List of battles 1901-2000

From Free net encyclopedia

List of battles - List of battles before 601 - List of battles 601-1400 - List of battles 1401-1800 - List of battles 1801-1900 - List of battles 1901-2000 - List of battles 2001-current

Major Battles of the Twentieth Century

Contents 1 1901 - 1925 2 1926 - 1950 3 1951 - 1975 4 1976 - 2000

1901 - 1925

• 1901 Balangiga Massacre September 28 - Filipino guerrillas launch a surprise attack on soldiers of the 9th U.S. Infantry and massacred nearly all of them. Most infamous battle of the Philippine-American War.
• 1904 -
  • Battle of Port Arthur February 9 - Protracted Japanese siege of the Russian fortress; start of Russo-Japanese War
  • Battle of Yalu River May 2 - First Japanese land victory against the Russians
  • Battle of Nanshan May 25-26 - Japanese defeat Russians in a pitched battle outside of Port Arthur
  • Battle of Dairen May 30 - Japanese defeat Russians
  • Battle of Te-li-Ssu June 14-15 - Russian attempt to relieve Port Arthur smashed by the Japanese
  • Battle of the Yellow Sea August 10 - Russian naval breakout attempt from Port Arthur defeated by Japanese fleet
  • Battle of the Japanese Sea August 14 - Japanese forces force Russians to scuttle the cruiser Ryurik.
  • Battle of Liaoyang August 26-September 3 - Japanese defeat Russians in the first major battle of the Russo-Japanese War
  • Battle of Sha-ho River October 11-15 - Russian counteroffensive in Manchuria is checked with heavy losses by the Japanese
• 1905 -
  • Siege of Port Arthur (ended January 2) - Japanese attack on Port Arthur.
  • Battle of San-de-pu January 25-29 - Another failed Russian counteroffensive in Manchuria
  • Battle of Mukden February 23-March 7 Largest battle of all time when fought, a glorious Japanese victory
  • Battle of Tsushima May 27-28 - Admiral Togo's decisive victory over Russian Baltic fleet in the Straits of Tshushima
• 1908 Battle of Marakesh August 23 - Mulay Hafid successfully revolts against Morocco Sultan
• 1912 -
  • Battle of Lemnos October 8- Greek Marines Occupy the Ottoman held port of Moudros on the Island of Lemnos
  • Battle of Sarantaporo October 9- Greeks defeat Ottomans near Koritza
  • Battle of Giannitsa October 19- Greeks defeat Ottoman Turks in Central Macedonia
  • Battle of Kumanovo October 23- Serbians defeat Ottomans in N.Macedonia
  • Battle of Kirk Kelesse October 24- Bulgarians defeat Ottomans in E.Thrace
  • Battle of Pente Pigadia October 24-30- Greeks defeat Ottomans in seven day battle near Bizani
  • Battle of Prelep October 27- Serbians defeat Ottomans
  • Battle of Lule-Burgas October 31-November 3- Bulgarians compel Ottomans to full retreat toward the lines of Tchataldja, 30 km from Constantinople and the last line of defense for the Ottoman Capital
  • Battle of Vevi November 2- Successful Turkish counter offensive against Greek positions
  • Battle of Monastir November 16-19- Decisive and final defeat in Macedonia of the Ottomans by the Serbians
  • Naval Battle of Dardanelles December 3- Greek navy defeats Ottoman fleet & forces it to retreat to its base within the Dardanelles straits
• 1913 -
  • Naval Battle of Lemnos January 1-18- Greek navy defeats Ottoman fleet near the Island of Lemnos in final naval engagement of the war
  • Battle of Bizani February 20-21 Greeks defeat last operational Ottoman army in the Balkans and capture city of Ioanina
  • Adrianople March 6- Fall of the city to the forces of Bulgaria and Serbia and the capture of Turkish Gen Ghazi Shulkri Pasha
  • Battle of Kilkis-Lahanas June 19-21 Greeks defeat Bulgarians in the three day battle for Kilkis
  • Battle of Kalimantsi July 15-18- Bulgarian defensive victory against the Serbs
  • Battle of Kresna Gorge July 29- Inconclusive ten day battle between Bulgaria and Greece
  • Battle of Dul Madoba
• 1914 -
  • Liège August 4-17 - Germans invade Belgium; start of World War I
  • Battle of Mulhouse August 9 Part of the Battle of the Frontiers, France takes town but then loses it again.
  • Battle of Lorraine August 14 German victory in World War I
  • Battle of Cer August 16-19 - Serbian forces push back Austro-Hungarian invasion.
  • Battle of Stalluponen August 17 - First battle on the Russian Eastern Front in World War I
  • Battle of Gumbinnen August 19-20 - Russians defeat German Eighth Army, advance deeper into East Prussia
  • Battle of the Ardennes August 21
  • Battle of Charleroi August 21
  • Battle of Mons August 23 British forces hold Germans back.
  • Battle of Tannenberg August 26 - Samsonov's Russian Second Army encircled and destroyed by the German Eighth Army
  • Battle of Le Cateau (August 26 - August 27) - Allied Powers retreat from German forces.
  • First Battle of Lemberg (August 26 - September 11) - Russia defeats Austria-Hungary.
  • First Battle of Heligoland Bight August 28 - First major naval engagement of World War I - heavy German losses
  • Battle of Guise (August 29 - August 30) - Belgians delay Germans to allow British to rest.
  • Siege of Maubeuge (August 24 - September 7) - Germans capture fortress
  • First Battle of the Marne September 5-9 - German invasion of France halted by Allies
  • First Battle of the Masurian Lakes September 9-14 - German Eighth Army defeats Rennenkampf's Russian First Army
  • First Battle of the Aisne (September 13 - September 28) - Indecisive battle in France.
  • Siege of Przemyśl (September 17 - March 22, 1915) - Russians initially unsuccessful, but second siege attempt succeeds.
  • Siege of Antwerp September 28
  • Battle of the Vistula River (September 29 - October 31) - Russians defeat Germans under August von Mackensen.
  • Battle of the Yser (October 16 - October 31) - French and Belgian victory.
  • First Battle of Ypres (October 19 - November 22) - Early trench warfare; "Kindermord bei Ypern"
  • Battle of Penang October 28 - German victory, two allied ships sink near Malaysia.
  • Battle of Coronel November 1 - Admiral Graf Spee defeats Admiral Cradock
  • Battle of Tanga November 3 - November 5, Colonel Paul von Lettow-Vorbeck defeats General Arthur Aitken in German East Africa
  • Fao Landing November 6 - British begin the Mesopotamian Campaign against the Ottoman Empire.
  • Battle of Cocos November 9 - Australia defeats Germany in a naval battle.
  • Battle of Łódź November 11 - Russians take city, lose it on December 6
  • Battle of Elhri November 13 - Moroccan tribes defeat French troops
  • Battle of Cracow November 16 - heavy casualties to Austria and Russia
  • Battle of Lowicz November 30-December 17 - Russians take city
  • Battle of Kolubara December 3-6 - Serbians drive out Austrians
  • Battle of Falkland Islands December 8 - British defeat Admiral Graf Spee
• 1915 -
  • Battle of Jassin (January 18 - January 19) - German victory in East Africa during World War I.
  • Battle of Dogger Bank (1915) January 24 - Admiral Beatty drives off Vice-Admiral Hipper's raiding force, sinks Blücher
  • First Suez Offensive (January 28 - February 3) - Ottoman attack fails.
  • Battle of Bolimov January 31 - Cold weather thwarts German gas attack against Russians.
  • Second Battle of the Masurian Lakes February 7-22 Initial German attack is highly successful but further attacks are repulsed
  • Battle of Gallipoli February 19-January 8 1916 The Allied powers attempt a failed frontal assault on the Ottoman Empire
  • Landing at Cape Helles April 25 - British amphibious assault against the Ottoman Empire during World War I.
  • First Battle of Krithia April 28 - British attack fails.
  • Landing at Anzac Cove (April 25 - May 3) - Australia and New Zealand successfully land but later get bogged down.
  • Second Battle of Krithia (May 6 - May 8) - Second British attack uses same plan, also fails.
  • Second Battle of Ypres (April 22 - May 25) - Germans use poison gas
  • Third Battle of Krithia June 4 - Temporary British success reversed by Ottoman counter-attack.
  • Battle of Gully Ravine (June 28 - July 5) - British and Indian forces defeat Ottoman Empire.
  • First Battle of the Isonzo (June 23 - July 7) - Failed Italian attack on Austrian positions in the Alps.
  • Second Battle of the Isonzo (July 18 - August 3) - Second attempt on Austrian positions fails.
  • Battle of Chunuk Bair (August 6 - August 10) - Ottomans defeat Britain and New Zealand.
  • Battle of Lone Pine (August 6 - August 12) - Australians stop Ottoman attack, but it was only a diversion.
  • Battle of Krithia Vineyard (August 6 - August 13) - Turkish diversionary attack to allow for Sari Bair Offensive.
  • Landing at Suvla Bay (August 6 - August 15) - The main attack for which the two diversions were staged. Ottoman victory.
  • Battle of the Nek August 7 - Ottomans defeat Australians.
  • Battle of Scimitar Hill August 21 - Decisive battle of the Gallipoli Campaign, Ottoman victory.
  • Battle of Hill 60 (Gallipoli) - Final British attempt to take Gallipoli fails.
  • Battle of Loos September 25-28
  • Third Battle of the Isonzo (October 18 - November 3) - Austrians endure massive Italian bombardment.
  • Battle of Ctesiphon - Indecisive battle between British and Ottoman forces.
  • Siege of Kut (December 7 - April 29, 1916)- Ottoman forces led by a German general capture the city.
• 1916 -
  • Battle of Verdun February 21 - December Five-month battle kills 700,000
  • Battle of Dujaila March 8 - Failed British attempt to relieve the Siege of Kut.
  • Battle of Asiago March 11 - Massive Austrian counter-offensive against Italy.
  • Battle of Jutland May 31 - last engagement of the German High Seas Fleet
  • Brusilov offensive June - Russia nearly collapses Austria but losses are staggering
  • 2nd Battle of Albert July 1 - Opening day of the Allied Power offensive known as the Battle of the Somme
  • Battle of Bazentin Ridge July 14 - British victory during the Somme offensive.
  • Battle of Fromelles (July 19 - July 20) - German victory south of the rest of the Somme offensive.
  • Battle of Pozières (July 23 - August 7) - British and Australian forces take and hold town.
  • Battle of Romani August 3 - Turkish advance on Suez Canal defeated
  • Sixth Battle of the Isonzo (August 6 - August 17) - Italian victory during World War I.
  • Battle of Mouquet Farm (August 8 - September 27) - Allied Powers advance toward German fortification.
  • Battle of Guillemont (September 3 - September 9) - Allied Powers capture city.
  • Battle of Ginchy September 9 - Irish capture town from Germans, but suffer heavy casualties.
  • Battle of Flers-Courcelette September 15 - Bad weather thwarts Allied attempt to break through German defenses.
  • Battle of Morval September 25 - British progress resumes after Fleurs-Courcelette, but French unable to match British progress.
  • Battle of Thiepval Ridge (September 26 - September 28) - German positions captured by Allied Powers.
  • Battle of Le Transloy (October 1 - November 5) - Failed attempt to capture German defenses.
  • Battle of the Ancre November 13 - Allied Powers advance further, final battle of the 1916 Somme Campaign.
  • Battle of Segale - Negus Mikael, marching on the Ethiopian capital in support of his son Emperor Iyasus V, is defeated by Fitawrari Habte Giyorgis, securing the throne for Empress Zauditu.
  • Battle of Ctesiphon November 22-25 - Anglo Indian advance up the Tigris River in Mesopotamia turned back.
  • Battle of Magdhaba December 23 - Capture of Turkish garrison in the Sinai
  • Siege of Kut December 7, 1916 - April 29, 1917 - Siege and surrender of the 6th Poona Division in Mesopotamia in the tiny town of Kut el-Amara on the Tigris.
• 1917 -
  • Battle of Rafa January 9 - Capture of Turkish garrison in the Sinai
  • Second Battle of Kut February 23 - British forces once again take Kut.
  • Fall of Baghdad (March 8 - March 11) British forces capture the city.
  • First Battle of Gaza March 26 - British fail to advance into Palestine
  • Vimy Ridge April 9 - Canada's finest hour
  • Second Battle of Gaza April 19 - Turkey repels British assault on Gaza-Beersheba line
  • Passchendaele July 31 - also known as Third Battle of Ypres. Three-month battle costs Britain 400,000
  • Battle of Caporetto October 24 - Also known as the Twelfth Battle of the Isonzo - Italians defeated by Central Powers, driven back to Venice
  • Battle of Beersheba October 31 - Australian light horse capture Beersheba
  • Third Battle of Gaza (October 31 - November 7) - British break Turkish defensive line in southern Palestine
  • Second Battle of Heligoland Bight November 17 - Indecisive naval battle, one ship sinks on each side.
  • Battle of Cambrai (November 20 - December 7) - First successful use of tanks
  • Battle of Jerusalem (December 8 - December 26) - British forces capture the city of Jerusalem from the Ottoman Empire.
• 1918 -
  • Battle of Tampere March 8 - April 6 in Finnish Civil War
  • Battle of Cantigny May 28 - US First Division wins in first independent action
  • Battle of the Piave River June 15 - June 22 Downfall of Austria in World War I.
  • Battle of Belleau Wood June 25 - US Second Division Marines capture woods
  • Battle of Hamel July 4 - Australian success with departure from massed frontal assaults
  • Second Battle of the Marne July 15 - 18 - Allies halt four month German drive
  • Battle of Chateau Thierry July 18
  • Battle of Amiens August 8 - August 11 - British force Germans to Hindenburg line
  • Battle of Havrincourt September 12 - British victory, German morale begins to weaken.
  • Battle of Saint-Mihiel (September 12 - September 19) - Americans defeat Germans.
  • Battle of Epéhy September 18 - British and Australians defeat Germans.
  • Battle of Megiddo September 19 - Allenby's British crush Ottoman army
  • Battle of Meuse Argonne Forest, September 26-November 11 - Largest AEF action of war; Allied victory. (In it, October 8, Cpl. Alvin York, outnumbered 19:1, leads capture of German machine-gun nest)
  • Battle of Vittorio Veneto October 23 - November 3
  • Second Battle of the Sambre November 4 - Allied Power victory during final phase of World War I.
  • Battle of Przemyśl (November 11 - November 12) - Polish forces capture town from Ukrainians.
• 1919 -
  • Battle of Bereza Kartuska February 14 - Polish victory during Polish-Bolshevik War
  • Battle of Lwów (November 1918 - June 1919) - city besieged by the Ukrainian forces.
  • Battle of Daugavpils (September 28 - January 15, 1920) - Polish victory in Latvia.
• 1920 -
  • Battle of Wołodarka May 29 - May 31 - Polish victory during Polish-Bolshevik War.
  • Battle of Bystrzyk May 31 - Polish victory by surprise attack.
  • Battle of Boryspol June 2 - Polish capture Russian supplies.
  • Battle of Radzymin August 12 - August 15 - Town changes hands twice during Polish-Bolshevik War.
  • Battle of Nasielsk August 14 - August 15 - Minor Polish victory as part of the action around Warsaw.
  • Battle of Zadwórze August 17 - Polish army defeated by the Red Army forces of Semyon Budennyi
  • Battle of Warsaw August 13 - August 25 - Poles defeat Red Army
  • Battle of Raszyn (August)
  • Battle of Giby August 30 - Lithuanian withdrawal successfully mediated by French at request of Poland during Polish-Lithuanian War.
  • Battle of Komarow August 31 - Decisive Polish victory.
  • Battle of the Niemen river September 15 - September 25 - Poles defeat the reserves of the Red Army
• 1921 -
  • First Battle of Inonu (January 9 - January 11) - Greek reconnaissance-in-force, indecisive.
  • Second Battle of Inonu (March 26 - March 31) - Turkish forces victorious.
  • Battle of Annual July 21 near Annual, Morocco, Spanish army loses to Rifi berbers of Abd el Krim.
  • Battle of Sakarya - Farthest Greek advance in Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) ("Turkish War of Independence")
• 1922 Battle of Dumlupinar - Final battle of Greco-Turkish War (1919-1922) ("Turkish War of Independence")
• 1923 Beer Hall Putsch (November 8 - November 9) - Failed NSDAP uprising in Munich, Hitler wounded and captured.

1926 - 1950

• 1931 Mukden Incident September 18 - Japanese forces create a pretext to invade Manchuria, start of Second Sino-Japanese War.
• 1932 First Battle of Shanghai (January 28 - March 3) - Battle halted by a cease-fire, leads to demilitarization of city.
• 1933 -
  • Defense of the Great Wall (January 1 - May 31) - Chinese forces forced back from Great Wall, results in another truce.
  • Battle of Rehe (February 21 - March 1) - Japanese forces capture Chinese town.
• 1936 -
  • Battle of Badajoz (August 14) - Nationalists storm Badajoz.
• 1937 -
  • Battle of Guadalajara (March 8 - March 23) - Spanish Republicans defeat Italians.
  • Battle of Guernica April 26 - April 28 Franco's forces capture Guernica following a Luftwaffe bombing.
  • Battle of Lugou Bridge July 7 - Japanese victory triggered outbreak of the Sino-Japanese War
  • Battle of Beiping-Tianjin (July 25 - July 31) - China vs. Japan.
  • Second Battle of Shanghai (August 13 - November 9) - Japanese forces invade the Chinese city, forcing a Chinese evacuation.
  • Battle of El Mazuco (September) - Nationalist victory during Spanish Civil War.
  • Battle of Pingxingguan September 25 - Japanese blunders result in Chinese victory.
  • Battle of Xinkou (September 13 - November 8) - Japanese forces defeat National Revolutionary Army of China.
  • Battle of Taiyuan (September 1 - November 9 - Japanese victory ends large-scale resistance in Northern China.
  • Battle of Nanjing early November to December 13 - Japanese victory after 2 months siege of the capital of Republic of China.
• 1938 -
  • Battle of Cape Palos (March 5 - March 6) - Republican victory over Italy during Spanish Civil War.
  • Battle of Tai er zhuang March 27 - Chinese claim strategic and moral victory over Japanese
  • Battle of Xuzhou (December 1937 - May) - Japanese victory, Chinese forced to destroy Yellow River dikes.
  • Battle of Wuhan (July - October) - Chiang Kai-shek leads Chinese forces. Result is Japanese phyrric victory.
  • Battle of the Ebro (July 25 - November 16) - Spanish Republicans launch attacks across the Ebro river. The purpose of the battle is to relieve pressure off of Valencia and Catalonia. It is soon to become the descisive battle of the war, and a Republican defeat.
  • Battle of Lake Khasan
• 1939 -
  • Battle of Nanchang (March 17 - May 9) - Japanese forces defeat Nationalist Chinese.
  • Battle of Suixian-Zaoyang May 24 - Chinese counterattack successful.
  • Battle of Halhin Gol (May - September)
  • Blitzkrieg Attack on Poland September 1 - October 6 - Start of World War II in Europe, German victory
  • Battle of the Bzura River September 9 - 19
  • Battle of Tomaszow Lubelski September 17 - 26
  • Battle of Warsaw September 8 - 28
  • First Battle of Changsha (September 17 - October 6) - Chinese forces successfully defend city. Heavy Japanese casualties.
  • Battle of Kock October 2 - 5
  • Battle of Tolvajärvi December 12 - Colonel Paavo Talvela's Finnish forces defeat Soviet Union forces.
  • Battle of Suomussalmi (December 8 - January 7 1940) - During Winter War, Hjalmar Siilasvuo leads Finnish to victory over Soviets.
  • Battle of the River Plate December 13 - Admiral Graf Spee chased into Montevideo harbour and scuttled
  • Battle of Summa December 23 - Finnish attack thwarted during Winter War.
• 1940 -
  • Battle of the Atlantic (1940 - 1945) - the name given to the conflicts in the Atlantic Ocean throughout World War II.
  • Battle of South Henan - Chinese Nationalists led by Li Zongren defeat Japanese.
  • Battle of Honkaniemi February 26 - Only tank action of the Winter War.
  • Battle of Salla February 28 - Finnish victory during Winter War.
  • Battle of Petsamo March 12 - Russian victory during Winter War.
  • Battle of Drøbak Sound April 9 - German naval attack thwarted by Norwegian forces.
  • Battle of Midtskogen (April 9 - April 10) - Norwegian forces defeat German raiding party.
  • Battle of Narvik April 9 - June 10 - A minor Allied victory in the Arctic.
  • Battle at the Afsluitdijk May 10 - May 14
  • Battle of France May 9 - May 15 - Germany takes on France, British Expeditionary Force and French Army Defeated
  • Battle of the Netherlands ([[May 10 - May 17) - Germany invades The Netherlands.
  • Battle of Dunkirk May 27 - June 5 - Escape of defeated British Expeditionary Forces
  • Battle of Mers-el-Kebir July 3 - British navy destroys Vichy Fleet off the coast of North Africa.
  • Battle of Calabria July 9 - British forces fight indecisive naval battle with Italians.
  • Battle of Cape Spada July 19 - British and Australian forces sink an Italian cruiser.
  • Battle of Britain July 9 - October 31 Germans try to bomb Britain into submission - RAF answers with fighters
  • Battle of Taranto November 11-November 12 - British carrier-based planes destroy Italian fleet at Taranto Harbor.
  • Battle of Cape Spartivento November 27 - British Navy under James Somerville fights indecisive battle with Italy.
  • Battle of Hundred Regiments - Major engagement of the Red Army against the Japanese Imperial Army in August and September.
• 1941 -
  • Battle of Shanggao (March 14 - April 9) - Chinese victory.
  • Battle of Cape Matapan March 28 - British Royal Navy task force defeats Italian fleet.
  • Battle of Greece (April 6 - April 24) - Germany takes the Balkan Peninsula after Italian Stalemate.
  • Battle of South Shanxi (May 7 - May 27) - Japanese victory in China.
  • Battle of Denmark Strait May 23 - Bismarck sinks HMS Hood
  • Sinking of the Bismarck May 27 - Famous German Battleship is lost.
  • Battle of Crete May 20 - June 1 - German paratroopers capture Crete, suffer many casualties.
  • Operation Barbarossa June 22 - German invasion of the Soviet Union
  • Battle of Białystok-Minsk (June 22 - June 29) - German victory in Belarus.
  • Battle at Brody - Rovno June 24 - June 26 - One of the largest tank battles of the World War II
  • Battle of Kiev July 7 - September 26 - The largest encirclement battle of the World War II
  • Battle of Smolensk July 10 - September 10 - Soviet attempt to block Wehrmacht's advance on Moscow
  • Battle of Uman August 8 - German victory over Soviet Union.
  • Siege of Leningrad (September 8 - January 18, 1944) - City endures three-year Nazi siege.
  • Second Battle of Changsha (September 6 - October 8) - Failed Japanese attempt to take city.
  • Battle of Borodino
  • Siege of Tobruk (March 31 - November 27) - Erwin Rommel defeated in North Africa.
  • Battle of Rostov November 27 - Germans forced to withdraw despite Hitler's orders, but Soviets suffer over 140,000 casaulties.
  • Battle of Pearl Harbor December 7 - Japanese carrier task force destroys U.S. Fleet in surprise attack
  • Battle of Malaya December 8 - Japan invades Malaysia.
  • Naval Battle of Singapore December 10 - Japanese torpedo craft sunk HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse.
  • Battle of Cape Bon December 13 - Italian naval defeat.
  • First Battle of Sirte December 17 - Angelo Iachino defeats Andrew Cunningham in a naval battle.
  • Battle of Wake Island (December 8 - December 23) - Japanese forces capture the Pacific Island.
  • Battle of Prachuab Khirikhan (December 8 - December 23) - Japan conquers Thailand.
  • Battle of Hong Kong (December 8 - December 25) - Japanese drive British forces from their Chinese territory.
• 1942 -
  • Third Battle of Changsha (December 24, 1941 - January 15) - Chinese forces battle Japanese back during another Japanese attack on that city.
  • Battle of Makassar Strait January - U.S. and Dutch forces attack Japanese convoy
  • Battle of Drazgose January 9 - First frontal engagement on Slovenian soil with the German occupier
  • Battle of Moscow January 17 Soviet defenders drive back German Army Group Centre
  • First Battle of Rabaul January 23 - Japanese victory.
  • Battle of Ambon (January 30 - February 3) - Japanese victory in the Dutch East Indies.
  • Battle of Singapore (January 31 - February 15) - Japanese forces capture city in Malaya.
  • Battle of Badung Strait (February 18 - February 19) - Japanese naval victory despite friendly fire incident.
  • Darwin Air Raids February 19 - Australian city hit by Japanese aerial attacks.
  • Battle of the Java Sea February 4 - March 1 Japanese wipe out Allied naval squadron
  • Second Battle of Sirte March 22 - Iachino is victorious over British naval forces.
  • Japanese Raids into Indian Ocean March 31 - Japanese Raids against the British Eastern Fleet. Heavy British losses.
  • Battle of Bataan January 1 - April 9 Gen. Douglas MacArthur'sUSAFFE make gallant stand, U.S. and Filipino prisoners of war forced on Bataan Death March .
  • Battle of Nanos April 18 - 800 Italian soldiers lay siege to 50 Slovene partisans.
  • Doolittle Raid April 18 - U.S. Aircraft bomb Tokyo, crash-land in China.
  • Battle of Zhejiang-Jiangxi April 18 - Chinese and Japanese forces search for the surviving Doolittle Raiders.
  • Destruction of Telavåg April 30 - German forces destroy entire Norwegian town.
  • Battle of the Coral Sea May 4 - US loses USS Lexington; Japanese win tactically but lose strategically.
  • Battle of Corregidor May 5 - 6 - Last U.S. bastion in Asia surrenders to the Japanese after prolonged siege.
  • Battle of the Philippines (December 8, 1941 - May 8) Japanese victory, Douglas MacArthur promises to return.
  • Battle of the St. Lawrence May 11 - U-553 sinks the Nicoya and the Leto in the Gulf of the St. Lawrence river.
  • Second Battle of Kharkov (May 12 - May 28) - Soviet counterattack thwarted.
  • Battle of Bir Hakeim (May 26 - June 11) - Rommel defeats Allies.
  • Battle of Gazala (May 26 - June 21) - Erwin Rommel, reinforced by Italians, defeats Great Britain.
  • Battle of Midway June 3 - US loses USS Yorktown; Japanese lose four aircraft carriers
  • Attack on Sydney Harbour (May 31 - June 8) - Japanese submarines attack Australian cities.
  • Convoy PQ-17 - 27 ships leave Iceland on June 17 for Murmansk – on July 5 10 ships reach Murmansk
  • First Battle of El Alamein July 1 - British Eighth Army stops Rommel's Axis forces invading Egypt
  • Battle of Sevastopol July 2 - Captured by Germans after eight month siege
  • Battle of Changsha - Chinese claim victory over Japanese
  • Battle of Savo Island August 9 - Japanese sink four US cruisers
  • Battle of Dieppe August 19 - "Operation Jubilee" was an Allied attack on the German occupied port of Dieppe in France. Allied Failure,Information used for D-Day.
  • Battle of Kursk (July 4 - August 23) - Hitler forces to call off attack on Russians due to invasion of Sicily.
  • Battle of Stalingrad August 22 - February 2 1943 - City besieged by Paulus' German Sixth Army; from November 23 the Sixth Army is surrounded and destroyed by Soviets; bloodiest battle in history, 1.8 millions dead approx.
  • Battle of the Eastern Solomons August 24 - Japanese aircraft carrier Ryuho sunk
  • Battle of Milne Bay, Papua New Guinea (August 25 - September 5) - Allied victory.
  • Battle of Alam Halfa (August 30 - September 6) - Allies vs. Rommel in North Africa.
  • Battle of Bloody Ridge September 12
  • Battle of Cape Esperance October 11 - near Guadalcanal
  • Second Battle of El Alamein October 23 - November 4 - Montgomery's Eighth Army forces Rommel out of Egypt
  • Battle of the Santa Cruz Islands October 25 - near Guadalcanal, USS Hornet sunk, but Japanese withdraw victorious
  • Operation Torch November 8 - Allied landings in North Africa
  • Naval Battle of Guadalcanal November 12 - U.S. defeats Japan. Turning point of Pacific War.
  • Battle of Tassafaronga November 30 - off Guadalcanal
• 1943 -
  • Battle of Osankarica January 8 - Over 200 Germans massacred all 69 men and women of the Pohorje battalion. Germans lost 19 men and had 31 wounded
  • Battle of Velikiye Luki (November 19, 1942 - January 16) - Germans clash with Soviets.
  • Battle of Buna Gona (November 16, 1942 - January 22) - Americans and Australians defeat Japanese.
  • Battle of Rennell Island January 29-30 - Japanese bombers sink a cruiser
  • Battle of Guadalcanal February 8 - Allies take the island after a six month battle.
  • Battle of Timor February 10 - After one year battle, Japanese conquer the island.
  • Battle of the Kasserine Pass February 14 - 25 - Battle between US and German armored forces in Tunisia
  • Third Battle of Kharkov (February 16 - March 15) - Nazi victory.
  • Battle of the Bismarck Sea March 2 - U.S. sinks Japanese transports
  • Battle of Blackett Strait March 6 - Two Japanese destroyers sunk.
  • Battle of the Komandorski Islands March 26 - U.S. naval victory, USS Salt Lake City damaged.
  • Warsaw Ghetto Uprising April 18 - 5000 Jews and 5000 Germans die, Jews confined
  • Battle of West Hubei (May 12 - June 3) - Chinese forces under Bai Chongxi defeat Japanese.
  • Battle of New Georgia (June 20 - August 25) - American victory in the Solomon Islands.
  • Battle of Kula Gulf July 6 - Indecisive naval battle in the Solomons.
  • Battle of Kolombangara (July 12 - July 13) - American ships damaged while pursuing Japanese.
  • Battle of Vella Gulf (August 5 - August 6) - Japanese lose three destroyers.
  • Battle of the Aleutian Islands August 15 - Japanese invade, but repelled by American and Canadian forces.
  • Battle off Horaniu (August 17 - August 18) - Japanese naval retreat, subsequently evacuation of 9,000 Japanese men.
  • Battle of Castle Turjak September 19 - Slovene partisans took the castle guarded by the Slovene village sentries
  • Battle of Kursk July - Germans attack Kursk salient at Orel and Belgorod; Russians drive them back; arguably the largest tank battle ever fought. Heavy Looses
  • Fourth Battle of Kharkov August 23 - Soviets liberate town.
  • Naval Battle of Vella Lavella October 7 - Japanese win, both sides lose one destroyer.
  • Raid on Schweinfurt October 14- The greatest Air battle among the Luftwaffe and the USAF. The famous Air Battle known as "Black Thursday."
  • Attack on Rabaul (October 12 - November 5) - Allies launch successful raids.
  • Battle of the Treasury Islands (October 25 - October 27) - New Zealand defeats Japan in the Solomon Islands.
  • Battle of Empress Augusta Bay (November 1 - November 2) - Japan suffers a naval defeat.
  • Battle of Tarawa November 20 - November 22 - First contested amphibious landing of WWII.
  • Battle of Makin (November 20 - November 24) - United States forces defeat the Japanese in the Gilbert Islands.
  • Battle of Changde (November 2 - December 20) - Chinese victory, Japanese use biological and chemical weapons.
  • Battle of Cape St. George November 27 - Japanese convoy suffers heavy damage.
  • Battle of North Cape December 26 - British naval victory over Germany.
• 1944 -
  • Battle of Cisterna January 29- Part of Operation Shingle- the 1st, 3rd, and 4th US Army Ranger battalions attempted to capture the town of Cisterna.
  • Battle of Kwajalein (January 31 - February 3) - American victory in the Marshall Islands, several Korean laborers captured.
  • Battle of Korsun Pocket (January 24 - February 16) - Decisive Soviet victory.
  • Attack on Truk (February 17 - February 18) - Successful American air raid in the Marshall Islands.
  • Battle of Eniwetok (February 17 - February 23) - American victory allows U.S. forces to set up for an attack on the Mariana Islands.
  • Battle of Hube's Pocket (March 25 - April 15) - Germans victorious, but have to retreat afterward.
  • Battle of Central Henan (April - December) Marginal Japanese victory in China.
  • Battle of Monte Cassino May 11 - 18
  • Battle of Normandy June 6 - August 25 - Allies invade northern France across the Normandy beaches (Operation Overlord); hard fighting from Cherbourg to Caen; Germans surrounded and destroyed at Falaise
  • Battle of Villers-Bocage June 13 - Germans defeat allies near Normandy during Operation Overlord.
  • Battle of Saipan (June 15 - July 1) - American forces capture island.
  • Battle of Philippine Sea June 19 - Major carrier battle; U.S. lose 123 planes and destroy 315 Japanese planes
  • Operation Bagration June 22 - Eastern Front - Soviet offensive destroys German Army Group Center.
  • Battle of Fontenay June 25
  • Battle of Tali-Ihantala (June 25 - July 10) - Finnish stop Soviet offensive
  • Battle of Vuosalmi (July 4 - July 11) - Soviet victory during Continuation War.
  • Battle of Guam (July 21 - August 10) - 18,000 Japanese killed during American attack.
  • Battle of Tinian July 24 - August 1) - Japanese, realizing they will lose, launch a suicidal charge against Americans.
  • Warsaw Uprising August 1 - October 5 - 20.000 armed Poles against 55.000 Wehrmacht and SS. City destroyed in 90%, more than 250.000 casualties.
  • Fourth Battle of Changsha (August) - Japanese capture nearby town, but unable to continue fighting afterward.
  • Operation Dragoon (a.k.a. Operation Anvil) August 15 - Allied invasion of Southern France
  • Liberation of Paris (August 15 - August 25) - Allied forces drive Third Reich forces out of the French capital.
  • Battle of Guilin-Liuzhou (August 16 - November 24) - Japanese victory in China.
  • Operation Tanne Ost September 15 - Germans unable to capture island.
  • Battle of Peleliu September 17 - A fight to capture an airstrip on a speck of coral in the western Pacific.
  • Battle of Arnhem September 17 - 26 - The major battle of Operation Market Garden; Allies reach but fail to cross the Rhine; British First Airborne Division destroyed
  • Battle of Anguar September 17 - September 30 - Volcanic island captured by Americans.
  • Battle of Tornio October 1 - October 8 Finns capture Tornio from the Germans, start of the Lapland War proper.
  • Battle of Debrecen (October 6 - October 29 - Germans able to hold back Soviets.
  • Battle of the Scheldt October 2 - November 8 - Difficult Canadian victory secures the port of Antwerp, and ensures critical supplies for advancing allied forces.
  • Hürtgen Forest October 6 - Stubborn German defence, appalling loses to U.S. Army
  • Battle of Aachen- October. Aachen was the first major German city to face invasion during World War II.
  • Battle of Leyte (October 20 - December 31) - American forces begin the liberation of the Philippines.
  • Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 23 - 26) - The largest air-sea battle in history.
  • Operation Queen November 16
  • Battle of Ormoc Bay (November 11 - December 21) - Americans prevent Japanese from resupplying Leyte.
  • Battle of Monte Castello November 25 - February 12 1945 - Brazilian troops fight Germans in Italy
  • Battle of Mindoro December 13 - 16 - U.S. Forces capture main island off Luzon , Philippines.
  • Battle of Luzon December 15 - American victory.
  • Battle of the Bulge December 16 - January 27 ,1945 - German counterattack in Ardennes; General McAuliffe says "NUTS" at Bastogne
• 1945 -
  • Operation Elephant January 26 - Allied offensive in Netherlands
  • Raid at Cabanatuan January 30 - US Army Rangers rescue Bataan and Corregidor POWs from Japanese prison camp.
  • Battle for the Recapture of Bataan January 31 to February 8 - U.S. Forces retake the historic Bataan Peninsula.
  • Battle for the Liberation of Manila February 3 to March 3 - City totally devastated after month-long battle, 100,000 civilians killed.
  • Battle for the Recapture of Corregidor February 16 - 26 - Spectacular combined assault retakes island bastion from Japanese forces.
  • Raid at Los Baños February 23 - U.S. forces rescue POW's held by Japanese.
  • Battle of Mindanao March 10 - U.S. completes the recapture of Southern Philippines.
  • Operation Varsity March 17 - 134 Allied gliders land troops in Weisel
  • Battle of Iwo Jima March 26 - After a month, US takes the island
  • Battle of West Henan and North Hubei (March 21 - May 11) - Indecisive battle between China and Japan. Japan controls airbases after battle.
  • Battle of Halbe (April 24 - May 1) - Part of Battle of Berlin, Germans unable to break out.
  • Battle of Berlin April 26 - May 2 - Soviet forces encircle and capture German capital; Hitler commits suicide
  • Battle of Triest April 30 - May 2 - British army and Yugoslav capture the city
  • Battle of Tarakan May 1 - Allied attack as part of the Borneo campaign.
  • Battle of Poljana - Last battle of World War II in Europe
  • Battle of West Hunan (April - June) - Chinese victory in final battle to expel Japan.
  • Battle of Okinawa June 21 - US takes Japanese Island in the Ryukyus; many casualties to both sides.
  • Battle of North Borneo (June 17 - August 15) - US victory during final stages of World War II in the Pacific.
  • Battle of Balikpapan (July 7 - July 21) - Allied victory over Japan.
• 1947 First Kashmir War - Also known as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1947, was the first war fought between the Union of India and Pakistan. The war ended in a stalemate.
• 1948 Israeli War of Independence - State of Israel established on May 14; war with Lebanon, Syria, Transjordan, Egypt and Iraq; many Arab refugees
• 1949 - Battle of Kuningtou - Nationalist victory establishes Taiwan as the Nationalist refuge. Communists left in control of mainland China.
• 1950 -
  • Battle of Pusan Perimeter August-September - UN forces stop North Korean invasion of South Korea, counterattack in mid-September in conjunction with Battle of Inchon
  • Battle of Inchon September 14 - UN retakes South Korea, reaches Seoul in 12 days
  • Battle of Chosin Reservoir November 27

1951 - 1975

• 1951 -
  • Battle of the Imjin River Chinese victory in Korea.
  • Battle of Kapyong Chinese offensive halted April 23
  • Battle of Pork Chop Hill (April - July) Chinese capture hill in April, UN retakes it in July.
  • Battle of Bloody Ridge August 18-September 5 UN attack captures hill positions in central Korea
  • Battle of Heartbreak Ridge September 23 - After 37 days, heights fall to UN
• 1953 Battle of the Hook (May 28 - May 29) - UN forces defeat Chinese in Korea.
• 1954 Battle of Dien Bien Phu - France loses Indochina when besieged here, from 1953 (First Indochina War)
• 1956 Suez Crisis - Britain, France, Israel attempt to retake Suez Canal after recent Egyptian nationalization. Large engagements included the Battle of Mitla Pass and the Battle of Port Said.
• 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion - A failed U.S.-backed attempt to capture Cuba and a major blow to U.S. pride and reputation.
• 1962 Battle of Namka Chun - Sino-Indian War
• 1965 Second Kashmir War - also known as the Indo-Pakistani War of 1965, was the second battle fought between the Republic of India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan over Kashmir. The war resulted in a UN-mandated ceasefire between the two countries.
  • Battle of Asal Uttar, Decisive Indian victory
  • Battle of Lahore, Tactical Pakistani victory, Strategic Indian victory
• 1966 Battle of Long Tan August 18 - 19 - First major action of Australian forces in Vietnam
• 1967 -
  • Six Day War June 5 - 10 - Israel defeats Egypt, Jordan and Syria, occupies Golan Heights, West Bank, Gaza Strip, Sinai Peninsula
  • Battle of the Ammunition Hill
• 1968 -
  • USS Pueblo (AGER-2) capture January 23 North Korea seizes US ship
  • Tet Offensive January 30 - North Vietnam loses militarily but turns the tide of US opinion against the war
  • Battle of Khe Sanh February 5 - Desperate defense by the U.S. Marines to hold strategically important fire base against huge NVA numbers
• 1969 Football War July 14 - Between El Salvador and Honduras
• 1971 Indo-Pakistani War of 1971/Bangladesh Liberation War - Mid November to December 16 - India militarily supports East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) in its struggle for independence from West Pakistan (now Pakistan). Backed by the Mukti Bahini, the Armed Forces of India defeat Pakistan and liberate Bangladesh.
  • Battle of Longewala December 5 - Decisive Indian victory.
  • Battle of Hilli November/December - Indian/Mukti Bahini victory
  • Battle of Garibpur - Indian victory
  • Battle of Basantar - Indian vitory
  • Operation Trident December 4 Indian Navy attacks