Agreed. The brunt had been borne, the impetus lost, Hitler faltered.

Originally Posted by Jamoni

I would say there where 3, rather than one turning point.
1. Pearl Harbor: This brought a heavily industrialized, geographically isolated, warlike country, rich in fossil fuels, into the mix. Bad news.
2. Hitler's attack on Russia. Whether he could avoid it or not, attacking the Russians opened up a second front, one which swallowed up troops and material like a black hole.
3. The loss in North Africa. This denied the Germans any chance at the rich oil deposits in the middle east. The lack of fuel was crucial in the remaining years of the war.
Sure, DDay was an incredible achievement, but it never would have been possible if the germans had been able to focus all their forces on the western front, if they had had enough fuel to move their armor/infantry effectively, and if the American air, land, and navy (and FACTORIES) hadn't had a good excuse to get involved.

Surely agreed, and USSR alone is a equal power to Germany already (Though their forces lost battles their resources never run out like Germans did) , and when you have NATO bombing them days and nights..... over!

All made possible by the Battle of Britain defeat of the Lutwaffe and the German offensive.

FIRST MAJOR DEFEATS

Stalingrad #1
El Alamein #2 for Germany

LAND: Kokoda-Milne Bay and SEA: the Battle of the Coral Sea for Japan.
These we way before Iwo Jima and Midway.

Hi Rowan.

The first major defeat for Germany was Moscow in 1941, two years before Stalingrad. It is a common misconception that Stalingrad was a turning point of WW2. In reality, the war was already lost for Germany. The loss of the German 6th Army and part of 4th Panzer Army only served to hasten their eventual defeat.

As a military defeat, El Alamein was not particularly important. It had more significance as a a political defeat however.

I think the turning point was when Hitler attacked Russia for after the first year it was all down hill

Originally Posted by Rowan

FIRST MAJOR DEFEATS

Stalingrad #1
El Alamein #2 for Germany

LAND: Kokoda-Milne Bay and SEA: the Battle of the Coral Sea for Japan.
These we way before Iwo Jima and Midway.

El Alamein was a Defeat, but I don't think it was a turning point. The Actual Number of Axis troops was tiny compared the force they had in the OstFront. The Desert Campaign has very little effect on the outcome of the war.

Coral Sea, technically the Japanese won a small tactical victory. They sunk a US fleet carrier, severely damaged another, sank an oiler, and a destroyer while only losing a light carrier and a few smaller ships. Losing the IJN Shoho was not a big setback, losing the 4 Carriers at Midway cost them the war.

I will go with Stalingrad and Midway, although Normandy quickly hastened the end.

"Stalingrad #1
El Alamein #2 for Germany
LAND: Kokoda-Milne Bay and SEA: the Battle of the Coral Sea for Japan.
These we way before Iwo Jima and Midway."

I'm really talking about the first defeats of the Axis. I take the point about the Battle for Moscow. El Alamein was vital to save Egypt; the Suez Canal and Caucus Oilfields for the Allies and showed that Rommel wasn't invincible. Kokoda and Milne Bay showed for the first time that the Japanese could be defeated.

If the Battle of Britain had been lost by the RAF in 1940 and Britain invaded, it would have been game over. I am therefore, firmly convinced that the Battle of Britain was the turning point.

Originally Posted by BritinAfrica

If the Battle of Britain had been lost by the RAF in 1940 and Britain invaded, it would have been game over. I am therefore, firmly convinced that the Battle of Britain was the turning point.

Studies at Sandhurst say other wise, it is their opinion that even had the Germans landed in strength neither the Kriegsmarine nor the Luftwaffe could have stopped the Royal Navy from breaking into the invasion lanes and destroying supply barges and reinforcements.
In the end the Germans may have made it as far as London but starved of supplies the invasion would have failed.

Operation Sealion was always a non-event.