Interesting Facts About World War 2

1. World War II is without doubt the most destructive conflict in history in terms of costs, damage to property, people killed and maimed etc.

2. The Soviet Union (USSR) had the largest number of casualties in World War II, between 21-25 million.

3. 80% of Soviet males born in 1923 did not survive beyond 1945.

4. It is estimated that the Allied powers alone dropped about 3.4 million tonnes of explosives between 1939-1945. That is an average of 27,700 tonnes per month.

World War 2 Bombers

5. When the Russian Red Army entered Germany they raped an estimated 2 million German women aged between 13 to 70 years. This is the largest mass rape in history.

Rape Victim

6. The battle of Stalingrad fought between 1942-1943 is arguably the bloodiest battle in history.

7. The battle of the Atlantic which lasted between 1939-1945 was the longest battle of World War II.

8. The radar was invented by British Engineer Robert Watson-Watt who was working on a "death ray" to destroy enemy aircraft using radio waves.

This research evolved into the radar early warning system.

9. Only 10,000 out of 40,000 men who served in German U-boats returned alive.

10. The Nazi Germans murdered an estimated 12 million people in death, concentration and work camps about 6 million of whom were Jews.


Others were Jehovah Witnesses, Gypsies, Mentally Unstable people e.t.c.

11. During World War II German U-boats sank more than 2,000 Allied ships at a cost of the sinking of 781 U-boats.

12. The first fighter jets were actually used by the Germans in World War II but the Messerschmitt ME-262 were developed too late in the war to make an impact.

13. Erich Hartmann, the legendary German pilot was the ace of all aces during World War II, he shot down 352 Allied planes and he was also known as the "Blonde Knight".

Erich Hartmann

14. Adolf Hitler had a nephew in the U.S Navy during World War II. He was William Hitler, and he finally changed his name after the war.

15. The "Einsatzgruppen" (task forces) were special SS units that went in the wake of advancing German forces in Europe.

They forced Jews to dig their own graves and then shot them while they fall into the graves. An estimated 1.4 million Jews were killed in this manner.

Digging Graves

16. Adolf Hitler was so fond of Henry Ford (founder of the Ford Motor Company) that he kept a framed photo of him on his desk. Henry Ford also had a framed photo of Hitler on his desk.

17. Although in World War I Japan fought on the side of the Allies against Germany, by World War II it fought on the side of Germany against the Allies.

18. The Battle of the Kursk Salient from July 4 to 23,1943 between the Germans and the Russians was the greatest tank battle in history.

It involved about 3,600 tanks from both sides.

Battle of Kursk Salient

19. Nazi Germany had seriously considered sending all the Jews to the African Island of Madagascar, but they finally settled for eliminating them.

20. Rudolf Hess was the last person ever to be incarcerated in the Tower of London. He was Hitler's deputy.

21. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour the U.S President F.D Roosevelt urgently needed a bullet-proof car for his own protection.

A Limo which had been seized by the Treasury Department from the Mafia kingpin Al-Capone was hurriedly provided for the use of the President.

Al Capone's Limo

22. A Japanese soldier, Hiroo Onoda, finally surrendered in 1974. He had been hiding in the jungle for 29 years completely unaware that his country had long surrendered and the whole world had moved on.

Hiroo Onoda

23. The Russians were the first to use paratroopers which they unveiled in 1935.

24. Hitler's invasion of the Soviet Union codenamed "Operation Barbarosa" is the largest military operation in history.

It involved more than 3 million men and about 3,500 tanks.

25. Total World War II casualties was between 50-70 million dead, 80% of which are just from four countries: Russia, China, Germany and Poland.

Facts About World War 1


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