This article contains a list of battles with most United States military fatalities, in terms of American deaths.
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 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 is either June 6, 1944, with 2,500 soldiers killed during the Invasion of Normandy on D-Day, or September 12th, 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). [1] [a] [2]
The origins of the U.S. 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 (1941–1945 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. [3] [a] The word casualty has been used in a military context since at least 1513. [4] 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 Elsenborn Ridge (part of the Battle of the Bulge) | World War II | December 16 to 26, 1944 | ~5,000 killed |  Germany | [5] |
| Battle of Saint-Mihiel | World War I | September 12 to 15, 1918 | ~4,500 killed |  Germany | [6] |
| Battle of Gettysburg | American Civil War | July 1 to July 3, 1863 | 3,155 killed [b] |  Confederate States of America | [7] |
| Battle of Leyte Gulf | World War II | October 23 to 25, 1944 | 2,800 killed |  Japan | [8] |
| Battle of Spotsylvania | American Civil War | May 8 to May 21, 1864 | 2,725 killed [c] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| D-Day (first day of Operation Overlord) | World War II | June 6, 1944 | 2,500 killed | Germany | [10] |
| Pearl Harbor Attack | World War II | December 7, 1941 | 2,335 killed [d] | Japan | [11] |
| Battle of the Wilderness | American Civil War | May 5 to May 7, 1864 | 2,246 killed [e] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| Operation Thunderbolt (part of the Chinese Invasion of South Korea) | Korean War | January 25 to February 20, 1951 | 2,228 killed |  China | [12] |
| Battle of Antietam | American Civil War | September 17, 1862 | 2,108 killed |  Confederate States of America | [9] |
| Battle of Aachen (part of the Battle of Hürtgen Forest) | World War II | October 12 to October 21, 1944 | 2,000 killed | Germany | [13] |
| Battle of Cold Harbor | American Civil War | May 21 to June 12, 1864 | 1,844 killed [f] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| Battle of Tarawa | World War II | November 20 to November 23, 1943 | 1,759 killed [g] | Japan | [14] |
| Battle of Shiloh | American Civil War | April 6 to April 7, 1862 | 1,754 killed [h] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| Second Battle of Bull Run | American Civil War | August 26 to August 30, 1862 | 1,747 killed [i] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| Seven Days Battles | American Civil War | June 25 to July 1, 1862 | 1,734 killed [j] | Confederate States of America | [3] |
| UN Invasion of North Korea | Korean War | September 30 to November 25, 1950 | 1,732 killed |  North Korea China | [15] |
| 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 [k] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| Battle of Chickamauga | American Civil War | September 19 to September 20, 1863 | 1,656 killed [l] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| Battle of Chancellorsville | American Civil War | April 30 to May 6, 1863 | 1,606 killed [m] | Confederate States of America | [9] |
| 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 | [15] |
| Task Force Faith | Korean War | November 27 to December 2, 1950 | 1,450~ killed [n] | China | [16] |
| 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 | [17] |
| Battle of Fredericksburg | American Civil War | December 11 to December 15, 1862 | 1,284 killed [o] | Confederate States of America | [18] |
| Battle of Taejon | Korean War | July 14 to July 21, 1950 | 1,128 killed | North Korea | [19] |
| 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 | [20] |
| Battle of Masan (part of the Battle of Pusan Perimeter) | Korean War | August 5 to September 19, 1950 | 1,057 killed | North Korea | [21] |
| Battle of Manila (part of the Battle of Luzon) | World War II | February 3 to March 3, 1945 | 1,010 killed | Japan | [22] |
| 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 | [p] [23] [24] |
| Meuse–Argonne Offensive | World War I | September 26 to November 11, 1918 | 26,277 killed | Germany | [25] |
| Battle of the Bulge | World War II | December 16, 1944 to January 28, 1945 | 19,276 killed | Germany | [26] |
| Central Europe Campaign | World War II | March 22 to May 8, 1945 | 15,009 killed | Germany | [23] |
| 38th Parallel Static Warfare Campaign | Korean War | July 11, 1951 to July 27, 1953 | ~13,800 killed | China | [27] |
| Philippines Campaign | World War II | December 8, 1941 to May 6, 1942 | ~13,000 killed | Japan | [q] |
| Battle of Okinawa | World War II | April 1 to June 22, 1945 | ~12,500 | Japan | [28] |
| Battle of Hürtgen Forest | World War II | September 19, 1944 to February 17, 1945 | ~24,000 killed | Germany | [r] |
| North Apennines Campaign | World War II | September 10, 1944 to April 4, 1945 | 8,486 killed | Germany | [23] |
| Battle of Luzon | World War II | January 9 to August 15, 1945 | 8,310 killed | Japan | [30] |
| Chinese Invasion of South Korea | Korean War | December 31, 1950 to July 10, 1951 | ~8,000 killed | China | [31] |
| Operation Dragoon | World War II | August 15 to September 14, 1944 | 7,301 killed | Germany | [29] |
| Guadalcanal Campaign | World War II | August 7, 1942, to February 9, 1943 | 7,100 killed | Japan | [32] |
| Alsace Campaign | World War II | November 13, 1944 to February 19, 1945 | 7,000 killed | Germany | [33] |
| Battle of Iwo Jima | World War II | February 19 to March 26, 1945 | 6,821 killed | Japan | [34] |
| Lorraine Campaign | World War II | September 1 to December 18, 1944 | 6,657 killed | Germany | [35] |
| Naples–Foggia Campaign | World War II | September 9, 1943 to January 21, 1944 | 6,266 killed | Germany | [23] |
| Battle of Anzio | World War II | January 22 to June 5, 1944 | 5,538 killed | Germany | [23] |
| Battle of Pusan Perimeter | Korean War | August 4 to September 18, 1950 | 4,599 killed |  North Korea | [36] |
| Chinese Second Phase Offensive in North Korea | Korean War | November 25 to December 15, 1950 | 4,538 killed [s] | China | [37] |
| 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 | [38] |
| Battle of Leyte | World War II | October 17 to December 26, 1944 | 3,593 killed | Japan | [t] |
| Saar-Palatinate Offensive | World War II | March 8 to March 24, 1945 | 3,540 killed | Germany | [40] |
| Battle of Saipan | World War II | June 15 to July 9, 1944 | 3,426 killed | Japan | [41] |
| Tet Offensive | Vietnam War | January 30 to September 23, 1968 | 3,178 Killed |  North Vietnam Viet Cong | [u] |
| North Korean Invasion of South Korea | Korean War | June 25 to August 3, 1950 | 3,108 killed | North Korea | [15] |
| Battle of Chosin Reservoir | Korean War | November 27 to December 13, 1950 | ~2,840 killed [v] | China | [43] |
| Tunisian Campaign | World War II | November 12, 1942 to May 13, 1943 | 2,838 killed | Germany Italy | [29] |
| Battle of Sicily | World War II | July 9 to August 17, 1943 | 2,811 killed | Italy Germany | [44] |
| Dutch East Indies Campaign | World War II | December 8, 1941 to March 9, 1942 | ~2,000 killed | Japan | [w] |
| Second Battle of the Marne | World War I | July 15 to August 6, 1918 | 1,926 killed [x] | Germany | [46] |
| Po Valley Offensive | World War II | April 5 to May 8, 1945 | 1,914 killed | Germany | [29] |
| Battle of Guam | World War II | July 21 to August 10, 1944 | 1,783 killed | Japan | [47] : 163 |
| Operation Lumberjack | World War II | March 1 to 25, 1945 | 1,700 killed | Germany | [48] |
| Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River | Korean War | November 25 to December 2, 1950 | 1,489 killed [y] | China | [49] |
| Battle of Peleliu | World War II | September 15 to November 25, 1944 | 1,460 killed | Japan | [50] : 327 |
| Operation Grenade | World War II | February 23 to March 10, 1945 | 1,330 killed | Germany | [51] |
| Battle of Mindanao | World War II | March 10 to August 15, 1945 | 1,041 killed [z] | Japan | [52] [53] |
The American Civil War was a civil war in the United States between the Union and the Confederacy, which was formed in 1861 by states that had seceded from the Union. The central conflict leading to war was a dispute over whether slavery should be permitted to expand into the western territories, leading to more slave states, or be prohibited from doing so, which many believed would place slavery on a course of ultimate extinction.
The Korean War was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea and South Korea and their allies. North Korea was supported by the People's Republic of China and the Soviet Union, while South Korea was supported by the United Nations Command (UNC) led by the United States. The conflict was the first major proxy war of the Cold War. Fighting ended in 1953 with an armistice but no peace treaty, leading to the ongoing Korean conflict.
The military history of the United States spans over two centuries, the entire history of the United States. During those centuries, the United States evolved from a newly formed nation which fought for its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain (1775–1783) to world superpower status in the aftermath of World War II to the present. As of 2024, the United States Armed Forces consists of the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Space Force, all under the command of the Department of Defense, and the Coast Guard, which is controlled by the Department of Homeland Security.
The following is a tabulation of United States military casualties of war.
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The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting against the United States forces to win the independence of the Southern states and uphold and expand the institution of slavery. On February 28, 1861, the Provisional Confederate Congress established a provisional volunteer army and gave control over military operations and authority for mustering state forces and volunteers to the newly chosen Confederate States president, Jefferson Davis (1808-1889),. Davis was a graduate of the United States Military Academy, on the Hudson River at West Point, New York, colonel of a volunteer regiment during the Mexican–American War (1846-1848). He had also been a United States senator from Mississippi and served as U.S. Secretary of War under 14th President Franklin Pierce. On March 1, 1861, on behalf of the new Confederate States government, Davis assumed control of the military situation at Charleston Harbor in Charleston, South Carolina, where South Carolina state militia had besieged the longtime Federal Fort Sumter in Charleston harbor, held by a small U.S. Army garrison under the command of Major Robert Anderson. (1805-1871). By March 1861, the Provisional Congress of the Confederate States meeting in the temporary capital of Montgomery, Alabama, expanded the provisional military forces and established a more permanent regular Confederate States Army.
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The 24th Infantry Division was an infantry division of the United States Army that was inactivated in October 1996. Formed during World War II from the disbanding Hawaiian Division, the division saw action throughout the Pacific theater, first fighting in New Guinea before landing on the Philippine islands of Leyte and Luzon, driving Japanese forces from them. Following the end of the war, the division participated in occupation duties in Japan, and was the first division to respond at the outbreak of the Korean War. For the first 18 months of the war, the division was heavily engaged on the front lines with North Korean and Chinese forces, suffering over 10,000 casualties. It was withdrawn from the front lines to the reserve force for the remainder of the war after the second battle for Wonju, but returned to Korea for patrol duty at the end of major combat operations.
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The Battle of the Pusan Perimeter, known in Korean as the Battle of the Naktong River Defense Line, was a large-scale battle between United Nations Command (UN) and North Korean forces lasting from August 4 to September 18, 1950. It was one of the first major engagements of the Korean War. An army of 140,000 UN troops, having been pushed south to the brink of defeat, were rallied to make a final stand against the invading Korean People's Army (KPA), 98,000 men strong.
David Bruce Bleak was a soldier of the United States Army during the Korean War. Bleak rose to the rank of staff sergeant and was awarded the Medal of Honor, the highest military decoration of the United States, for his actions near Minari-gol, South Korea, on 14 June 1952.
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The Battle of Taejon was an early battle of the Korean War, between U.S. and North Korean forces. Forces of the United States Army attempted to defend the headquarters of the 24th Infantry Division. The 24th Infantry Division was overwhelmed by numerically superior forces of the Korean People's Army (KPA) at the major city and transportation hub of Daejon. The 24th Infantry Division's regiments were already exhausted from the previous two weeks of delaying actions to stem the advance of the KPA.
The Battle of Chochiwon was an early engagement between United States and North Korean forces during the Korean War, taking place in the villages of Jeonui-myeon and Jochiwon in western South Korea on July 10–12, 1950. After three days of intense fighting, the battle ended in a North Korean victory.
The Hadong Ambush was an engagement between United States and North Korean forces, occurring on July 27, 1950, in the village of Hadong in southern South Korea, early in the Korean War. The fight ended in a North Korean victory following a successful ambush of US forces which resulted in heavy American casualties.
The Battle of the Notch was an engagement between United States and North Korean forces early in the Korean War on August 2, 1950, in southern South Korea. The fight ended in a victory for the United States after North Korean forces attempting to assault the US position were blocked and repelled repeatedly, suffering heavy casualties.
During warfare, some units take more casualties than other units. Sometimes, the casualty rate is disproportionately high. This article displays the highest percentage of casualties among American units, including those wiped out as an effective force.
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