10 CURIOSITIES ABOUT THE SECOND WORLD WAR (1939-1945)

The immediate cause of the conflict was the invasion of Poland by the Germans on 1 September 1939, after the leader Adolf Hitler had already annexed Austria and a piece of Czechoslovakia. But only the following year the conflict began. The war was internationalized with the Japanese attack at the base of Pearl Harbor, on December 7, 1941.

Pearl Harbor was the largest American base in the Pacific Ocean. It was on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The place was called Wai Momi ("pearly waters") by the Hawaiians because of the oysters of pearls that had already existed there.

The attack on the port on December 7, 1941, was a reflection of a decade of tensions between the United States and Japan's growing expansionism and militarism. Japan had invaded China in 1937, allied with Germany and Italy on the Axis in 1940, and occupied French Indochina in July 1941. The United States had commercial interests in that region of Asia and responded to Japan by imposing economic sanctions on the country. As a reprisal, Japanese aviation attacked Pearl Harbor.

The first torpedo burst in Pearl Harbor at 7:55 am (local time). Then about 350 Japanese planes appeared, which in two hours killed the American fleet that was in the port: 21 ships were sunk or badly damaged and 188 aircraft were destroyed. One of eight battered battleships sank with 1,177 American crew members. Among the 2,403 dead, 68 were civilians. There were 1,178 injured. Among the Japanese, 64 people died, 29 planes were shot down and 5 small submarines were sunk. The next day, the United States declared war on the Axis.

Operation Overlord, the most emblematic combat of World War II, began on June 6, 1944, a date known as D-Day. To contain the German army, which dominated almost the entire European continent, the allies bet on an invasion using England as a base, with the aim of resuming the region of Normandy, France's coast. For the Germans, this strategy was too predictable. Hitler imagined that they would come by Pas-de-Calais, the place where the Channel is narrowest. You missed. Operation Overlord, which marked the beginning of the defeat of the Third Reich, was the most spectacular military action of all time. It involved 3 million soldiers, 5339 vessels, 11,000 aircraft and 15,000 tanks and armored vehicles. 80 295 German soldiers died,

The war ended on May 8, 1945, with the victory of the Allied Forces, formed by 25 countries. On August 14, Japan surrendered. The formal surrender was solemnly aboard the ship "Missouri" on September 2.

The balance was almost 60 million dead, with 6 million Jews (one third of the Jewish population in the world). It is estimated that in Western Europe, 1.5 million buildings have been destroyed.

During the war, 108 German generals committed suicide.

In 1943, a renowned British animal protection foundation decided to create a decoration for bravery acts practiced by animals. The Dickin Medal was named in honor of the then director of the foundation, Maria Dickin. Navy, Army and English Aeronautics have used the pigeons on very dangerous missions, where the birds should cross enemy territory carrying messages trapped in their legs or back. 54 medals were delivered between 1943 and 1949, honoring 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, 3 horses and 1 cat for their contributions during and after World War II.

Cat Simon was a mascot of the Amethyst English battleship. He received Dickin for Evident Bravery and Devotion to Service in War. Already Rob, one of the decorated dogs, jumped more than 20 times from parachutes on secret missions in the enemy camp.