World War II remains the deadliest war ever fought in the history of mankind. Lasting from 1939 to 1945, as many as 70 million deaths have been attributed to the conflict. The European theater saw some of the bloodiest battles of the war as Allied forces fought to oust German troops from the continent.

Following the 1942 defeat of Axis powers in North Africa, the Allies turned their sights to Italy. In July 1943, Sicily fell into the Allies’ hands. Although the victory opened up crucial shipping lanes and helped turn the tide of the war for the Allies, it came at the cost of more than 2,800 American lives.