OT - WWII quiz

[Anendrue]

I think it was the HMS Seraph.

EDIT btw your hint made this too easy IMHO

[Twotribes]

ORIGINAL: micheljq

ORIGINAL: composer99

A clue, it was a super-commando created in 1942 by the U.S. and Canadian armed forces. Any idea someone what was the name of this unit?

Devil's Brigade, I believe. What the actual unit name was I cannot recall (2nd something-or-other brigade...).

The Black Devils, this unit was a special secret force, even now I have difficulties finding something on them on the internet. They served in the Pacific then were recalled in Europe in 1944 for the Anzio landings. The germans called them "Schwartzen Teufels", hence Black Devils, because of their ability to pass unnoticed and the black they used to paint their faces. They were the first allied unit to enter Rome. They suffered a very high casuality rate.

1st special service force. They operated in Italy before Anzio and to my knowledge never operated in the Pacific. They used up one battalion taking a mountain , another was decimated on an Anzio break out attempt and the third I believe was used up in France.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: terje439

5 inch RN cruiser...Hmm would be waaay easier if you asked for a class with 5.25 inch [:)]

Warspite1

Yes it would - but that was not the question [;)]. This was just one ship within a class

This Q has been bugging me all night, and I still have no answer [:@]
The 5 inch is not typical RN, more USN. And I know one of the RN cruisers took a hit at Malta (I believe it was Malta at least) and was repaired in the US. So I guess it is that cruiser that had her guns refitted as well, but her name?! #¤&%&!!!!

Warspite1

Terje - many RN ships were repaired in US yards due to the limitations of British industry and the volume of ships getting smacked about by the Axis - mostly in the Mediterranean. To put you out of your misery it was HMS Delhi, a D or Danae-class cruiser. The idea between the wars was to re-build these ships as AA cruisers (like many of the C-class) but again owing to a lack of money and resources and with other priorities for the British shipbuilding industry with a war looming, this never happened for the D-class. As a result all the D-class began the war un-modernised. Instead, in 1941 HMS Delhi was sent to the US to be refitted as an AA cruiser using US 5-inch guns. When the US entered the war, they had better things to do with their 5-inch guns and so no further upgrades were carried out.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Orm

This General was awararded his countries highest award for valor in the face of the enemy. He was shot in the face and lost an eye in Africa. Lost a hand in France. The General was shot through the head without any lasting injury. Had other injuries in his hip, ear, leg and ankle. Wounded in action no less than 8 times. Survived when his airtransport was shot by enemy fighters killing his aide. Was later taken prisoner after his airplane had crashed due to engine failure. Made 5 attempts to flee imprisonment including a 8 days attempt on the run.

1) What is the name of the General.

2) What campaign did he later descibe as the dullest campaign he had been in?


-Orm

Warspite 1

Carton de Wiart was the General but I cannot for the life of me think what the campaign was.

Sorry - just read your later post - if he was in Mauriceforce, he must have been in Norway - one of the two prongs to supposedly take Trondheim.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Orm

This General was awararded his countries highest award for valor in the face of the enemy. He was shot in the face and lost an eye in Africa. Lost a hand in France. The General was shot through the head without any lasting injury. Had other injuries in his hip, ear, leg and ankle. Wounded in action no less than 8 times. Survived when his airtransport was shot by enemy fighters killing his aide. Was later taken prisoner after his airplane had crashed due to engine failure. Made 5 attempts to flee imprisonment including a 8 days attempt on the run.

1) What is the name of the General.

2) What campaign did he later descibe as the dullest campaign he had been in?


-Orm

Warspite 1

Carton de Wiart was the General but I cannot for the life of me think what the campaign was.

Sorry - just read your later post - if he was in Mauriceforce, he must have been in Norway - one of the two prongs to supposedly take Trondheim.

And I thought I made it to difficult when i asked about a Lieutenant-General.

Your knowledge of WWII is awesome. [&o]

-Orm

[terje439]

ORIGINAL: warspite1

Terje - many RN ships were repaired in US yards due to the limitations of British industry and the volume of ships getting smacked about by the Axis - mostly in the Mediterranean. To put you out of your misery it was HMS Delhi, a D or Danae-class cruiser. The idea between the wars was to re-build these ships as AA cruisers (like many of the C-class) but again owing to a lack of money and resources and with other priorities for the British shipbuilding industry with a war looming, this never happened for the D-class. As a result all the D-class began the war un-modernised. Instead, in 1941 HMS Delhi was sent to the US to be refitted as an AA cruiser using US 5-inch guns. When the US entered the war, they had better things to do with their 5-inch guns and so no further upgrades were carried out.

Ah, then I was wrong in my assumption, altough correct in the origin of the 5 inch [:)]
But thank you for letting me keep my mind on my job tonight and not on RN cruisers [:D]

[cockney]

your right, on both counts

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: Neilster

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: Mike Dubost





I forget if the man in charge of 6th army in Stalingrad was Paulus or von Paulus, but I think he is the one you are looking for.

Warspite1

His name was Friedrich Paulus (no Von) - but Stalingrad - contrary to popular belief - was not the biggest disaster the German suffered.

Clue: It was on the Eastern Front.

The Collapse of Army Group Centre, beginning on June 22nd 1944. It was due to the Soviet Operation Bagration, which eventually petered out several months later after massive gains and vast encirclements of German forces. It was a strategic surprise and Hitler's meddling and "no retreat" orders didn't help.

I think Busch was in charge at the beginning but from in memory he was replaced pretty early on by Model. I read a book on this operation a couple of years ago. Some of the stories are completely amazing. Some bands of German soldiers managed to infiltrate back to their lines after epic marches, having evaded the Russians for many weeks.

Cheers, Neilster

Warspite1

Apologies Neilster, I missed your response. Yes it was Ernst Busch I was looking for. Hitler sacked Busch after six days - essentially for obeying and carrying out Hitlers no retreat orders!! It is believed at least 300,000 troops were lost and Army Group Centre effectively ceased to exist at the end of Operation Bagration.

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: terje439

ORIGINAL: warspite1

ORIGINAL: terje439

Some Qs I've been mailed, since they are good Qs indeed I'll post them here;

(Q1) What was the largest naval battle of the Spanish Civil War?

(Q2) Why should the Spanish Nationalist cruiser Baleares not be included in WiF after March 1938?

(Q3) What were Japanese Aircraft carriers and seaplane carriers mostly named after?

(Q4) If the IJN battleship Fuso's name means "Land of Divine Mulberry Trees" what is this also an old name for?

(Q5a) Who is the Peruvian cruiser Coronel B named after (no its not the football team or the collage)?

(Q5b) What is Coronel B's most famous saying?

Warspite1

Q3. Castles and Dragons - I can never remember which ships are which but I think of those carriers that took part in Pearl Harbor, there was Flying Dragon, Green Dragon, Red Castle and I`m sure I recall reading that Kaga means Increased Joy - or was I reading an edition of Asian Babes??

You have been given a point by tha author of these Qs

Warspite1

Terje - are you going to enlighten us on the remaining answers?

[terje439]

not yet [:D]

[terje439]

Oh well, here are some hints then:

(Q1) Search on Wikipedia using - Baleares ship

(Q2) Search on Wikipedia using - Baleares ship

(Q3) Search using - Imperial Japanese Navy (Nihon Kaigun)

(Q4) Search using - Imperial Japanese Navy (Nihon Kaigun)

(Q5a) Search on Wikipedia using - Coronel Bolognesi

(Q5b) Search on Wikipedia using - Coronel Bolognesi

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: Twotribes

ORIGINAL: micheljq

ORIGINAL: composer99



Devil's Brigade, I believe. What the actual unit name was I cannot recall (2nd something-or-other brigade...).

The Black Devils, this unit was a special secret force, even now I have difficulties finding something on them on the internet. They served in the Pacific then were recalled in Europe in 1944 for the Anzio landings. The germans called them "Schwartzen Teufels", hence Black Devils, because of their ability to pass unnoticed and the black they used to paint their faces. They were the first allied unit to enter Rome. They suffered a very high casuality rate.

1st special service force. They operated in Italy before Anzio and to my knowledge never operated in the Pacific. They used up one battalion taking a mountain , another was decimated on an Anzio break out attempt and the third I believe was used up in France.

They were in the invasion of Kiska in the Aleutians before going to Italy. The mountain in Italy was Mount LiDefensa. They were disbanded in France. There was a movie made about their exploits - "The Devil's Brigade", starring William Holden and Cliff Robertson as the American commander and his Canadian 2I.C. respectively. According to the movie, the Americans were the ones no other US Army outfit wanted and the Canadians were the cream of the crop of their army who had all volunteered for the job. The unit is looked on as the ancestor of the Green Berets.

[micheljq]

The black devils are also in the old movie "Anzio". Peter Falk played one of them in the film. Darn I am quite sure I saw something about this unit serving in the Pacific before Itay, but cannot find the source anymore, or is it again my old brain with memory leaks.

My knowledge is limited when I compare to that of some people in this forum, but what the heck, I have time to spare, so here comes another question :

An important WW2 leader once called an action in an allied operation "a Stranded Whale". About what operation he spoke and who was that leader?

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: micheljq

The black devils are also in the old movie "Anzio". Peter Falk played one of them in the film. Darn I am quite sure I saw something about this unit serving in the Pacific before Itay, but cannot find the source anymore, or is it again my old brain with memory leaks.

My knowledge is limited when I compare to that of some people in this forum, but what the heck, I have time to spare, so here comes another question :

An important WW2 leader once called an action in an allied operation "a Stranded Whale". About what operation he spoke and who was that leader?

Well, the Aleutians do border on the Pacific.

My guess on your question is Montgomery talking about the Anzio beachead.

[paulderynck]

ORIGINAL: composer99

I know it's OT for a WWII quiz, but who was the last soldier to die in WWI and when?

As for micheljq's last question, I would guess Rommel.

If we are talking about prior to Nov. 11, 1918, I read somewhere or other or watched a documentary saying it was the unfortunate Private Price. However if WWI is not considered over until 1919 then we'd be talking about some poor soul who was killed in the Allied expedition to Northern Russia.

[Shannon V. OKeets]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

ORIGINAL: composer99

I know it's OT for a WWII quiz, but who was the last soldier to die in WWI and when?

As for micheljq's last question, I would guess Rommel.

If we are talking about prior to Nov. 11, 1918, I read somewhere or other or watched a documentary saying it was the unfortunate Private Price. However if WWI is not considered over until 1919 then we'd be talking about some poor soul who was killed in the Allied expedition to Northern Russia.

Well, that opens a lot of possibilities: the Japanese in Siberia and the Hungarians trying to get back home from Siberia and making the journey the long way around (through the Pacific and the Atlantic). Including the Russian civil war that followed WWI seems beyond the scope of the question - there were many different countries tramping around on Russian soil in 1919.

[micheljq]

ORIGINAL: paulderynck

ORIGINAL: micheljq

The black devils are also in the old movie "Anzio". Peter Falk played one of them in the film. Darn I am quite sure I saw something about this unit serving in the Pacific before Itay, but cannot find the source anymore, or is it again my old brain with memory leaks.

My knowledge is limited when I compare to that of some people in this forum, but what the heck, I have time to spare, so here comes another question :

An important WW2 leader once called an action in an allied operation "a Stranded Whale". About what operation he spoke and who was that leader?

Well, the Aleutians do border on the Pacific.

My guess on your question is Montgomery talking about the Anzio beachead.

OK for Anzio beach head, but incorrect this is not Montgomery.

[composer99]

It was Churchill talking about Anzio. He said he had hoped they were hurling a wildcat onto the shore, but it ended up being more like a stranded whale.
 
Or something to that effect.

[micheljq]

ORIGINAL: composer99

It was Churchill talking about Anzio. He said he had hoped they were hurling a wildcat onto the shore, but it ended up being more like a stranded whale.

Or something to that effect.

Correct. Churchill did criticize the general Clark saying he was not enough agressive. Clark on the other hand said he had not enough support, 2 divisions at the beginning against 6 german divisions.

[brian brian]

I was reading a model airplane catalog that somehow came in the mail and came up with this question...what model of aircraft launched what one could possibly call the first cruise missile, during WWII?

I had never heard of this feat before.