad, Vilnus, Talin, etc. Other places where my family fought.

 

Since I'm Polish Mount Cassino is pretty high up on the list.

But I must say Battle of Hurtgen forest (by FAR)

 

Bataan (winner by a landslide)

the rest:
- Pearl Harbor
- Midway
- Normandy
- Market Garden
(I blame the movies: Tora Tora, Midway, Longest Day, and bridge Too Far)

 

Invasion of Normandy / D-Day. Incedible feat of logistics and engineering.

 

Kursk the land & air battles.

Battle of Budapest and the sieges of Danzig, Kolberg and Breslau along with the Battle of the Seelow Heights and Berlin.

 

Battle off Samar! As James D Hornfischer would call it "The USN's finest hour"

Others would be any sea battle that didn't include carriers.

If I have to pick a land battle than Saipan. It's were my uncle eaned his Silver Star and Purple Heart.

 

The battle of Midway.