List of battles with most United States military fatalities
This article contains a list of battles with most United States military fatalities, in terms of American deaths.
Introduction
This article lists battles and campaigns in which the number of US soldiers killed was higher than 1,000. The battles and campaigns that reached that number of deaths in the field are so far limited to the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, Korean War, and one campaign during the Vietnam War (the Tet Offensive from January 30 to September 23, 1968). The campaign that resulted in the most US military deaths was the Battle of Normandy (June 6 to August 25, 1944) in which 29,204 soldiers were killed fighting against Nazi Germany.
The bloodiest single day in the history of the United States Military was June 6, 1944, with 2,500 soldiers killed during the Invasion of Normandy on D-Day. The second-highest single-day toll was the Battle of Antietam with 2,108 dead.
The deadliest single day battle in American history, if all engaged armies are considered, is the Battle of Antietam with 5,389 killed, including both United States and Confederate soldiers (total casualties for both sides was 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing Union and Confederate soldiers September 17, 1862).
The origins of the US military can be traced to the Americans' fight for independence from their former colonial power, Great Britain, in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). The three bloodiest conflicts have been American Civil War (1861–1865), World War I (1917–1918), and World War II (1941–45). Other significant conflicts involving the United States ordered by casualties include the Korean War (1950–1953), the Vietnam War (1964–1973), the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021), and various conflicts in the Middle East. For most of its existence, America has been involved in one or another military conflict.
Scope and definitions
The definition of "battle" as a concept in military science has been a dynamic one through the course of military history, changing with the changes in the organization, employment and technology of military forces. From the beginning of history until the 20th century, "battle" has usually meant a military clash over a relatively small area, lasting only a few days at most (and often just one day); for instance, the Battle of Waterloo, begun, fought, and ended on 18 June 1815 on a field a few kilometers across.
Another use of the term "battle," which is seen particularly in the 20th century, is as equivalent to military campaign (military operations on a larger scale and longer duration, on the operational or even strategic level); for instance the Battle of the Atlantic, fought over several years (1939 to 1945) in an area constituting about twenty percent of the Earth's surface.
Since both types of "battles" are not usefully comparable in many ways, including casualty comparisons, this article is divided into two sections, one for battle in the older more restricted sense and one for campaigns, many of which are also called battles.
There are actions at the margins that could be reasonably assigned to either list. For instance, the Battle of Spotsylvania lasted 14 days, but the main part was fought on a small field (less than three kilometers on a side), and in this way being more in the nature of a siege (a military action typically of long duration but in covering a relatively small area). Like the similar Battle of Cold Harbor, also part of the Overland Campaign, it is included in this article on the Battles list. The Battle of Saint-Mihiel, lasting only about four days, but on a larger field (roughly 12 kilometers by 25 kilometers), is also included on the Battles list.
The term casualty in warfare can often be confusing. It often does not refer to those who are killed on the battlefield; rather, it refers to those who can no longer fight. That can include disabled by injuries, disabled by psychological trauma, captured, deserted, or missing. A casualty is only a soldier who is no longer available for the immediate battle or campaign, the major consideration in combat, and the number of casualties is simply the number of members of a unit who are not available for duty. For example, during the Seven Days Battles during the American Civil War (June 25 to July 1, 1862) there were 5,228 killed, 23,824 wounded and 7,007 missing or taken prisoner for a total of 36,059 casualties. The word casualty has been used in a military context since at least 1513. In this article the numbers killed refer to those killed in action, killed by disease or someone who died from their wounds.
Battles
Battle or siege | Conflict | Date | Estimated number killed | Opposing force | References |
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Battle of Elsenborn Ridge (part of the Battle of the Bulge) | World War II | December 16 to 26, 1944 | ~5,000 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Saint-Mihiel | World War I | September 12 to 15, 1918 | ~4,500 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Gettysburg | American Civil War | July 1 to July 3, 1863 | 3,155 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Battle of Leyte Gulf | World War II | October 23 to 25, 1944 | 2,800 killed | Japan | |
Battle of Spotsylvania | American Civil War | May 8 to May 21, 1864 | 2,725 killed | Confederate States of America | |
D-day (first day of Operation Overlord) | World War II | June 6, 1944 | 2,500 killed | Germany | |
Pearl Harbor Attack | World War II | December 7, 1941 | 2,335 killed | Japan | |
Battle of the Wilderness | American Civil War | May 5 to May 7, 1864 | 2,246 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Operation Thunderbolt (part of the Chinese Invasion of South Korea) | Korean War | January 25 to February 20, 1951 | 2,228 killed | China |
|
Battle of Antietam | American Civil War | September 17, 1862 | 2,108 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Battle of Aachen (part of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest) | World War II | October 12 to October 21, 1944 | 2,000 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Cold Harbor | American Civil War | May 21 to June 12, 1864 | 1,844 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Battle of Tarawa | World War II | November 20 to November 23, 1943 | 1,759 killed | Japan | |
Battle of Shiloh | American Civil War | April 6 to April 7, 1862 | 1,754 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Second Battle of Bull Run | American Civil War | August 26 to August 30, 1862 | 1,747 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Seven Days Battles | American Civil War | June 25 to July 1, 1862 | 1,734 killed | Confederate States of America | |
UN Invasion of North Korea | Korean War | September 30 to November 25, 1950 | 1,732 killed | North Korea China |
|
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal | World War II | November 12, 1942 to November 15, 1942 | 1,732 killed | Japan | [citation needed] |
Battle of Stones River | American Civil War | December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863 | 1,730 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Battle of Chickamauga | American Civil War | September 19 to September 20, 1863 | 1,656 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Battle of Chancellorsville | American Civil War | April 30 to May 6, 1863 | 1,606 killed | Confederate States of America | |
UN Counteroffensive from the Pusan Perimeter (including the Inchon Landings and the Second Battle of Seoul) | Korean War | September 15 to September 30, 1950 | 1,492 killed | North Korea | |
Task Force Faith | Korean War | November 27 to December 2, 1950 | 1,450~ killed | China | |
Second Battle of Naktong Bulge (part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter) | Korean War | September 1 to September 15, 1950 | 1,305 killed | North Korea | |
Battle of Fredericksburg | American Civil War | December 11 to December 15, 1862 | 1,284 killed | Confederate States of America | |
Battle of Taejon | Korean War | July 14 to July 21, 1950 | 1,128 killed | North Korea | |
Battle of Savo Island (part of the Guadalcanal Campaign) | World War II | August 8, 1942 to August 9, 1942 | 1,077 killed | Japan | [citation needed] |
Battle of Belleau Wood | World War I | June 1 to June 26, 1918 | 1,062 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Masan (part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter) | Korean War | August 5 to September 19, 1950 | 1,057 killed | North Korea | |
Battle of Manila (part of the Battle of Luzon) | World War II | February 3 to March 3, 1945 | 1,010 killed | Japan |
Campaigns
Campaign | Conflict | Date | Estimated number killed | Opposing force | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battle of Normandy | World War II | June 6 to August 25, 1944 | 29,204 killed | Germany | |
Meuse–Argonne Offensive | World War I | September 26 to November 11, 1918 | 26,277 killed | Germany | |
Battle of the Bulge | World War II | December 16, 1944 to January 28, 1945 | 19,276 killed | Germany | |
Central Europe Campaign | World War II | March 22 to May 8, 1945 | 15,009 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Okinawa | World War II | April 1 to June 22, 1945 | ~14,000-20,000 killed | Japan | |
38th Parallel Static Warfare Campaign | Korean War | July 11, 1951 to July 27, 1953 | ~13,800 killed | China | |
Philippines Campaign | World War II | December 8, 1941 to May 6, 1942 | ~13,000 killed | Japan | |
Battle of Hürtgen Forest | World War II | September 19, 1944 to February 17, 1945 | ~12,000 killed | Germany | |
North Apennines Campaign | World War II | September 10, 1944 to April 4, 1945 | 8,486 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Luzon | World War II | January 9 to August 15, 1945 | 8,310 killed | Japan | |
Chinese Invasion of South Korea | Korean War | December 31, 1950 to July 10, 1951 | ~8,000 killed | China | |
Operation Dragoon | World War II | August 15 to September 14, 1944 | 7,301 killed | Germany | |
Guadalcanal Campaign | World War II | August 7, 1942, to February 9, 1943 | 7,100 killed | Japan | |
Alsace Campaign | World War II | November 13, 1944 to February 19, 1945 | 7,000 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Iwo Jima | World War II | February 19 to March 26, 1945 | 6,821 killed | Japan | |
Lorraine Campaign | World War II | September 1 to December 18, 1944 | 6,657 killed | Germany | |
Naples–Foggia Campaign | World War II | September 9, 1943 to January 21, 1944 | 6,266 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Anzio | World War II | January 22 to June 5, 1944 | 5,538 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Pusan Perimeter | Korean War | August 4 to September 18, 1950 | 4,599 killed | North Korea | |
Chinese Second Phase Offensive in North Korea | Korean War | November 25 to December 15, 1950 | 4,538 killed | China | |
Chinese Spring Offensive and UN Counteroffensive (part of the Chinese Invasion of South Korea) | Korean War | April 22 to July 1, 1951 | ~3,600 killed | China North Korea |
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Battle of Leyte | World War II | October 17 to December 26, 1944 | 3,593 killed | Japan | |
Saar-Palatinate Offensive | World War II | March 8 to March 24, 1945 | 3,540 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Saipan | World War II | June 15 to July 9, 1944 | 3,426 killed | Japan | |
Tet Offensive | Vietnam War | January 30 to September 23, 1968 | 3,178 Killed | North Vietnam Viet Cong |
|
North Korean Invasion of South Korea | Korean War | June 25 to August 3, 1950 | 3,108 killed | North Korea | |
Battle of Chosin Reservoir | Korean War | November 27 to December 13, 1950 | ~2,840 killed | China | |
Tunisian Campaign | World War II | November 12, 1942 to May 13, 1943 | 2,838 killed | Germany Italy |
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Battle of Sicily | World War II | July 9 to August 17, 1943 | 2,811 killed | Italy Germany |
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Dutch East Indies Campaign | World War II | December 8, 1941 to March 9, 1942 | ~2,000 killed | Japan | |
Second Battle of the Marne | World War I | July 15 to August 6, 1918 | 1,926 killed | Germany | |
Po Valley Offensive | World War II | April 5 to May 8, 1945 | 1,914 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Guam | World War II | July 21 to August 10, 1944 | 1,783 killed | Japan | : 163 |
Operation Lumberjack | World War II | March 1 to 25, 1945 | 1,700 killed | Germany | |
Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River | Korean War | November 25 to December 2, 1950 | 1,489 killed | China | |
Battle of Peleliu | World War II | September 15 to November 25, 1944 | 1,460 killed | Japan | : 327 |
Operation Grenade | World War II | February 23 to March 10, 1945 | 1,330 killed | Germany | |
Battle of Mindanao | World War II | March 10 to August 15, 1945 | 1,041 killed | Japan |
See also
- Deadliest single days of World War I
- American units with the highest percentage of casualties per conflict
Notes
- ^ Union and Confederate numbers added together
- ^ Union and Confederate numbers added together
- ^ 3,155 Union and 3,903 Confederate
- ^ 2,725 Union and 1,515 Confederacy
- ^ 2,008 Navy KIA + 109 Marines + 218 Army (not included: 68 civilian deaths)
- ^ 2,246 Union and 1,495 Confederacy
- ^ 2,108 Union and 1,546 Confederacy
- ^ 1,844 Union and 788 Confederacy
- ^ 984 Marines + 88 MIA + 687 Navy
984+ 88+ 687 - ^ 1,754 Union and 1,728 Confederacy
- ^ 1,747 Union and 1,305 Confederacy
- ^ 1,734 Union and 3,494 Confederacy
- ^ 1,730 Union and 1,294 Confederacy
- ^ 1,656 Union and 2,312 Confederacy
- ^ 1,606 Union and 1,724 Confederacy
- ^ Of the 2,500 soldiers in Task Force Faith only 1,050 made it back. Of those only 385 were able-bodied
- ^ 1,284 Union and 608 Confederacy
- ^ 50,410 Americans died in the Rhineland from September 1944 - March 21, 1945
- ^ U.S. Army KIA+Army POW died+Army MIA died+Marine KIA+Navy KIA
1183+1167+1410+763+15=4,538 - ^ 16,233 died in Leyete, Luson, and Southern Philippines during October 17, 1944 - July 4, 1945
- ^ 16,592 American died in 1968
- ^ 836 Marines killed + 2,000 US Army killed
- ^ 12,000 casualties including KIA, WIA, POW
- ^ 676 killed + 813 Missing presumed dead
- ^ Operation VICTOR IV, the seizure of Mindanao's Zamboanga Peninsula occurred at the same time as Battle of Mindanao.
221 killed and 665 wounded on Zamboanga Peninsula
820 killed and 2,880 wounded on E. Mindanao