Unfortunately, World War II was host to some of the world’s most devastating battles, leading to the death of upward of 80 million people by some estimates. As a result, some battles took place during the war where the human cost was, in a word, horrific. This includes one battle where the casualty count was close to 4 million troops.
29. Battle of Pearl Harbor
- Allied powers present: 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 30 destroyers, 4 submarines, 390 aircraft
- Axis powers present: 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 9 destroyers, 28 submarines, 414 aircraft
At the time of this attack, the United States was a neutral party in the war. However, on December 7, 1944, in Oahu, Hawaii, the Imperial Japanese Naval Air Service conducted a coordinated attack on Pearl Harbor and other U.S. territories. The total casualties were 3,714, with the Allied powers suffering the most significant loss, with 3,649. The Axis had 65 losses. The United States entered the war the following day.
28. Operation Torch
- Allied powers present: 107,000 men
- Axis powers present: 60,000 men
Conducted in Northwest Africa from November 8 – 16, 1942, Operation Torch resulted in an Allied victory but at a high cost to both sides. Total casualties were 4,542, which 1,199 from the Allied powers and 3,343 from the Axis.
27. Battle of Britain
- Allied powers present: 1,963 serviceable aircraft
- Axis powers present: 2,550 serviceable aircraft
The Battle of Britain began in July 1940, when the Allied British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy’s Fleet Air Arm faced the German Luftwaffe in the English Channel. The battle resulted in 5,269 total casualties, 966 for the Allied powers and 4,303 for the Axis.
26. Battle of Wake Island
- Allied powers present: 449 USMC personnel, 6 artillery, 12 aircraft, 68 Navy personnel, 5 Army personnel
- Axis powers present: 3 light cruisers, 8 destroyers, 3 submarines, heavy cruisers, 2 aircraft carriers, 2,500 infantry
In December 1941, in the U.S. territory of Wake Island, a battle took place between American and Japanese forces. This attack happened concurrently with Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. There were a total of 7,200 casualties – 1,200 of American troops and 6,000 from Japanese forces.
25. Battle of Tarawa
- Allied powers present: 35,000 men
- Axis powers present: 3,000 men
The Battle of Tarawa was fought on Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, in the Gilbert Islands in November 1943. It was part of the U.S. invasion of the Gilberts, known as Operation Gilbert. There were 8,504 casualties—3,797 from the Allied powers and 4,707 from the Axis.
24. Battle of the Kasserine Pass
- Allied powers present: 30,000 men
- Axis powers present: 22,000 men
The Kassarine Pass is a gap in the Grand Dorsal chain of the Atlas Mountains in west central Tunisia. In November 1943, the Battle of Kassarine Pass, part of the Tunisian Campaign, took place between the Axis and Allied forces. There were 12,000 total casualties—10,000 from Allied powers and 2,000 from the Axis.
23. Battle of Leyte Gulf
- Allied powers present: 8 fleet carriers, 8 light carriers, 18 escort carriers, 12 battleships, 24 cruisers, 141 destroyers, 1,500 aircraft
- Axis powers present: 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 9 battleships, 14 heavy cruisers, 6 light cruisers, 35 destroyers, 300 aircraft
The largest naval battle of the Second World War, the Battle of Leyte Gulf took place in October 1944 and had four separate engagements ( Battle of the Sibuyan Sea, the Battle of Surigao Strait, the Battle of Cape Engaño, and the Battle of Samar). Fought between the Allied powers of the United States and Australia and the Axis powers of Japan, there were a total of 13,500 casualties – 3,000 from the Allied powers and 10,500 from the Axis.
22. Battle of Corregidor
- Allied powers present: 13,000 men
- Axis powers present: 75,000 men
The Battle of Corregidor was an attempt by the Japanese Navy to recapture the island of Corregidor in May 1942. The Allied forces were victorious, but it came at a high cost—14,900 total casualties—12,800 from Allied forces and 2,100 from the Axis.
21. Battle of Peleliu
- Allied powers present: 28,484 men
- Axis powers present: 11,000 men
The Battle of Peleliu, also known to the United States by its codename Operation Stalemate II, was conducted in September 1944 in Peleliu, Palau Islands. It resulted in an American victory but there were 20,701 total casualties – 9,804 from Allied troops and 10,897 from the Axis.
20. Operation Market Garden
- Allied powers present: 41,628 airborne troops, 1 armored division, 2 infantry divisions, 1 armored brigade
- Axis powers present: 110,000 men, 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions
In the Eindhoven-Nijmegen-Arnhem corridor, Operation Market Garden took place in September 1944 in the German-occupied Netherlands. There were a total of 30,500 casualties – 17,200 from Allied troops and 13,300 from the Axis.
19. Battle of Crete
- Allied powers present: 40,000 men
- Axis powers present: 31,700 men, 500 transports, 610 aircraft
In May 1941, Allied forces fought Axis troops in Crete, Greece in the Battle of Crete, also known as Operation Mercury. The conflict resulted in an Axis victory and saw 30,528 casualties – 23,830 from Allied troops and 6,698 from the Axis.
18. Battle of Saipan
- Allied powers present: 71,000 men
- Axis powers present: 31,000 men
The amphibious assault of the Battle of Saipan was conducted in June 1944 in the Mariana Islands. The American victory at Saipan resulted in a total of 38,234 casualties – 13,313 from the Allied powers and 24,921 from the Axis.
17. Guadalcanal Campaign
- Allied powers present: 60,000 men, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 12 destroyers
- Axis powers present: 36,200 men, 2 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 16 destroyers
The Guadalcanal Campaign took place on the British Soloman Islands in August 1942. Also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by American forces, this conflict saw an Allied victory with a total of 39,100 casualties—7,100 from the Allied powers and 32,000 from the Axis.
16. First Battle of El Alamein
- Allied powers present: 195,000 men, 1,029 tanks, 730-750 aircraft, 892-908 artillery pieces
- Axis powers present: 116,000 men, 547 tanks, 770-900 aircraft, 552 artillery pieces
The First Battle of El Alamein was a Western Desert Campaign in El Alamein, Egypt in July 1942. This battle between German and Italian Axis powers and British Allied forces resulted in a stalemate but had 44,102 total casualties – 13,560 from the Allied powers and 30,542 from the Axis.
15. Battle of Iwo Jima
- Allied powers present: 70,000 men
- Axis powers present: 22,060 men
The Battle of Iwo Jima, known as Operation Detachment to American forces, took place in February 1945 on the island of Iwo Jima, Japan. Amerian forces were victorious, but there were 48,091 total casualties – 26,031 from Allied forces and 22,060 from the Axis.
14. Siege of Tobruk
- Allied powers present: 9th, 18th, 20th, 24th Australian Brigades; 2 Australian Imperial Force, 7th, Australian Division; British 70th Infantry Division; Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade
- Axis powers present: Afrika Korps (German), Italian Army
The Siege of Tobruk that occurred in April 1941 in Tobruk, Libya ended with an Allied victory. There were 50,272 total casualties – 5,929 from the Allied powers and 44,343 from the Axis.
13. Warsaw Uprising
- Allied powers present: 49,000 men
- Axis powers present: 25,000 men
This operation, conducted by the Polish Resistance, took place in Warsaw, Poland, in August 1944. Led by the Polish Home Army, the Warsaw Uprising, also known as the August Uprising, ended with a German Victory. There were 68,660 total casualties – 36,000 from the Allied powers and 32,660 from the Axis.
12. Battle of Monte Cassino
- Allied powers present: US 5th Army, British 8th Army, 1,900 tanks, 4,000 aircraft
- Axis powers present: German 10th Army
Also known as the Battle of Rome, the Battle of Monte Cassino was conducted in January 1944 in Monte Cassino, Italy. It comprised a series of four assaults and ended with an Allied victory. There were 75,000 total casualties—55,000 from the Allied powers and 20,000 from the Axis.
11. Battle of Dunkirk
- Allied powers present: 338,226 men, 850 transports
- Axis powers present: 800,000 men
Fought in May 1940 in Dunkirk, France, the Battle of Dunkirk was conducted between the Allies and Nazi Germany and had 81,774 total casualties – 61,774 from the Allies and 20,000 from the Axis.
10. Battle of Anzio
- Allied powers present: 150,000 men
- Axis powers present: 135,000 men
This Italian campaign occurred in January 1944 in Anzio and Nettuno, Italy. The Battle of Anzio resulted in an Allied victory and the liberation of Rome. There were 83,000 total casualties – 43,000 from the Allies and 40,000 from the Axis.
9. Battle of Singapore
- Allied powers present: 85,000 men
- Axis powers present: 36,000 men
The Battle of Singapore, also known as the Fall of Singapore, took place in February 1942 when Japanese forces were victorious in capturing the British stronghold of Singapore. There were 89,485 total casualties – 85,000 from the Allies and 4,485 from the Axis.
8. Battle of the Bulge
- Allied powers present: 840,000 men, 1,300 tanks, 394 artillery
- Axis powers present: 500,000 men, 1,800 tanks, 1,900 artillery
This significant German offensive occurred on the Western Front in the Ardennes Forest (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany). The Battle of the Bulge, also known as the Ardennes Offensive occurred in December 1944 and resulted in an Allied victory. There were 158,000 total casualties – 90,900 from the Allies and 67,200 from the Axis.
7. Battle of Okinawa
- Allied powers present: 183,000 men, 1,300 ships (including 40 aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines), 12,000 aircraft
- Axis powers present: 120,000 men, 1,500 ships (including battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines), 2,000 aircraft
The Battle of Okinawa, codenamed Operation Iceberg, was fought in April 1945 on Okinawa Island, Japan. The United States Army and Marines engaged in battle with the Imperial Japanese Army, which resulted in an Allied victory. There were 167,000 total casualties – 50,000 from the Allies and 117,000 from the Axis.
6. Battle of Sicily
- Allied powers present: 467,000 men, 600 tanks, 14,000 vehicles
- Axis powers present: 290,000 men, 260 tanks, 1,400 aircraft
This major campaign, also known as the Allied Invasion of Sicily or Operation Husky, saw Allied powers invade the Italian island, resulting in an Allied victory. There were 191,820 total casualties – 24,820 from the Allies and 167,000 from the Axis.
5. Battle of Greece
- Allied powers present: 692,612 men, 120 tanks, 200-300 aircraft
- Axis powers present: 1,245,000 men, 1363 tanks, 700 aircraft
The Battle of Greece, also known as the German Invasion of Greece or Operation Marita, took place in April 1941 and with an Axis victory, resulted in the occupation of Greece. There were 200,989 total casualties – 93,389 from the Allies and 107,600 from the Axis.
4. Operation Overlord
- Allied powers present: 2,052,299 men
- Axis powers present: 640,000 men
Part of the D-Day invasion in Normandy, Northern France in June 1944, Operation Overlord was a victory for the Allied powers. The total casualties came to 676,386 – 226,386 for the Allied troops and 450,000 for the Axis.
3. Battle of Berlin
- Allied powers present: 2,500,000 men, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery
- Axis powers present: 766,750 men, 2,224 aircraft, 9,303 artillery
The Battle of Berlin was the final decisive victory for the Allies, which brought down the Third Reich. Fought in Berlin, Germany, in April 1945, there were 1.161,367 total casualties – 361,367 for the Allies and 800,000 for the Axis.
2. Battle of Stalingrad
- Allied powers present: 1,143,000 men, 13,451 artillery pieces, 894 tanks, 1,115 aircraft
- Axis powers present: 600,000 men, 640 tanks, 732 aircraft
Another major battle on the Eastern Front was the Battle of Stalingrad in the Soviet Union in August 1942. This battle resulted in a Soviet victory; the total casualties were 2,197,993, of which 1,129,619 were from the Allies and 1.068,374 were from the Axis.
1. Siege of Leningrad
- Allied powers present: 930,000 men in initial force
- Axis powers present: 725,000 men in initial force
The Siege of Leningrad, which saw a successful Soviet victory, occurred in September 1941 in Leningrad, Soviet Union. This siege had the most total casualties of the war, 3,936,066, of which 3,436,066 were Allied forces and 500,000 were the Axis.
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