<P> The term Casualty in warfare can often be confusing . It often does not refer to those that are killed on the battlefield rather it refers to those who can no longer fight . This can include disabled by injuries, disabled by psychological trauma, captured, deserted, or missing . A casualty is just a soldier who is no longer available for the immediate battle or campaign, the major consideration in combat; 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 in 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 . </P> <P> The following is a list of the most lethal battles fought by the military of the United States of America . This list shows battles where the number of Americans killed was higher than 1000 . The battles that reached that number of deaths in the field are so far limited to the Civil War, WWI, WWII, Korean War and one battle during the Vietnam War the Tet Offensive (January 30 to September 23, 1968). The bloodiest battle with the most American soldiers killed was and still is the Battle of Normandy (June 6 to August 30, 1944) where 29,198 soldiers were killed trying to gain a foothold in Nazi - occupied France . The bloodiest single day, of the Battle of Normandy, with the most Americans killed was the first day, D - day (June 6, 1944) with 2,499 killed . The bloodiest single day in American military history was during the Battle of Antietam when 3,654 soldiers were killed on September 17, 1862 . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Battle, Siege, or Offensive </Th> <Th> Conflict </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Estimated Number killed </Th> <Th> References </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Normandy / Northern France </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--06 - 06! June 6 to September 14, 1944 </Td> <Td> 34,137 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Meuse - Argonne Offensive </Td> <Td> World War I </Td> <Td> 1918--09 - 26! September 26 to November 11, 1918 </Td> <Td> 26377! 26,277 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Okinawa </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1945--04 - 01! April 1 to June 21, 1945 </Td> <Td> 20195! 20,195 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of the Bulge </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--12 - 16! December 16, 1944, to January 25, 1945 </Td> <Td> 19276! 19,276 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Hürtgen Forest </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--09 - 19! September 19, 1944, to February 10, 1945 </Td> <Td> Over 12,000 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Luzon </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1945--01 - 09! January 9 to August 15, 1945 </Td> <Td> 10640! 10,640 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Guadalcanal </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1942--08 - 07! August 7, 1942, to February 9, 1943 </Td> <Td> 7100! 7,100 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Gettysburg </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1863--07 - 06! July 1 to July 3, 1863 </Td> <Td> 7,058 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Operation Nordwind </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--12 - 31! December 31, 1944, to January 25, 1945 </Td> <Td> 7,000 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Iwo Jima </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1945--02 - 16! February 16 to March 26, 1945 </Td> <Td> 6,821 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Lorraine Campaign </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--09 - 01! September 1 to December 18, 1944 </Td> <Td> 6,657 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Anzio </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--01 - 22! January 22 to June 5, 1944 </Td> <Td> 5,538 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Seven Days Battles </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--06 - 25! June 25 to July 1, 1862 </Td> <Td> 5,228 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Pusan Perimeter </Td> <Td> Korean War </Td> <Td> 1950--08 - 04! August 4 to September 18, 1950 </Td> <Td> 4,599 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Chinese Second Phase Offensive in North Korea </Td> <Td> Korean War </Td> <Td> 1950--11 - 25! November 25 to December 15, 1950 </Td> <Td> 4,538 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Spotsylvania </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1864--05 - 08! May 8 to May 21, 1864 </Td> <Td> 4,240 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Chickamauga </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1863--09 - 19! September 19 to September 20, 1863 </Td> <Td> 3,968 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of the Wilderness </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1864--05 - 05! May 5 to May 7, 1864 </Td> <Td> 3,741 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Antietam </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--09 - 17! September 17, 1862 </Td> <Td> 3,654 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Leyte </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--10 - 17! October 17 - December 26, 1944 </Td> <Td> 3,593 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Operation Diadem </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--05 - 11! May 11--18, 1944 </Td> <Td> 3,145 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Leyte Gulf </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--10 - 23! October 23--25, 1944 </Td> <Td> 2,800 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Shiloh </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--04 - 06! April 6 to April 7, 1862 </Td> <Td> 3,482 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Saipan </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--06 - 15! June 15 to July 9, 1944 </Td> <Td> 3,426 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Chancellorsville </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1863--04 - 30! April 30 to May 6, 1863 </Td> <Td> 3,330 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Tet Offensive </Td> <Td> Vietnam War </Td> <Td> 1968--01 - 30! January 30 to September 23, 1968 </Td> <Td> 3,178 Killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Stones River </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--12 - 31! December 31, 1862 to January 2, 1863 </Td> <Td> 3,024 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Second Manassas </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--08 - 26! August 26 to August 30, 1862 </Td> <Td> 3,052 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Chosin Reservoir </Td> <Td> Korean War </Td> <Td> 1950--11 - 27! November 27 to December 13, 1950 </Td> <Td> 2,840 ~ killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Sicily </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1943--07 - 09! July 9 to August 17, 1943 </Td> <Td> 2,811 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Cold Harbor </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1864--05 - 21! May 21 to June 12, 1864 </Td> <Td> 2,632 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> D - day (first day of Operation Overlord) </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--06 - 06! June 6, 1944 </Td> <Td> 2,499 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Pearl Harbor Attack </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1941--12 - 07! December 7, 1941 </Td> <Td> 2,403 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Peleliu </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--09 - 15! September 15 to November 25, 1944 </Td> <Td> 2,336 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Franklin </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1864--11 - 30! November 30, 1864 </Td> <Td> 1,939 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Second Battle of the Marne </Td> <Td> World War I </Td> <Td> 1918--07 - 15! July 15 to August 6, 1918 </Td> <Td> 1,926 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Fredericksburg </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--12 - 11! December 11 to December 15, 1862 </Td> <Td> 1,892 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Guam </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1944--07 - 21! July 21 to August 10, 1944 </Td> <Td> 1,777 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Salerno </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1943--09 - 03! September 3--16, 1943 </Td> <Td> 1,635 ~ killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Seven Pines </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--05 - 31! May 31 to June 1, 1862 </Td> <Td> 1,770 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Tarawa </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1943--11 - 20! November 20 to November 23, 1943 </Td> <Td> 1,759 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of the Ch'ongch'on River </Td> <Td> Korean War </Td> <Td> 1950--11 - 25! November 25 to December 2, 1950 </Td> <Td> 1,489 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Task Force Faith </Td> <Td> Korean War </Td> <Td> 1950--11 - 27! November 27 to December 2, 1950 </Td> <Td> 1,450 ~ killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Perryville </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1862--10 - 08! October 8, 1862 </Td> <Td> 1,422 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Chattanooga </Td> <Td> American Civil War </Td> <Td> 1863--09 - 21! September 21 to November 25, 1863 </Td> <Td> 1,114 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle of Belleau Wood </Td> <Td> World War I </Td> <Td> 1918--06 - 01! June 1 to June 26, 1918 </Td> <Td> 1,062 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> Battle for Manila </Td> <Td> World War II </Td> <Td> 1945--02 - 03! February 3 to March 3, 1945 </Td> <Td> 1,010 killed </Td> <Td> </Td> </Tr> </Table> <Tr> <Th> Battle, Siege, or Offensive </Th> <Th> Conflict </Th> <Th> Date </Th> <Th> Estimated Number killed </Th> <Th> References </Th> </Tr>

Which battle lost the most soldiers in ww2