Portal:World War II
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Arts · Biography · Geography · History · Mathematics · Philosophy · Science · Society · Technology  World War II, or the Second World War, was a worldwide conflict fought between the Allied Powers and the Axis Powers, from 1939 until 1945. Military forces from over seventy nations engaged in aerial, naval, and ground-based combat. Spanning much of the globe, World War II resulted in the deaths of over sixty million people, making it the deadliest conflict in human history. The war ended in 1945 with an Allied victory.  Operation Downfall was the overall Allied plan for the invasion of Japan at the end of World War II, but was ultimately never used. It was scheduled to occur in two parts — Operation Olympic, the invasion of Kyushu, set to begin in November, 1945; and later Operation Coronet, the invasion of Honshū near Tokyo, scheduled for the spring of 1946. Kyushu was to be invaded at three points — Miyazaki beach, Ariake beach, and Kushikino beach. Southern Kyushu would become a staging ground for operation Coronet, and would give the Allies a valuable airbase from which to operate. Following the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and the Soviet declaration of war against Japan, the Japanese surrendered and the operation was cancelled.
Portal:World War II/Selected anniversaries/April 8
 Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (Васи́лий Ива́нович Чуйко́в) (February 12, 1900 - March 18, 1982) was a lieutenant general in the Soviet Red Army during World War II, two times Hero of the Soviet Union (1944, 1945), who after the war became a Marshal of the Soviet Union. Born into a peasant family, he joined the Red Army during the Russian Revolution of 1917 and later attended the Frunze Military Academy. Chuikov served in the Soviet occupation of eastern Poland in 1939 and in the Russo-Finnish War of 1940. He was then sent to China as an advisor to Chiang Kai-shek. In May 1942 the USSR recalled their military advisor, according to Chuikov's memoirs this was due to Nationalist China claiming the USSR was providing military aid as part of an attempt to draw the USSR into the Second Sino-Japanese War. On returning to Moscow, Chuikov was placed in command of the 64th Army, on the West bank of the Don river. The 64th Army took part in the fighting withdrawal to Stalingrad, and shortly before the Battle of Stalingrad itself began, Chuikov was made commander of the more important 62nd Army, which was to hold Stalingrad itself, with the 64th on its Southern flank. After the victory there, the 62nd Army was promoted into the Soviet 8th Guards Army. Chuikov then commanded the 8th Guards as part of 1st Belorussian Front and led its advance through Poland, finally heading the Soviet offensive which captured Berlin in April 1945.  The Illustrious-class was a class of aircraft carrier of the Royal Navy that were some of the most important British warships in World War II. They were laid down in the late 1930s as part of the rearmament of the Royal Navy in response to the threats of Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan. Each of these ships played a prominent part in the battles of WWII. Victorious took part in the chase of the Bismarck, Illustrious and Formidable played prominent parts in the battles in the Mediterranean during 1940 and 1941 and all three took part in the large actions of the British Pacific Fleet in 1945. The Illustrious class consisted of three vessels; Illustrious, Formidable and Victorious. Three further similar ships were built as the war progressed, to modified designs in order that they could carry larger air wings. Indomitable had a second half-length hangar deck below the main hangar deck and the two ships of the Implacable-class, Implacable and Indefatigable had two hangar levels, albeit with a limiting 14 feet head room. From the World War II task force of the Military history WikiProject:
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