This Infamous WWII Battle Claimed Upwards of 2 Million Lives

24/7 Wall St. Insights

24/7 Wall St. reviewed WWII battles from “World War 2 Facts” to identify the major World War II battles with the most casualties.
The Battle of the Bulge is known as one of the biggest turning points in the war.
Also: Discover “The Next NVIDIA”

World War II was the deadliest war and the Siege of Leningrad was the one of the deadliest WWII sieges, with close to four million casualties. However, most deaths were civilian starvation and exposure, not battlefield combat. It was particularly tragic for the Allied side who suffered an estimated 2 million total Soviet casualties (including killed, wounded, sick, and evacuated), while the Axis powers suffered roughly 500,000 German casualties. This tragic siege lasted an astonishing 872 days and cost many civilians their lives due to cold and starvation. The people of Leningrad bravely outlasted the Nazi blockade and, in the end, the siege was lifted. (Also see the WWII battle with the most soldiers.)

To identify the major World War II battles with the most casualties, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed WWII battles from World War 2 Facts, an online database of WWII battles. We ranked these battles based on the total military casualties: killed, missing, captured, or wounded. We included supplementary information regarding total casualties on the Axis and Allied sides as well as the troops and military assets on both sides. We also included the start date on which these battles took place. Some supplementary information was obtained from various other military and historical sources.

In WWII, battles were fought on many different fields, oceans, and skies, from France to the Philippines, from Japan to the Soviet Union, and many places in between. Battles fought during this war were often of great importance, turning the tide for one side or the other. For example, the Battle of the Bulge was one of the biggest turning points in the war primarily because it was the last major offensive that Germany launched on Western Europe. During this battle, Allied Forces clashed with German Panzer tanks and other Axis Forces for over a month in the Ardennes Forest. More than 840,000 Allied troops put a stop to the advance of 500,000 Germans with each side suffering severe casualties in what was one of the largest battles fought by U.S. troops in the war. The battle raged between Dec. 16, 1944, and Jan. 28, 1945, and resulted in nearly a combined 160,000 soldiers missing, wounded, or killed. (These are the tanks, vehicles, and artillery that fought the Battle of the Bulge.)

This post was updated on August 26, 2025 to clarify figures associated with the Siege of Leningrad, and the battles of Dunkirk, Bulge, Greece, and Sicily.

Why Are We Writing About World War II Battle?

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World War II affected the entire globe. Many were sent from their homes to fight on battlefields in foreign lands. Many at home were asked to sacrifice comforts to build up the war. All economies were rerouted during this time, all to fund the war effort. Rationing was implemented, reusing and recycling materials became vogue, and plain “going without” was a way of life. Factories boomed to life to make the machines and weapons used to fight battles. Women went to work in jobs they had never been asked to perform before. The war economy is very real, and these battles were the result.

Here is a look at the major World War II battles with the most casualties:

35. Battle of Savo Island

Total casualties: 1,135
Allied casualties: 1,077
Axis casualties: 58
Allied powers present: 6 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 15 destroyers
Axis powers present: 5 heavy cruisers, 2 light cruisers, 1 destroyer
Date: August 1942
Location: Savo Island

34. Operation Battleaxe

Total casualties: 1,647
Allied casualties: 969
Axis casualties: 678
Allied powers present: 20,000+ men, 220 tanks, 203 aircraft
Axis powers present: 13,200 men, 194 tanks, 214 aircraft
Date: June 1941
Location: Cyrenaica, Libya

33. Battle of the Coral Sea

Total casualties: 1,656
Allied casualties: 656
Axis casualties: 1,000
Allied powers present: 2 fleet carriers, 9 cruisers, 13 destroyers, 128 carrier aircraft
Axis powers present: 2 fleet carriers, 1 light carrier, 9 cruisers, 15 destroyers, 127 carrier aircraft
Date: May 1942
Location: Coral Sea

32. Siege of Bastogne

Total casualties: 3000 (at least)
Allied casualties: 3,000
Axis casualties: Unknown
Allied powers present: 22,800 men, 101st Airborne division, CCB 10th armored division, 705th Tank Destroyer Battalion
Axis powers present: 54,000 men, 7 German Divisions
Date: December 1944
Location: Bastogne, Belgium

31. Battle of the Philippine Sea

Total casualties: 3,096
Allied casualties: 109
Axis casualties: 2,987
Allied powers present: 7 fleet carriers, 8 light carriers, 7 battleships, 28 submarines, 956 aircraft, 99,000 men
Axis powers present: 5 fleet carriers, 4 light carriers, 5 battleships, 24 submarines, 450 carrier-based aircraft, 300 land-based aircraft
Date: September 1944
Location: Philippine Sea

30. Battle of Midway

Total casualties: 3,364
Allied casualties: 307
Axis casualties: 3,057
Allied powers present: 3 aircraft carriers, 25 support ships, 233 carrier aircraft, 127 land-based aircraft
Axis powers present: 4 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 15 support ships (cruisers and destroyers), 248 carrier aircraft
Date: June 1942
Location: Midway Atoll

29. Battle of Pearl Harbor

Total casualties: 3,714
Allied casualties: 3,649
Axis casualties: 65
Allied powers present: 8 battleships, 8 cruisers, 30 destroyers, 4 submarines, 390 aircraft
Axis powers present: 6 aircraft carriers, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 1 light cruiser, 9 destroyers, 28 submarines, 414 aircraft
Date: December 1941
Location: Oahu, United States

28. Operation Torch

Total casualties: 4,542
Allied casualties: 1,199
Axis casualties: 3,343
Allied powers present: 107,000 men
Axis powers present: 60,000 men
Date: November 1942
Location: Northwest Africa

27. Battle of Britain

Total casualties: 5,269
Allied casualties: 966
Axis casualties: 4,303
Allied powers present: 1,963 serviceable aircraft
Axis powers present: 2,550 serviceable aircraft
Date: July 1940
Location: English Channel

26. Battle of Wake Island

Battle+of+Wake+Island | 20160605-F-BC061-172

Total casualties: 7,200
Allied casualties: 1,200
Axis casualties: 6,000
Allied powers present: 449 USMC personnel, 6 artillery, 12 aircraft, 68 Navy personnel, 5 Army personnel
Axis powers present: 3 light cruisers, 8 destroyers, 3 submarines, heavy cruisers, 2 aircraft carriers, 2,500 infantry
Date: December 1941
Location: Wake Island, U.S. territory

25. Battle of Tarawa

Total casualties: 8,504
Allied casualties: 3,797
Axis casualties: 4,707
Allied powers present: 35,000 men
Axis powers present: 3,000 men
Date: November 1943
Location: Betio Island, Tarawa Atoll, Gilbert Islands

24. Battle of the Kasserine Pass

Total casualties: 12,000
Allied casualties: 10,000
Axis casualties: 2,000
Allied powers present: 30,000 men
Axis powers present: 22,000 men
Date: November 1943
Location: Kasserine, Tunisia

23. Battle of Leyte Gulf

Total casualties: 13,500
Allied casualties: 3,000
Axis casualties: 10,500
Allied powers present: 8 fleet carriers, 8 light carriers, 18 escort carriers, 12 battleships, 24 cruisers, 141 destroyers, 1,500 aircraft
Axis powers present: 1 fleet carrier, 3 light carriers, 9 battleships, 14 heavy cruisers, 6 light cruisers, 35 destroyers, 300 aircraft
Date: October 1944
Location: Leyte Gulf, Philippines

22. Battle of Corregidor

Total casualties: 14,900
Allied casualties: 12,800
Axis casualties: 2,100
Allied powers present: 13,000 men
Axis powers present: 75,000 men
Date: May 1942
Location: Corregidor Island, Philippines

21. Battle of Peleliu

Battle+of+Peleliu | The CO of USS Peleliu casts a wreath overboard as part of a commemoration of the Battle of Midway.

Total casualties: 20,701
Allied casualties: 9,804
Axis casualties: 10,897
Allied powers present: 28,484 men
Axis powers present: 11,000 men
Date: September 1944
Location: Peleliu, Palau Islands

20. Operation Market Garden

Total casualties: 30,500
Allied casualties: 17,200
Axis casualties: 13,300
Allied powers present: 41,628 airborne troops, 1 armored division, 2 infantry divisions, 1 armored brigade
Axis powers present: 110,000 men, 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions
Date: September 1944
Location: Eindhoven-Nijmegen-Arnhem corridor, Netherlands

19. Battle of Crete

Total casualties: 30,528
Allied casualties: 23,830
Axis casualties: 6,698
Allied powers present: 40,000 men
Axis powers present: 31,700 men, 500 transports, 610 aircraft
Date: May 1941
Location: Crete, Greece

18. Battle of Saipan

Total casualties: 38,234
Allied casualties: 13,313
Axis casualties: 24,921
Allied powers present: 71,000 men
Axis powers present: 31,000 men
Date: June 1944
Location: Saipan, Mariana Islands

17. Guadalcanal Campaign

Total casualties: 39,100
Allied casualties: 7,100
Axis casualties: 32,000
Allied powers present: 60,000 men, 1 aircraft carrier, 2 battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers, 12 destroyers
Axis powers present: 36,200 men, 2 battleships, 6 heavy cruisers, 4 light cruisers, 16 destroyers
Date: August 1942
Location: Guadalcanal, British Solomon Islands

16. First Battle of El Alamein

Total casualties: 44,102
Allied casualties: 13,560
Axis casualties: 30,542
Allied powers present: 195,000 men, 1,029 tanks, 730-750 aircraft, 892-908 artillery pieces
Axis powers present: 116,000 men, 547 tanks, 770-900 aircraft, 552 artillery pieces
Date: July 1942
Location: El Alamein, Egypt

15. Battle of Iwo Jima

Total casualties: 48,091
Allied casualties: 26,031
Axis casualties: 22,060
Allied powers present: 70,000 men
Axis powers present: 22,060 men
Date: February 1945
Location: Iwo Jima, Japan

14. Siege of Tobruk

Total casualties: 50,272
Allied casualties: 5,929
Axis casualties: 44,343
Allied powers present: 9th, 18th, 20th, 24th Australian Brigades; 2 Australian Imperial Force, 7th, Australian Division; British 70th Infantry Division; Polish Independent Carpathian Rifle Brigade
Axis powers present: Afrika Korps (German), Italian Army
Date: April 1941
Location: Tobruk, Libya

13. Warsaw Uprising

Total casualties: 68,660
Allied casualties: 36,000
Axis casualties: 32,660
Allied powers present: 49,000 men
Axis powers present: 25,000 men
Date: August 1944
Location: Warsaw, Poland

12. Battle of Monte Cassino

Total casualties: 75,000
Allied casualties: 55,000
Axis casualties: 20,000
Allied powers present: US 5th Army, British 8th Army, 1,900 tanks, 4,000 aircraft
Axis powers present: German 10th Army
Date: January 1944
Location: Monte Cassino, Italy

11. Battle of Dunkirk

Total casualties: 81,774
Allied casualties: 61,774
Axis casualties: Roughly 1,000-2,000 killed; about 4,500 wounded
Allied powers present: 338,226 men, 850 transports
Axis powers present: 800,000 men
Date: May 1940
Location: Dunkirk, France

10. Battle of Anzio

Total casualties: 83,000
Allied casualties: 43,000
Axis casualties: 40,000
Allied powers present: 150,000 men
Axis powers present: 135,000 men
Date: January 1944
Location: Anzio and Nettuno, Italy

9. Battle of Singapore

Close Up Single Re-enactor Dressed As German Wehrmacht Infantry Soldier In World War II Walking In Patrol Through Autumn Forest. WWII WW2 Times. Photo In Black And White Colors.

Total casualties: 89,485
Allied casualties: 85,000
Axis casualties: 4,485
Allied powers present: 85,000 men
Axis powers present: 36,000 men
Date: February 1942
Location: Singapore

8. Battle of the Bulge

Total casualties: 185-190k
Allied casualties: 90,900
Axis casualties: 67,200
Allied powers present: 840,000 men, 1,300 tanks, 394 artillery
Axis powers present: 500,000 men, 1,800 tanks, 1,900 artillery
Date: December 1944
Location: The Ardennes Forest (Belgium, Luxembourg, Germany)

7. Battle of Okinawa

Total casualties: 167,000
Allied casualties: 50,000
Axis casualties: 117,000
Allied powers present: 183,000 men, 1,300 ships (including 40 aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines), 12,000 aircraft
Axis powers present: 120,000 men, 1,500 ships (including battleships, cruisers, destroyers and submarines), 2,000 aircraft
Date: April 1945
Location: Okinawa Island, Japan

6. Battle of Sicily

Total casualties: 191,820
Allied casualties: 24,820
Axis casualties: 169,000
Allied powers present: 467,000 men, 600 tanks, 14,000 vehicles
Axis powers present: 290,000 men, 260 tanks, 1,400 aircraft
Date: July 1943
Location: Sicily, Italy

5. Battle of Greece

Total casualties: 200,989
Allied casualties: Roughly 15k killed/wounded and about 320k captured
Axis casualties: 6,000 to 8,000
Allied powers present: 692,612 men, 120 tanks, 200-300 aircraft
Axis powers present: 1,245,000 men, 1363 tanks, 700 aircraft
Date: April 1941
Location: Greece

4. Battle of Normandy

Total casualties: 409,000
Allied casualties: 209,000
Axis casualties: 200,000
Allied powers present: 1,332,000 men
Axis powers present: 380,000 men
Date: June 1944
Location: Normandy, France

3. Battle of Berlin

Total casualties: 1,161,367
Allied casualties: 361,367
Axis casualties: 800,000
Allied powers present: 2,500,000 men, 6,250 tanks, 7,500 aircraft, 41,600 artillery
Axis powers present: 766,750 men, 2,224 aircraft, 9,303 artillery
Date: April 1945
Location: Berlin, Germany

2. Siege of Leningrad

Total casualties: 2.5 million
Allied casualties: Roughly 2 million (Most deaths were civilian starvation and exposure, not battlefield combat)
Axis casualties: 500,000
Allied powers present: 930,000 men in initial force
Axis powers present: 725,000 men in initial force
Date: September 1941-Jan 1944
Location: Leningrad, Soviet Union

2. Battle of Stalingrad

Total casualties: 2,197,993
Allied casualties: 1,129,619
Axis casualties: 1,068,374
Allied powers present: 1,143,000 men, 13,451 artillery pieces, 894 tanks, 1,115 aircraft
Axis powers present: 600,000 men, 640 tanks, 732 aircraft
Date: August 1942
Location: Stalingrad, Soviet Union