Firemen tackling a blitz fire at St Paul's Cathedral, London

Photo by Fox Photos/Getty Images

Second World War battles

From D-Day to Dunkirk; from Stalingrad to the Battle of Britain, we bring you the facts and analysis on the most important battles of the Second World War. Covering Britain, Russia, Europe and the world beyond, we examine the bloodiest, most decisive and most successful WW2 battles that had the most impact upon later military and political events, and indeed the outcome of the war itself…

A black-and-white photograph shows British troops wading through the surf towards the Normandy coast during the D-Day landings on 6 June 1944. Landing craft push through rough water beneath a dramatic, cloud-filled sky, while dark silhouettes in the foreground frame the scene and emphasise the scale and danger of the operation.

Membership

The seaborne invasion: why we must remember the forgotten heroes of D-Day and the battle for Normandy. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A large statue of a man in a long military-style coat and cap, standing on a pedestal in a forest. Tree trunks in the foreground partially obscure the figure. The statue shows the man with a stern expression, one hand holding the lapel of his coat. Tall trees and undergrowth surround the statue, giving the scene a secluded, wooded setting.

Membership

I’ve just been to Europe’s weirdest theme park – and came face to face with Josef Stalin. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

The SAS played a vital role in defeating Hitler – so why did Britain disband them?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black and white photograph of a man and a woman close together. The man has his arms around the woman and they are both in stage dress: her in a long dress and him with a ruff and feathered hat

Membership

Keep calm and carry on singing: why Britons fell in love with opera during World War Two. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black and white photograph of a plane with Japanese characters written on its side

Membership

He shot down 3 planes in 4 minutes: meet the WW2 pilot you won't have heard about. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black and white photograph of a large, smoky explosion on the sea

Membership

Terror in the deep: how Hitler's U-boats pushed Britain to the brink. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A black and white photograph shows a group of Japanese military men on a train, while some young women prepare to get on the carriage. A young woman looks back over her shoulder

Membership

Kavita Puri on VJ Day: "We don't talk about the war in Asia – which was a messy, complicated conflict". This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Two pilots dressed in military uniform sit in the cockpit of a small war plane. Both are looking out the window the right of the picture

Membership

"England is invincible": How the Luftwaffe lost the Battle of Britain. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

A hill to die on: why the Allies almost failed in the battle of Monte Cassino in WW2. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

Dudley Clarke: the spy who hoodwinked Hitler. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

Liberating WW2 Naples: triumph and tragedy. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A map of southern Britain and northern France illustrates the departure routes used by Allied forces during the Normandy invasion. Red dashed lines show naval movements from ports including Portsmouth, Southampton, Weymouth and Falmouth towards the Normandy coast, while blue dashed lines mark airborne routes from airfields such as Fairford, Bristol and Gloucester to landing zones around Arromanches and Carentan.

Second World War

D-Day beaches map: where were the D-Day landings?

Membership

From the USA's 'good war' to Britain's 'great hurrah': how is D-Day remembered around the world?. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

General History

War and military history podcast episodes

Membership

Masters of the Air: the real history behind the new show. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Second World War

The brain behind the Dambusters raid. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

Life in a WW2 tank regiment. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A c1943 photograph of USS Indianapolis. Built in New Jersey, the Portland-class heavy cruiser was launched in 1931 (Photo by US Navy/Interim Archives/Getty Images)

Membership

Into the jaws of hell: the WW2 sinking of USS Indianapolis. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

The SAS in WW2: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

WW2 the big questions: final stages of the conflict. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

WW2 the big questions: the ‘Big Three’. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

WW2 the big questions: the early years of the conflict. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Membership

WW2 the big questions: the build up. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

HMS Bittern on fire and severely damaged after a German air attack in Namsos fjord, 30 April 1940. Both sides sustained heavy losses in the battle of Norway but the German navy was less able to absorb these than its British foe. (Photo by Topfoto)

Second World War

Narvik in contextHow battle for Norway in 1940 saved Britain

Membership

British spies in WW2: everything you wanted to know. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Men of the SAS returning from a three-month trip behind enemy lines during the war in North Africa. (Photo by Hulton Archive/Getty Images)

Membership

“They changed the way war is run”: Ben Macintyre on the early SAS. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

A German soldier captured during the battle of Kursk, July–August 1943. Germany’s last major offensive on the eastern front ended in crushing defeat (Photo by STF/AFP/ GettyImages)

Second World War

Bitter end: Hitler's downfall and the end of the war and the Third Reich

Membership

How the Allies plucked victory from the jaws of defeat. This is a premium piece of content available to subscribed users.

Photo of the SAS in North Africa

Second World War

How the early SAS became heroes of the Second World War

Troops engaged in street fighting in the battle of Stalingrad,1942 (Photo from akg-images)

Second World War

The battle of Stalingrad: a German officer's account of WW2's bloodiest battle

You're currently on page 1

Next Page