Phases of WWII

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Phases of WWII

• Canada at War
• Chapter 7

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Phase 1September 1939 June 1940

• The Axis

• The Allies

• 1939
• Germany
• Italy
• Japan
• (Germany had also signed a non-aggression pact
  with the Soviet Union)

• 1939
• France
• Britain
• The Commonwealth

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Phase 1September 1939 June 1940

• In Asia, Japan had invaded China (1937)and was
  beginning to extend its empire

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Phase 1September 1939 June 1940

• The early part of the war was called the Phony
  War because little happened after war was
  declared.
• In Europe, Poland was defeated by Germany and the
  Soviet Union (USSR)

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Phase 1September 1939 June 1940

• France prepared to defend its border with Germany

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Phase 1September 1939 June 1940

• The Blitzkrieg Lightening War
• German tanks, aircraft and infantry quick and
  powerful overran Allied defenses
• Denmark and Norway were invaded
• Invaded Belgium and Holland May 10, 1940
• Both countries surrendered in a short time.
• France was invaded May 12, 1940.
• On June 22, it also surrendered.

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Phase 1September 1939 June 1940
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What about Canada?

• Unlike WWI, Canada was not automatically at war
  in 1939 just because Great Britain was.
• They declared war themselves on September 10,
  1939
• Canadas involvement was somewhat conservative
  during the first phase of the war
• Wanted to avoid casualties
• Wanted to avoid conscription (mandatory service)

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What about Canada?

• Canada committed to support Britain with war
  materials and a small army.
• They also mobilized their merchant ships (38
  ships) to transport goods and people.
• The BCATP British Commonwealth Air Training
  Plan was set up in Canada to train air force
  pilots from other Commonwealth countries (such as
  Australia)

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What about Canada?

• When Holland and Belgium and then France
  surrendered to Germany in 1940, people were
  shocked.
• Great Britain was left to face Germany alone with
  only the commonwealth allies help.
• Canada changed its commitment to become much more
  involved in the war in Europe.

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What about Canada?

• Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King visits
  Canadian troops

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Phase 2June 1940 July 1943

• After the early German victories of the war,
  Britain stood alone against them in Europe.
• In August of 1940, Germany began the Battle of
  Britain an air attack on London and other
  English cities
• The Nazi air force was called the Luftwaffe
• People called these series of air raid the blitz

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Phase 2June 1940 July 1943

• Air raid siren

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Phase 2June 1940 July 1943
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Phase 2June 1940 July 1943

• In the summer of 1941, Germany invaded the Soviet
  Union.
• Fighting would continue along this eastern front
  for much of the rest of the war.
• Eventually, victory would come to the Soviet
  Union.
• The Soviet leader was Joseph Stalin

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Phase 2June 1940 July 1943
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Phase 2June 1940 July 1943

• On December 7, 1941, Japan attacked the American
  naval base at Pearl Harbour, Hawaii
• The USA, which had tried to stay out of the war,
  was now at war with Japan.

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Phase 2June 1940 July 1943

• Over 2000 military personnel were killed along
  with many civilians.
• Several battleships were sunk and many more
  damaged along with aircraft
• The next day, Germany also declared war on the
  United States.

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What about Canada?

• The Canadian Convoys
• A convoy was a group of merchant ships which
  carried wartime supplies to Europe from Canada.
• They were in tremendous danger from German
  submarines.
• German submarines were called U-Boats because
  the German word for submarine is unterseeboot
  (under sea boat)

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What about Canada?

• Convoy in Bedford Basin

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What about Canada?

• Convoys would travel in a zigzag to allude the
  u-boats. They had aircraft support except for the
  area known as the black pit
• A German U-Boat

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What about Canada?

• The Corvettes
• The Corvettes were a type of allied warship.
• They were short and broad, so they could patrol
  on very rough seas. This made them good u-boat
  hunters
• There were over 300 corvettes which served in
  WWII. 37 were lost.

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What about Canada?

• 120 Corvettes were built in Canada
• The HMCS Sackville was one of these
• She was built in Saint John in 1941 and served in
  WWII.
• She is now a museum in Halifax Harbour

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What about Canada?

• Hong Kong November December, 1941
• Canadian and British soldiers were defending Hong
  Kong when the Japanese attacked.
• The majority of the Canadians were captured and
  taken to prisoner of war camps. The rest died
  either during the battle or in the camp itself.

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What about Canada?

• Dieppe, France - 1942
• Dieppe is a port in northern France. The allies
  wanted to re-capture it. (Operation Jubilee)
• 6000 allied troops took part in the Raid on
  Dieppe. 4963 were Canadians.
• 900 Canadians died and almost 2000 became
  prisoners of war.