OT - WWII quiz

[brian brian]

No, not the same captain of those ships, but the same naval officer served on them.

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: composer99

I rather like the reckless optimism in that quote.

Were all those ships commanded by the same person at some point during the war?

Or did that Kilroy fellow mark off his 'Kilroy was here' chalk when they were under construction to show that whatever he was overseeing had been doen correctoly?

I don't think it was reckless optimism this was in Korea.

Think on this...

He dropped out of VMI for WW I. was mad a Lieutenant in the Reserves. Was discharged due to force cutbacks after the war.

Joined the U.S. Marines as an enlisted man fought in Haiti.

Returned to U.S. and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant.

Nicaragua from 1928 to 1933 where he earned 2nd Navy Crosses.

Was in China and commanded the famed "Horse Marines".

Puller commanded the 7th Marines during action on Gualalcanal in World War II.

Earned his 3rd Navy Cross on 24-25 October 1942 while his battalion defended Henderson Field.

4th Navy Cross in February 1944 while executive officer of 7th Marines at Cape Gloucester, moving through machine gun and mortar fire to take command of two battalions whose commanders had been killed.

Total personal awards: 5 Navy Crosses, the Silver Star, 2 Legions of Merit with "V", the Bronze Star, the Bronze Star with "V", the Air Medal, and the Purple Heart.

Another Puller quote orders to a company commander.: "Son, if they give you any s---, level the place."

[warspite1]

ORIGINAL: brian brian

No, not the same captain of those ships, but the same naval officer served on them.

Warspite1

It looks like no answer is going to be forthcoming - are you going to tell us?

[brian brian]

offline a little the last few days ... I was playing World in Flames! I noticed at one point I sent out a mini task-force of the Brooklyn and the Honolulu to project presence into the Solomons...

the last three clues I could add would be these...

one could add the USS Buck and the USCGC Campbell to that list of ships. (USCGC = US Coast Guard Cutter), but those are part of an ASW counter at best

of the ships on the list, I had always thought of the Brooklyn as being the most famous, in that it featured the answer to the question for the longest time

and the answer has something to do with the history of WWII
















but I'll just go ahead and tell you now that the answer is all of those ships had a famous author 'embedded' aboard during WWII, as today's parlance goes ... Samuel Eliot Morison, official USN historian of the war. As you read his volumes you start to notice that there are more likely to be first-person action stories from those ships than others. I had always thought of the CL Brooklyn as the ship he served on but I saw a complete list last week.

[tigercub]

there is one in bundaburg australia under repair now i for get the type getting old....duck maybe.

Tigercub!

[Extraneous]

What makes the aircraft carrier USS Robin unusual in 1943?

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

What makes the aircraft carrier USS Robin unusual in 1943?

I don't even know that "USS Robin" Carrier. Wikipeding its name, I only find a minesweeper. Why are you calling it a Aircraft Carrier ?

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

What makes the aircraft carrier USS Robin unusual in 1943?

I don't even know that "USS Robin" Carrier. Wikipeding its name, I only find a minesweeper. Why are you calling it a Aircraft Carrier ?

Second clue: She was a Fleet Aircraft Carrier (not a minesweeper).

After a fire it was decided to decomission her early.

She was scrapped at Faslane in July 1970.

[Josh]

Unusual? Her name?

HMS Victorious.

Renamed the USS Robin, she embarked US aircraft and aircrew, and with the Saratoga swept the Soloman Islands, whilst Saratoga embarked all the strike squadrons including the Fleet Air Arm 832 Squadron Avengers.

Resuming her former name, HMS Victorious returned to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow towards the end of 1943 and in early 1944 her aircraft participated in the attack on the Tirpitz.

[Extraneous]

ORIGINAL: Josh

Unusual? Her name?

HMS Victorious.

Renamed the USS Robin, she embarked US aircraft and aircrew, and with the Saratoga swept the Soloman Islands, whilst Saratoga embarked all the strike squadrons including the Fleet Air Arm 832 Squadron Avengers.

Resuming her former name, HMS Victorious returned to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow towards the end of 1943 and in early 1944 her aircraft participated in the attack on the Tirpitz.

Correct [:D]

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Extraneous

ORIGINAL: Josh

Unusual? Her name?

HMS Victorious.

Renamed the USS Robin, she embarked US aircraft and aircrew, and with the Saratoga swept the Soloman Islands, whilst Saratoga embarked all the strike squadrons including the Fleet Air Arm 832 Squadron Avengers.

Resuming her former name, HMS Victorious returned to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow towards the end of 1943 and in early 1944 her aircraft participated in the attack on the Tirpitz.

Correct [:D]

What an unusual story !!! It rings a bell, now that Josh have written it, but I did not remember.
Why did the Americans did rename the HMS Victorious as the USS Robin ? Why not keep the name ????

[Extraneous]

Probably due to wanting to confuse the Japanese. And the US aircraft and aircrews.
 
HMS Victorious
 
Refitted at Norfolk Navy Yard USA, winter 1942-43, after which she was loaned to the US Pacific Fleet until being replaced by USS Essex. Despite its massive industrial muscle, the United States still found itself short of carriers in the Pacific, the only American carrier available in the South Pacific was USS Saratoga. HMS Victorious sailed to Pearl Harbor to join USS Saratoga's Battle Group, Task Force 14. She arrived and took up duties under Task Force 14 in the the Southwest Pacific on 17th May 1943. Renamed the USS Robin, she embarked US aircraft and aircrew, and with the Saratoga swept the Soloman Islands, whilst Saratoga embarked all the strike squadrons including the Fleet Air Arm 832 Squadron Avengers.
 
In May-June 1943, at Noumea, New Caledonia, the light cruiser USS San Diego joined USS Saratoga, and carrier HMS Victorious in support of the invasion of Munda, New Georgia, and of Bougainville. During this period Victorious operated 60 British and American Wildcat fighters for air cover. The two carriers sailed on 27th June, the carriers took up position and in the next few days put up 600 sorties against little opposition. The aircraft were reassigned to their parent carriers on 24 July, and the force reached Noumea the next day.
 
Resuming her former name, HMS Victorious returned to the Home Fleet at Scapa Flow towards the end of 1943 and in early 1944 her aircraft participated in the attack on the Tirpitz.
 
 

[Josh]

Yeah I was afraid I might be correct, because now I haven't got a clue as what to do [&:]
Ask a question you guys may find hard to answer, right?

Here goes; what fortified position in the Netherlands was able to stop the Germans till the cease fire was signed (after the bombing of Rotterdam)?

Hint in this linky here

[paulderynck]

The Grebe line. This was also the line the Canadian Army stopped at in late April 45 (attacking from the east as well since by then the Rhine had been crossed and the German army in western Holland was cut off). A cease fire was negotiated so that food could be brought in to the Dutch.

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Josh

Yeah I was afraid I might be correct, because now I haven't got a clue as what to do [&:]
Ask a question you guys may find hard to answer, right?

Ask a hard question or a question about something you find fascinating about the war. Or just find fun or weird or....

In fact, any question at all is welcome. [:)]

[Orm]

This is the only part of Norway not occupied by Germany during WWII. It played an significant role during WWII and Germany sent about 200 bomb missions here. Any idea on what part of Norway this is?

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Orm

This is the only part of Norway not occupied by Germany during WWII. It played an significant role during WWII and Germany sent about 200 bomb missions here. Any idea on what part of Norway this is?

Bear Island ?

[Orm]

ORIGINAL: Froonp

ORIGINAL: Orm

This is the only part of Norway not occupied by Germany during WWII. It played an significant role during WWII and Germany sent about 200 bomb missions here. Any idea on what part of Norway this is?

Bear Island ?

No. The Bear Island is not an integral part of Norway, or Kingdom of Norway. The part of Norway I ask for is actually a integral part of The Kingdom Of Norway.

The Bear Island is under the sovereignty of Norway but is not part of Norway. The Bear Islands status is governed by the Svalbard Treaty. For more information see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Svalbard_Treaty

[Josh]

That's easy: Spitsbergen.

But anyways, my original question hasn't been answered yet. [;)]

And the Grebbeline was a good guess, but not the right one, because it was breached after heavy fighting.
Another hint, it was in the northern part of Holland.

[Froonp]

ORIGINAL: Josh

That's easy: Spitsbergen.

That was my second guess.
Spelled that way : Spitzbergen