This article contains a list of battles with most United States military fatalities, in terms of American deaths.
This article lists battles and campaigns in which the number of U.S. soldiers killed was higher than 1,000. The battles and campaigns that reached that number of deaths in the field during the are so far limited to King William's War, the American Civil War, World War I, World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, one operation during the War in Afghanistan (Operation Enduring Freedom) and one campaign during the Iraq War (the Anbar campaign from March 20, 2003 to December 7, 2011). The campaign that resulted in the most US military deaths was the Siegfried Line campaign (28 August 1944 to March 21, 1945) in which 50,410 soldiers were killed fighting against Nazi Germany. [a] [1]
The bloodiest single day in the history of the United States military is either June 6, 1944, with 2,500 soldiers killed during the Invasion of Normandy on D-Day, or September 12, 1918, at the start of the Battle of Saint Mihiel, with over 2,500 dead (however, this exact figure is unverifiable because of poor documentation). The third-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 3,675 killed, including both United States and Confederate soldiers (total casualties for both sides were 22,717 dead, wounded, or missing Union and Confederate soldiers September 17, 1862). [2] [b] [3]
The origins of the American soldier (and even some military units) can be traced back to the Provincial troops of British America while the origins of the modern U.S military can be traced back to the Americans' fight for independence from their former colonial power of Great Britain during the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783). The three bloodiest conflicts in US military history so far have been American Civil War (1861–1865), World War I (1917–1918), and World War II (1941–1945 for declared American involvement). 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.
The definition of "battle" as a concept in military science has varied with the changes in the organization, employment, and technology of military forces. Before the 20th century, "battle" usually meant a military clash over a small area, lasting a few days at most and often just one day—such as the Battle of Waterloo, which began and ended on 18 June 1815 on a field a few kilometers across.
Especially in 20th-century conflicts, "battle" has meant "military campaign"—larger and longer military operations, on the operational or even strategic level—such as the Battle of the Atlantic, fought for several years (1939–1945) over about a fifth 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 can 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 prisoners for a total of 36,059 casualties. [4] [b] The word casualty has been used in a military context since at least 1513. [5] In this article the numbers killed refer to those killed in action, killed by disease or someone who died from their wounds.
Battle or siege | Conflict | Date | Estimated number killed | Opposing force | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battle of Bataan | World War II | January 7 to April 9, 1942 | 10,000 killed | ![]() | [6] |
Siege of Port Hudson | American Civil War | May 22 to July 9, 1863 | 5,707 killed [c] | ![]() | [7] |
Battle of Elsenborn Ridge (part of the Battle of the Bulge) | World War II | December 16 to 26, 1944 | ~5,000 killed | ![]() | [8] |
Battle of Saint-Mihiel | World War I | September 12 to 15, 1918 | ~4,500 killed | ![]() | [9] |
Battle of Khe Sanh | Vietnam War | January 21 to July 9, 1968 | 3,500 killed [d] | ![]() ![]() ![]() | [10] |
Battle of Gettysburg | American Civil War | July 1 to July 3, 1863 | 3,155 killed [e] | ![]() | [11] |
Battle of Saint-Lô | World War II | July 7 to 19, 1944 | Over 3,000 killed | ![]() | [12] |
Operation Lüttich (Part of the Battle of Normandy) | August 7 to August 13, 1944 | ~3,000 killed [f] | [13] | ||
Battle of Monte Cassino | January 17 to May 18, 1944 | ~3,000 killed | ![]() ![]() | [14] | |
Battle of Leyte Gulf | October 23 to 25, 1944 | 2,800 killed | ![]() | [15] | |
Battle of Cherbourg | June 6 to July 27, 1944 | ![]() | [16] | ||
Battle of Spotsylvania | American Civil War | May 8 to May 21, 1864 | 2,725 killed [g] | ![]() | [17] |
D-Day (first day of Operation Overlord) | World War II | June 6, 1944 | 2,499 killed | ![]() | [18] |
Pearl Harbor Attack | December 7, 1941 | 2,335 killed [h] | ![]() | [19] | |
Battle of the Wilderness | American Civil War | May 5 to May 7, 1864 | 2,246 killed [i] | ![]() | [17] |
Operation Thunderbolt (part of the Chinese Invasion of South Korea) | Korean War | January 25 to February 20, 1951 | 2,228 killed | ![]() | [20] |
Battle of Peleliu | World War II | September 15 to November 25, 1944 | 2,143 killed [j] | ![]() | [24] : 327 |
Battle of Antietam | American Civil War | September 17, 1862 | 2,108 killed [k] | ![]() | [17] |
Battle of Fismes and Fismette | World War I | August 3 to September 1, 1918 | 2,068 killed | ![]() | [25] |
Battle of Aachen (part of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest) | World War II | October 12 to October 21, 1944 | 2,000 killed | ![]() | [26] |
Battle of Cold Harbor | American Civil War | May 21 to June 12, 1864 | 1,844 killed [l] | ![]() | [17] |
Battle of Tarawa | World War II | November 20 to November 23, 1943 | 1,759 killed [m] | ![]() | [27] |
Battle of Shiloh | American Civil War | April 6 to April 7, 1862 | 1,754 killed [n] | ![]() | [17] |
Second Battle of Bull Run | August 26 to August 30, 1862 | 1,747 killed [o] | [17] | ||
Seven Days Battles | June 25 to July 1, 1862 | 1,734 killed [p] | [4] | ||
Naval Battle of Guadalcanal | World War II | November 12, 1942 to November 15, 1942 | 1,732 killed | ![]() | [28] |
Battle of Stones River | American Civil War | December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863 | 1,730 killed [q] | ![]() | [17] |
Second Battle of Petersburg | June 15 to June 18, 1864 | 1,688 killed [r] | ![]() | [29] | |
Battle of Chickamauga | September 19 to September 20, 1863 | 1,656 killed [s] | [17] | ||
Battle of Chancellorsville | April 30 to May 6, 1863 | 1,606 killed [t] | [17] | ||
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 | ![]() | [30] |
Task Force Faith | November 27 to December 2, 1950 | 1,450~ killed [u] | ![]() | [31] | |
Battle of Con Thien | Vietnam War | February 27, 1967 to February 28, 1969 | 1,419 killed | ![]() | [32] |
Second Battle of Naktong Bulge (part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter) | Korean War | September 1 to September 15, 1950 | 1,305 killed | ![]() | [33] |
Battle of Fredericksburg | American Civil War | December 11 to December 15, 1862 | 1,284 killed [v] | ![]() | [34] |
Battle of Quebec (1690) | King William's War | October 16 to 24, 1690 | 1,150 killed [w] | ![]() ![]() | [35] [36] |
Battle of Taejon | Korean War | July 14 to July 21, 1950 | 1,128 killed | ![]() | [37] |
Operation Avalanche | World War II | September 9 to 17, 1943 | 1,084 killed [x] | ![]() | [38] |
Battle of Savo Island (part of the Guadalcanal Campaign) | World War II | August 8, 1942 to August 9, 1942 | 1,077 killed | ![]() | [ citation needed ] |
Battle of Belleau Wood | World War I | June 1 to June 26, 1918 | 1,062 killed | ![]() | [39] |
Battle of Masan (part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter) | Korean War | August 5 to September 19, 1950 | 1,057 killed | ![]() | [40] |
Battle of Manila (part of the Battle of Luzon) | World War II | February 3 to March 3, 1945 | 1,010 killed | ![]() | [41] |
Battle of Gaines' Mill (part of the Seven Days Battles) | American Civil War | June 27, 1862 | 1,005 killed [y] | ![]() | [42] [43] |
Campaign | Conflict | Date | Estimated number killed | Opposing force | References |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Siegfried Line campaign | World War II | August 28 1944 to March 21, 1945 | 50,410 killed [z] | ![]() | [1] |
Italian campaign | July 9, 1943 to May 2, 1945 | 29,560 killed | ![]() ![]() | [44] | |
Battle of Normandy | June 6 to August 25, 1944 | 29,204 killed | ![]() | [aa] [45] [46] | |
Meuse–Argonne Offensive | World War I | September 26 to November 11, 1918 | 26,277 killed | ![]() | [47] |
Philippines campaign (1944–1945) | World War II | October 20, 1944 to August 15, 1945 | 20,712 killed | ![]() | [48] [49] [50] |
Battle of the Bulge | December 16, 1944 to January 28, 1945 | 19,276 killed | ![]() | [51] | |
Battle of the Atlantic | September 3, 1939 to May 8, 1945 [ab] | ~18,000 killed | ![]() ![]() | [53] [54] | |
Central Europe Campaign | March 22 to May 8, 1945 | 15,009 killed | ![]() ![]() | [45] | |
38th Parallel Static Warfare Campaign | Korean War | July 11, 1951 to July 27, 1953 | ~13,800 killed | ![]() | [55] |
Philippines Campaign (1941-1942) | World War II | December 8, 1941 to May 6, 1942 | ~13,000 killed | ![]() | [ac] |
Battle of Okinawa | April 1 to June 22, 1945 | ~12,500 killed | [56] | ||
Battle of Hürtgen Forest | September 19, 1944 to February 17, 1945 | ~12,000 killed | ![]() | [ad] | |
Battle of Luzon | January 9 to August 15, 1945 | 10,310 killed | ![]() | [58] | |
North Apennines Campaign | September 10, 1944 to April 4, 1945 | 8,486 killed | ![]() | [45] | |
Mariana and Palau Islands campaign | June 1944 to November 1944 | 8,125 killed | ![]() | [59] | |
Invasion of Lingayen Gulf | January 3 to 13, 1945 | 8,000 killed | ![]() | [60] | |
Chinese Invasion of South Korea | Korean War | December 31, 1950 to July 10, 1951 | ~8,000 killed | ![]() | [61] |
Overland Campaign | American Civil War | May 4 to June 24, 1864 | 7,621 killed [ae] | ![]() | [62] |
Operation Dragoon | World War II | August 15 to September 14, 1944 | 7,301 killed | ![]() | [57] |
Guadalcanal Campaign | August 7, 1942, to February 9, 1943 | 7,100 killed | ![]() | [63] | |
Alsace Campaign | November 13, 1944 to February 19, 1945 | 7,000 killed | ![]() | [64] | |
Battle of Iwo Jima | February 19 to March 26, 1945 | 6,821 killed | ![]() | [65] | |
Lorraine Campaign | September 1 to December 18, 1944 | 6,657 killed | ![]() | [66] | |
Naples–Foggia Campaign | September 9, 1943 to January 21, 1944 | 6,266 killed | [45] | ||
Battle of Anzio | January 22 to June 5, 1944 | 5,538 killed | ![]() ![]() | [45] | |
New Guinea campaign | January 23 1942 to 15 August, 1945 | 4,684 killed | ![]() | [67] | |
Battle of Pusan Perimeter | Korean War | August 4 to September 18, 1950 | 4,599 killed | ![]() | [68] |
Chinese Second Phase Offensive in North Korea | November 25 to December 15, 1950 | 4,538 killed [af] | ![]() | [69] | |
Atlanta campaign | American Civil War | May 7 to September 2, 1864 | 4,423 killed [ag] | ![]() | [70] [71] |
Gettysburg campaign | June 3 to July 24, 1863 | 3,642 killed [ah] | ![]() | [72] [73] [74] [75] [76] [77] | |
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 | ![]() ![]() | [78] |
Battle of Leyte | World War II | October 17 to December 26, 1944 | 3,593 killed | ![]() | [ai] |
Saar-Palatinate Offensive | March 8 to March 24, 1945 | 3,540 killed | ![]() | [80] | |
Battle of Saipan | June 15 to July 9, 1944 | 3,426 killed | ![]() | [81] | |
Peninsula campaign | American Civil War | March 8 to July 1, 1862 | Over 3,311 killed | ![]() | [aj] |
Tet Offensive | Vietnam War | January 30 to September 23, 1968 | 3,178 Killed | ![]() ![]() | [ak] |
North Korean Invasion of South Korea | Korean War | June 25 to August 3, 1950 | 3,108 killed | ![]() | [30] |
Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign | World War II | August 1942 to February 1944 | 3,070 killed [al] | ![]() | [87] |
Operation Northwind | January 1 to 25, 1945 | 3,000 killed | ![]() | [88] | |
Battle of Chosin Reservoir | Korean War | November 27 to December 13, 1950 | ~2,840 killed [am] | ![]() | [89] |
Tunisian Campaign | World War II | November 12, 1942 to May 13, 1943 | 2,838 killed | ![]() ![]() | [57] |
Battle of Sicily | July 9 to August 17, 1943 | 2,811 killed | ![]() ![]() | [90] | |
Maryland campaign | American Civil War | September 4 to 20, 1862 | 2,783 killed [an] | ![]() | [91] [92] |
Operation Enduring Freedom | War in Afghanistan | October 7, 2001 to December 28, 2014 | 2,380 killed | ![]() ![]() | [93] |
May Offensive | Vietnam War | April 29 to May 30, 1968 | 2,169 killed | ![]() ![]() | [94] |
Northern Virginia campaign | American Civil War | July 19 to September 1, 1862 | 2,061 killed [ao] | ![]() | [95] |
Dutch East Indies Campaign | World War II | December 8, 1941 to March 9, 1942 | ~2,000 killed | ![]() | [ap] |
Second Battle of the Marne | World War I | July 15 to August 6, 1918 | 1,926 killed [aq] | ![]() | [97] |
Po Valley Offensive | World War II | April 5 to May 8, 1945 | 1,914 killed | ![]() | [57] |
Operation Toan Thang II | Vietnam War | June 1 1968 to February 16 1969 | 1,798 killed | ![]() ![]() | [98] : 31 |
Battle of Guam | World War II | July 21 to August 10, 1944 | 1,783 killed | ![]() | [99] : 163 |
UN Invasion of North Korea | Korean War | September 30 to November 25, 1950 | 1,732 killed | ![]() ![]() | [30] |
Operation Lumberjack | World War II | March 1 to 25, 1945 | 1,700 killed | ![]() | [100] |
Vicksburg campaign | American Civil War | December 29 1862, to July 4, 1863 | 1,581 killed [ar] | ![]() | [102] |
Operation Toan Thang III | Vietnam War | February 17 to October 31, 1969 | 1,533 killed | ![]() ![]() | [103] : A-17 |
Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River | Korean War | November 25 to December 2, 1950 | 1,489 killed [as] | ![]() | [104] |
Anbar campaign | Iraq War | March 20, 2003 to December 7, 2011 [at] | 1,335 killed | ![]() Iraqi insurgency (2003–2011) | [105] |
Operation Grenade | World War II | February 23 to March 10, 1945 | 1,330 killed | ![]() | [106] |
Operation Grapeshot | April 6 to May 2, 1945 | 1,288 killed | ![]() ![]() | [107] | |
New Georgia campaign | June 30 to October 7, 1943 | 1,195 killed | ![]() | [108] | |
Battle of Mindanao | March 10 to August 15, 1945 | 1,041 killed [au] | [109] [110] | ||
Burma campaign | December 14, 1941 to September 13, 1945 | 1,021 killed | ![]() ![]() | [111] |
The 76,000 prisoners of war of the battle for Bataan – some 64,000 Filipino soldiers and 12,000 U.S. soldiers – then were forced to endure what came to be known as the Bataan Death March as they were moved into captivity.
Bataan Death March, march in the Philippines of some 66 miles (106 km) that 76,000 prisoners of war (66,000 Filipinos, 10,000 U.S.) were forced by the Japanese military to endure in April 1942, during the early stages of World War II.
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