world war - a war in which the major nations of the world are involved

Bataan, Corregidor - the peninsula and island in the Philippines where Japanese forces besieged American forces in World War II; United States forces surrendered in 1942 and recaptured the area in 1945

Battle of Britain - the prolonged bombardment of British cities by the German Luftwaffe during World War II and the aerial combat that accompanied it

Ardennes counteroffensive, Battle of the Ardennes Bulge, Battle of the Bulge - a battle during World War II; in December 1944 von Rundstedt launched a powerful counteroffensive in the forest at Ardennes and caught the Allies by surprise

battle of the Bismarck Sea, Bismarck Sea - World War II naval battle; Allied land-based bombers destroyed a Japanese convoy in the Bismarck Sea in March 1943

battle of the Coral Sea, Coral Sea - a Japanese defeat in World War II (May 1942); the first naval battle fought entirely by planes based on aircraft carriers

Dunkerque, Dunkirk - a city in northern France on the North Sea where in World War II (1940) 330,000 Allied troops had to be evacuated from the beaches at Dunkirk in a desperate retreat under enemy fire

Al Alamayn, Battle of El Alamein, El Alamein - in World War II (1942); a decisive Allied victory by British troops under Montgomery over German troops under Rommel

Eniwetok - World War II (February 1944); American infantry landed and captured a Japanese stronghold

Battle of Guadalcanal, Guadalcanal - a battle in World War II in the Pacific (1942-1943); the island was occupied by the Japanese and later recaptured by American forces

invasion of Iwo, Iwo, Iwo Jima - a bloody and prolonged operation on the island of Iwo Jima in which American marines landed and defeated Japanese defenders (February and March 1945)

Kwajalein - World War II (January 1944); American forces landed and captured a Japanese air base

Leyte, Leyte invasion, Leyte Island - a battle in World War II; the return of United States troops to the Philippines began with landings on Leyte Island in October 1944; first use of Kamikaze aircraft by the Japanese

Battle of Midway, Midway - naval battle of World War II (June 1942); land and carrier-based American planes decisively defeated a Japanese fleet on its way to invade the Midway Islands

Okinawa campaign, Okinawa - a campaign in the closing days of World War II in the Pacific (April to June 1945); in savage close-quarter fighting United States marines and regular army troops took the island from the Japanese; considered the greatest victory of the Pacific campaign for the Americans

battle of the Philippine Sea, Philippine Sea - a naval battle in World War II (1944); a decisive naval victory for the United States fleet over the Japanese who were trying to block supplies from reaching American troops on Leyte

Saipan - US forces captured the island from the Japanese in July 1944; it was an important air base until the end of World War II

Salerno - a battle in World War II; the port was captured by United States troops in September 1943

Battle of the Somme, Somme, Somme River - battle of World War II (1944)

Makin, Tarawa-Makin, Tarawa - battles in World War II in the Pacific (November 1943); United States Marines took the islands from the Japanese after bitter fighting

Battle of Wake, Battle of Wake Island - in December 1941 the island was captured by the Japanese after a gallant last-ditch stand by a few hundred United States marines

Fighting French, Free French - a French movement during World War II that was organized in London by Charles de Gaulle to fight for the liberation of France from German control and for the restoration of the republic