US Cemetery, Sicily, 1944

WW II Resources

bigpigeon.us webpage Home > Resources - WW II > WW II Free Sites, updated by RAC 5  Jan 2022.

About the Page Header Image:

• US Cemetery, Sicily, 1944 shows one of the temporary cemeteries used to hold our overseas war dead in WW II. These cemeteries held the dead reinterred from battlefield burial sites. After WW II ended, next of kin chose to either repatriate the dead or have the dead transferred to a permanent overseas cemetery.

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Pottawattamie County, Iowa Area WW II Dead - Free Websites Webpage Overview:

• These publicly-available web resources were used in building the WW II - Japan & WW II - Germany webareas. 
• See also WW II Personnel Lists, used to build the Pottawattamie Area WW II Dead roster, and WW II Pay Websites.
• I have divided webpage content into eleven sections, as indicated by the numbered arrows.

Some cautions about the resources cited below:

• Databases may be incomplete.
• Some resources include periods other than WW II or material for other countries.
• These are the resources I use; I have barely scratched the surface of what is available on-line.

​==> 0 - WW II History - Maps & Atlases:

• https://omniatlas.com/maps/asia-pacific/19370707/ - a good overview of East Asia and the West Pacific in 1937 at the beginning of the Second Sino-Japanese War.
• https://www.westpoint.edu/academics/academic-departments/history/atlases - United States Military Academy on-line map collection. Some of these maps are also at http://www.emersonkent.com/maps.htm. 

==> 1 - WW II History - Portals/Catalogs/Libraries:

• https://history.army.mil/index.html - US Army Center for Military History (CMH) website.
• https://history.army.mil/catalog/browse/title.html - US Army CMH publications catalog.
• https://history.army.mil/catalog/browse/pubnum.html#72 - ~ 40 US Army CMH WW II campaign pamphlets.
• http://tothosewhoserved.org/usa/ -  official WW II military histories, including many CMH publications.​
• http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ & http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/ - Hyperwar - A HyperText History of the Second World War - links to a vast WW II web library.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portal:World_War_II - Wikipedia's portal into its WW II webarea.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_World_War_II - incomplete list of WW II timelines.

==> 2 - WW II History - Statistics, Summaries, and Timelines & Chronologies.

WW II history - US statistics:

• https://www.nationalww2museum.org/students-teachers/student-resources/research-starters/research-starters-us-military-numbers - basic WW II US military statistics from the National World War II Museum.
• en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_battles_with_most_United_States_military_fatalities - US battles in order of fatalities (there are some errors and omissions).
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_maritime_disasters_in_World_War_II - arranged by number of deaths.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ships_sunk_by_submarines_by_death_toll - incomplete. 
• https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/u/us-navy-personnel-in-world-war-ii-service-and-casualty-statistics.html - exhaustiveNaval History & Heritage Command's US Navy in WW II Service & Casualty Statistics.
• https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/w/world-war-ii-casualties.html - summary statistics taken from above report.
• http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/ref/Casualties/index.html - exhaustive  WWII War Department casualty counts (probably only deaths). 

Commentary - WW II history - US statistics:

• These sources contain overall data, no information about individuals.

WW II history - summaries:

• https://www.cnn.com/2013/07/09/world/world-war-ii-fast-facts - some statistics and a short summary.
• https://malwarwickonbooks.com/wp-content/uploads/7misconceptionsaboutwwii_compressed.pdf - corrects common misconceptions about WW II.
• www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii 
• http://www.abmc.gov/sites/default/files/interactive/interactive_files/WW2/index.html - an interactive summary from the American Battle Monuments Commission.
• https://www.onwar.com/wwii/maps - nice collection of easy-to-read maps, each with a brief summary of that particular facet of WW II.
• historyofwar.com - British website, not specific to WW II.

WW II history - timelines & chronologies - both War with Japan & War with Germany:

• http://books.stonebooks.com/wardiary/ - each day in WW II has a separate list of events.
• http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/ww2time.htm - Germany & Japan.
• http://www.historyplace.com/unitedstates/pacificwar/timeline.htm - War with Japan.
• https://www.onwar.com/wwii/chronology/index.html - all aspects of WW II arranged by month.
• https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USA/USA-SS-Chronology/index.html#index - UNITED STATES ARMY IN WORLD WAR II, Special Studies, CHRONOLOGY 1941-1945, Compiled by Mary H. Williams for the US Army's Center for Military History - detailed timeline of US Army in WW II.
• https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/USN/USN-Chron.html - The Official Chronology of the US Navy in World War II.

​Commentary - WW II history - timelines and chronologies:

• The above chronologies are long but are good research tools.

==> 3 - WW II history - US Army.

Official WW II US Army Orders of Battle and Combat Chronicles - both War with Japan & War with Germany:

• https://archive.org/details/OrderOfBattleUsArmyEtoWw2/page/n2/mode/2up - Order of Battle of the United States Army Ground Fources in World War II, European Theater of Operations, 1945 (586 pages). 
• https://history.army.mil/documents/ETO-OB/ETOOB-TOC.htm - Order of Battle for ETO divisions, the first portion of the above document.
• https://ia802700.us.archive.org/2/items/OrderOfBattleUsArmyPtoWw2/OrderOfBattleUsArmyPtoWw2.pdf - Order of Battle of the United States Army Ground Forces in World War II, Pacific Theater of Operations, 1945  (697 pages).
• https://history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cbtchron.html - brief Combat Chronicles for US Army divisions in WW II.

Commentary - Orders of Battle and Combat Chronicles:

• These sources are for divisions only; stand-alone regimental or battalion units are excluded except when attached to divisions.
• Because of their length, expect sources to load slowly.
• I can't find an Order of Battle document for the Mediterranean Theater.
• I found the divisional combat chronicles too brief to be of major use; perhaps eventually after-action reports will fill in the gap.

Some WW II US Army private databases:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_formations_of_the_United_States_Army_during_World_War_II -  US Army Groups, Armiess, Corps and Divisions in WWII. 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Corps_of_the_United_States_in_World_War_II - brief histories, some incomplete, of WW II corps in the Army and Marine Corps. 
• https://www.armydivs.com - campaigns in which each army division was involved. Scroll down for charts, initially confusing but worth understanding for someone with strong interests.
• https://www.unithistories.com - interesting but fragmentary material.

==> 4 - WW II history - US Army Air Force. (I use both USAAF and AAF as abbreviations.)

WW II US Army Air Force databases:

• https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/21/2001330256/-1/-1/0/AFD-100921-044.pdf - Air Force Combat Units of World War II, edited by Dr. Maurer Maurer, 1983 (group-sized units and above).
• https://media.defense.gov/2010/Dec/02/2001329899/-1/-1/0/AFD-101202-002.pdf - Combat Squadrons of the Air Force World War II, edited by Dr. Maurer Maurer, 1982.
• http://usafunithistory.com/index.html - AAF Unit Histories - good!
• https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp - locating missing aircraft.
• http://accident-report.com/usaf.html - AAF accident reports (Feb 1943 - Nov 1945 missing as of Mar 2021).
• aviation-safety.net/database/ - Aviation Safety Network Safety Database of aircraft accident reports.
• http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/usafserials.html - WW II AAF aircraft losses, indexed by tail number.

Specific to the Eighth & Ninth Air Forces in England:

• http://www.americanairmuseum.com - American Air Museum, Duxford, near Cambridge, England.
• http://www.8thafhs.org - Eighth Air Force Historical Society.
• http://www.8thafhs.com/tomt.php - Eighth Air Force databases, Groups, Bases, Targets, Missions.
• http://www.8thafhs.com/search.php - search multiple databases (not sure if it works correctly).
• https://mediafiles.thedms.co.uk/publication/ee-eet/cms/pdf/information-sheets/USAAF%20Airfields%20Guide%20and%20Map.pdf - Eighth Air Force bases in England - nice map.
• http://www.303rdbg.com/h-england-map.html - Eighth Air Force units in England with their bases.

==> 5 - WW II history - US Navy.

WW II US Navy databases:

• http://www.navsource.org - NavSource Naval History home page -  information on most ships, many photos.
• http://www.navsource.org/Naval/losses.htm#bb - WW II US Navy losses.
• www.navsource.org/Naval/ - from links near the bottom of the webpage, you can access a detailed Navy chronology for each year of WW II.
• https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs.html - Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks_in_December_1941 - includes ships damaged at Pearl Harbor; links at the very end allow access to other monthly lists for WW II.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_Navy_losses_in_World_War _II - by ship category.
• http://www.usmm.org/shipsunkdamaged.html - access lists of US merchant ships lost in WW II
• http://www.oneternalpatrol.com - WW II Submarine Service ship information.
• http://rwebs.net/avhistory/acdesig/usnsqdrn.htm - Naval Aviation squadron prefices (e.g., VSB).

==> 6 - WW II history - War with Japan.

• www.pacificwrecks.com - Aspects of WW II in the Pacific theaters, ships and planes.
• http://combinedfleet.com/battles/Guadalcanal_Campaign#top - probably translation from Japanese.
• http://www.cbi-history.com - China-Burma-India Theater Order of Battle, both Army & AAF.

==> 7 - WW II History - War with Germany.

US Army - War with Germany:

• https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/dc/Flusssystemkarte_Rhein_04.jpg - high-resolution map of the Rhine River basin.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allied_advance_from_Paris_to_the_Rhine - ETO summary from late Aug 1944 to late Mar 1945. Few maps.
• http://home.scarlet.be/~sh446368/home.html - The Battle for the Hürtgen Forest.

The Third Army's February 1945 Sauer River crossings into Germany:

• https://apps.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a163876.pdf - Assault Across the Sauer, from the Combat Studies Institute (CSI), the 80th Inf. Div. Sauer River crossing in Feb 1945. Three roster members died. (slow to load)
• https://mcoepublic.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/library/DonovanPapers/wwii/STUP2/A-F/DiesFrederick%20W.%20LTC.pdf - OPERATIONS OF THE 5TH INFANTRY DIVISION IN THE CROSSING OF THE SAUER RIVER 6-13 FEBRUARY 1945.
• https://www.80thdivision.com/WebArchives/AAReports.html - access the 80th Inf. Div. After Action Reports.
• https://www.80thdivision.com/AfterActionReports/80th_LossesInAction_Murrell.pdf - 80th Inf. Div. casualties by month.

Commentary - the February 1945 Sauer River crossings:

• I included these links because I am trying to determine if deaths in the February crossings over the swollen Saar River were underreported.

US Navy - War with Germany:

• https://uboat.net - WW I & II German submarine information.
• https://www.uboat-bases.com/en/ - U-Boat Bases of the Second World War in France. ​

WW II German POW Camps:
https://military.wikia.org/wiki/List_of_prisoner-of-war_camps_in_Germany#World_War_II_POW_Camps - 

==> 8 - WW II aircraft web resources:
WW II US aircraft:

• https://pearlharborwarbirds.com/world-war-2-fighter-planes-aircrafts/ - about 25 common US WW II models.
• https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/ww2-us-military-aircraft.asp - 217 mostly-US mostly- WW II models.
• http://www.aircraftaces.com/ww2-aircraft-usa.htm - specs for 31 US WW II aircraft listed by manufacturer.

WW II US aircraft production:

• http://acepilots.com/planes/factory.html - WW II aircraft mainframe manufacturers.
• https://www.wikiwand.com/en/United_States_aircraft_production_during_World_War_II - WW II aircraft production by category and by end user.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most-produced_aircraft - worldwide list since 1903 of aircraft with production runs over 5,000.

Museums, real and virtual:

• https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/WWII-Gallery/ - National Museum of the USAF, Dayton, OH WW II holdings.

• https://www.airplanemuseums.com/list-of-air-museums-exhibits-airparks.htm - partial list of US air museums.
• https://www.airplanes-online.com​ - airplanes of WW II, the Cold War, and Modern Times.

Aircraft classification and identification:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_United_States_Army_Air_Service_aircraft_designation_system - 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1922_United_States_Navy_aircraft_designation_system

==> 9 - WW II ships web resources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_Shipbuilding_Program - well-written article about WW II emergency construction of cargo ships in the USS.

==> 10 - WW II Iowa-specific web resources:

• https://worldwartwoveterans.org/national-guard-of-the-state-of-iowa-1938/ - 1938 Iowa National Guard yearbook.

Commentary - WW II Iowa-specific web resources:

• ​See the WW II - Personnel Lists webpage for the Iowa National Guard roster at time of induction in early 1941.

==> 11 - Sources for my WW II Roster Photos webpage (very incompete):

• https://www.ww2online.org/browse - Accesses photo library of the National WWII Museum, New Orleans, LA.