Here are some amazing facts about World War 2 (WW2):
1. WW2 Began on September 1st, 1939 when Hitler invaded Poland.
2. Nearly 40,000 Soviet citizens lost their lives at the battle of the Stalingrad.
3. The Swastika is a sacred religious symbol in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and dates back to before the 2nd Century BC. It is now interpreted as a symbol of hate.
4. Trenches were dug in the form of stairs so soldiers could use them for cover.
5. During WW2, The Japanese launched 9,000 “wind ship weapons” of paper and rubberized-silk balloons that carried incendiary and antipersonnel bombs to the U.S. More than 1,000 hit their targets and they reached as far as eastern Michigan. The only deaths resulting from a balloon bomb were six americans, including five children and a pregnant woman, on a picnic in Oregon.
6. Many Historians believe that the Battle at Stalingrad (1942 -1943) is not only arguably the bloodiest battle in history (between 800,000-1,600,000 casualties), but also the turning point of WW2 in Europe.
7. The Enola Gay became well known for dropping the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, but few people know the name of B-29's That bombed Nagasaki, It was Bock’s Car, named after the plane’s usual commander, Frederick Bock.
8, The most powerful artillery gun created by any nation and used in WW2 was named Karl by its designer, General Karl Becker. I was mostly used against the Russians. The huge gun could shoot a 2.5-ton shell over three miles. The shells were 24 inches wide and could go through eight to nine feet of concrete.
9. Out of 40,000 German men who served on U-Boats during WW2, only 10,000 returned.
10. To this day, some people argue that Japan and Russia are still at war. Though you may not see the gunfire, explosions, etc., they are still talking and chattering over a group of islands. To the groups arguing about these islands, WW2 Is still going on to this very day.