OT - WWII quiz

[Espen]

Since there is a book called "Rapport fra nr. 24", I would assume that it is either Gunnar Sønsteby or Max Manus, both members of the resisance group called the "Oslo-gang". Since there was a movie called Max Manus which was released last year, I'm going with that.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Espen

Since there is a book called "Rapport fra nr. 24", I would assume that it is either Gunnar Sønsteby or Max Manus, both members of the resisance group called the "Oslo-gang". Since there was a movie called Max Manus which was released last year, I'm going with that.

And you got it right.

I was looking for Gunnar Sønsteby from Norway.

If you want to take a peek on what he did during WWII you can always look at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gunnar_S%C3%B8nsteby but as always with wiki pages some facts may be wrong.

[winky51]

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

[Greyshaft]

Here's another non-Googlable question.

When was Winston Churchill almost captured by the Germans?

Two Hints:
* The answer is NOT in 'The Eagle Has Landed"
* The answer IS in Winston Churchill's six volume history of the Second World War

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: winky51

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

It's hard to tell exactly what you mean but my guess would be the development of Operations Research (a branch of Discrete Modelling mathematics). It relates to improving the efficiency of processes. It enabled the Allies to maximise the effectiveness of their resources.

Cheers, Neilster

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: winky51

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

It's hard to tell exactly what you mean but my guess would be the development of Operations Research (a branch of Discrete Modelling mathematics). It relates to improving the efficiency of processes. It enabled the Allies to maximise the effectiveness of their resources.

Cheers, Neilster

...and to vastly improve their forecasts about where the wolfpacks could be and would be.

[micheljq]

ORIGINAL: winky51

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

The convoys system.

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: micheljq

ORIGINAL: winky51

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

The convoys system.

No convoys have been arround for a long time I.E. the Spanish treasure fleets from 1566 to 1790, and the convoys in World War I.

[MajorDude]

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

Here's another non-Googlable question.

When was Winston Churchill almost captured by the Germans?

Two Hints:
* The answer is NOT in 'The Eagle Has Landed"
* The answer IS in Winston Churchill's six volume history of the Second World War

"... In 1898 during the Boer war Churchill was sent to South Africa as the Morning Post's Correspondent. The book Winston S. Churchill: War Correspondent 1895-1900 by his grandson Winston Churchill M.P. tells of these times. While there he was captured by the Boers and held as a Prisoner of War in Pretoria. However within a month he, along with 2 other prisoners, escaped. His book My Early Life covers these years..." Hey, they got him, but the Germans couldn't... lol [8D]

[Anendrue]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: winky51

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

It's hard to tell exactly what you mean but my guess would be the development of Operations Research (a branch of Discrete Modelling mathematics). It relates to improving the efficiency of processes. It enabled the Allies to maximise the effectiveness of their resources.

Cheers, Neilster

Perhaps the creation of simplex mathematics. While publicly released in 1947 it was created by George Dantzig during the war. This mathematical modeling allowed for the shipping of thousands of items in the most efficient manner to destinations in desperate need of those items.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: abj9562

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: winky51

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

It's hard to tell exactly what you mean but my guess would be the development of Operations Research (a branch of Discrete Modelling mathematics). It relates to improving the efficiency of processes. It enabled the Allies to maximise the effectiveness of their resources. I expect the British did these by hand.

Cheers, Neilster

Perhaps the creation of simplex mathematics. While publicly released in 1947 it was created by George Dantzig during the war. This mathematical modeling allowed for the shipping of thousands of items in the most efficient manner to destinations in desperate need of those items.

Just for clarification, Simplex is considered part of Operations Research.

When I got my Masters in OR, one of my professors had as part of the final exam performing a Simplex analysis by hand (no calculators), which was 25% of the test. Very tedious and time consuming. At all other times in my life, these have been done by a computer program.

[Greyshaft]

ORIGINAL: MajorDude

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

Here's another non-Googlable question.

When was Winston Churchill almost captured by the Germans?

Two Hints:
* The answer is NOT in 'The Eagle Has Landed"
* The answer IS in Winston Churchill's six volume history of the Second World War

"... In 1898 during the Boer war Churchill was sent to South Africa as the Morning Post's Correspondent. The book Winston S. Churchill: War Correspondent 1895-1900 by his grandson Winston Churchill M.P. tells of these times. While there he was captured by the Boers and held as a Prisoner of War in Pretoria. However within a month he, along with 2 other prisoners, escaped. His book My Early Life covers these years..." Hey, they got him, but the Germans couldn't... lol [8D]

No... this is an event in the Second World War while he was Prime Minister

[Anendrue]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets

ORIGINAL: abj9562

ORIGINAL: Neilster



It's hard to tell exactly what you mean but my guess would be the development of Operations Research (a branch of Discrete Modelling mathematics). It relates to improving the efficiency of processes. It enabled the Allies to maximise the effectiveness of their resources. I expect the British did these by hand.

Cheers, Neilster

Perhaps the creation of simplex mathematics. While publicly released in 1947 it was created by George Dantzig during the war. This mathematical modeling allowed for the shipping of thousands of items in the most efficient manner to destinations in desperate need of those items.

Just for clarification, Simplex is considered part of Operations Research.

When I got my Masters in OR, one of my professors had as part of the final exam performing a Simplex analysis by hand (no calculators), which was 25% of the test. Very tedious and time consuming. At all other times in my life, these have been done by a computer program.

If I never do another simplex analysis in my life I will be very happy. I only worked with it on my B.S. I can only guess what it must have been like at the Masters level.

[michaelbaldur]

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

ORIGINAL: MajorDude

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

Here's another non-Googlable question.

When was Winston Churchill almost captured by the Germans?

Two Hints:
* The answer is NOT in 'The Eagle Has Landed"
* The answer IS in Winston Churchill's six volume history of the Second World War

"... In 1898 during the Boer war Churchill was sent to South Africa as the Morning Post's Correspondent. The book Winston S. Churchill: War Correspondent 1895-1900 by his grandson Winston Churchill M.P. tells of these times. While there he was captured by the Boers and held as a Prisoner of War in Pretoria. However within a month he, along with 2 other prisoners, escaped. His book My Early Life covers these years..." Hey, they got him, but the Germans couldn't... lol [8D]

No... this is an event in the Second World War while he was Prime Minister

I think I can remember that... he was almost captured. when he was visiting the frontline somewhere in north Africa.

[rkr1958]

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
When I got my Masters in OR, one of my professors had as part of the final exam performing a Simplex analysis by hand (no calculators), which was 25% of the test. Very tedious and time consuming. At all other times in my life, these have been done by a computer program.

What a small world! I too have a Masters in OR (Ga. Tech 1981). And I also had to do several iterations of the Simplex method by hand both for homework and during a test. Except, if I remember correctly, the homework problem required us to iterate until we actually go the answer. That took several pages and a while to do.

I do remember in one of my Mathematical Programming classes (I think it was Linear Programming) that the professor talked about the use of OR techniques in WW-II to help against German u-boats.

[Neilster]

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
When I got my Masters in OR, one of my professors had as part of the final exam performing a Simplex analysis by hand (no calculators), which was 25% of the test. Very tedious and time consuming. At all other times in my life, these have been done by a computer program.

What a small world! I too have a Masters in OR (Ga. Tech 1981). And I also had to do several iterations of the Simplex method by hand both for homework and during a test. Except, if I remember correctly, the homework problem required us to iterate until we actually go the answer. That took several pages and a while to do.

I do remember in one of my Mathematical Programming classes (I think it was Linear Programming) that the professor talked about the use of OR techniques in WW-II to help against German u-boats.

As part of my university maths/computing major (2003-2005) I did heaps of hand calculations of this type in assignments and exams. Calculators were, as far as I remember, never allowed in exams and we were not allowed to use software in assignments/projects until we had shown we were adept at hand computation first. In Australia we have an old fashioned idea that mathematicians should be accurate and have an attention span [:'(].

Cheers, Neilster

[winky51]

ORIGINAL: winky51

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

Ok here is one where you cant really google this.

In the Battle of the Atlantic what was England what were some the most important improvement in ASW that was not based on technology and how did it impact the overall campaign.

The Convoy system and mathematics of transport was involved.

The UK originally believed it was better for ships to travel independently than in packs to get across the Atlantic because if found only 1 would be sunk and not many. But what was found is that convoys were better. Even though you had 20 ships (for example) in a convoy spreading over lots of open sea their foot print on the ocean was very tiny compared to having 20 ships sailing individually. The range of spotting the large convoy over the single ship was close to the same due to the curvature of the earth. Then later it was proven that doubling the size of a convoy only required 1 1/2 times more ASW ships to have the same protection. Less ASW covering more ships with same effectiveness. This was all proven mathmatically. These two principles alone vastly improved the convoy protection in WW2 for the UK. Now add in all the technology and air coverage and it improves even greater. The peak destruction of convoys in 1942 was mostly USA convoys not UK. The USA didnt listen to the UK and thought they knew better employing the same bad tactics, if not worse, that the UK did early in the war. The UK had the u-boat war beat in 1941.

[MajorDude]

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

ORIGINAL: MajorDude

ORIGINAL: Greyshaft

Here's another non-Googlable question.

When was Winston Churchill almost captured by the Germans?

Two Hints:
* The answer is NOT in 'The Eagle Has Landed"
* The answer IS in Winston Churchill's six volume history of the Second World War

"... In 1898 during the Boer war Churchill was sent to South Africa as the Morning Post's Correspondent. The book Winston S. Churchill: War Correspondent 1895-1900 by his grandson Winston Churchill M.P. tells of these times. While there he was captured by the Boers and held as a Prisoner of War in Pretoria. However within a month he, along with 2 other prisoners, escaped. His book My Early Life covers these years..." Hey, they got him, but the Germans couldn't... lol [8D]

No... this is an event in the Second World War while he was Prime Minister

I know. That is the reason I said, "Hey, they (the Boers) got him (then), but the Germans couldn't (later)... lol [8D] "

I'm like michaelbaldur ("I think I can remember that... he was almost captured. when he was visiting the frontline somewhere in north Africa) ; I think I have an idea, just can't be sure.

Churchill traveled quite a bit during WWII, and was really probably "almost caught" more than once. Your question refers to some "famous" "almost caught" that he would have mentioned in his six volume history of the Second World War... that I must admit I have not read cover to cover...

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: rkr1958

ORIGINAL: Shannon V. OKeets
When I got my Masters in OR, one of my professors had as part of the final exam performing a Simplex analysis by hand (no calculators), which was 25% of the test. Very tedious and time consuming. At all other times in my life, these have been done by a computer program.

What a small world! I too have a Masters in OR (Ga. Tech 1981). And I also had to do several iterations of the Simplex method by hand both for homework and during a test. Except, if I remember correctly, the homework problem required us to iterate until we actually go the answer. That took several pages and a while to do.

I do remember in one of my Mathematical Programming classes (I think it was Linear Programming) that the professor talked about the use of OR techniques in WW-II to help against German u-boats.

As part of my university maths/computing major (2003-2005) I did heaps of hand calculations of this type in assignments and exams. Calculators were, as far as I remember, never allowed in exams and we were not allowed to use software in assignments/projects until we had shown we were adept at hand computation first. In Australia we have an old fashioned idea that mathematicians should be accurate and have an attention span [:'(].

Cheers, Neilster

Hunh![X(] Have you progressed beyond using Roman numerals?[;)]

[Greyshaft]

In Jan 1942 Churchill needed to return from the USA to England. He was scheduled to travel in the 'Duke of York' which was berthed at Bermuda but he decided to return by flying boat. After 10+ hours flight they had not sighted land and decided to turn north. In Churchill's words...

"Later on I learnt that if we had held on our course for another five or six minutes before turning northwards we should have been over the German batteries in Brest. We had slanted too much to the southward during the night... (In England) we were reported as a hostile bomber coming in from Brest, and six hurricanes from Fighter Command were ordered out to shoot us down. However they failed in their mission."

Doubtless there were other escapades with the Germans in North Africa but this is the one I was thinking about.

ref: p.629 - The Second World War, vol.3, Churchill W.S. (Casell & Co. Ltd, London)