Code Names of WWII Operations Quiz

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. This operation is also known as "Operation Konserve" or "Operation Canned Goods", and was carried out by Germany against Poland even before the outbreak of war in Europe.

Answer: Operation Himmler

"Operation Himmler" was not a regular military operation. It was an attempt by Germany to make Poland appear as the aggressor, to justify the invasion soon to come. Several German buildings were stormed and vandalized by Germans disguised as polish soldiers. The best known is the radio station "Sender Gleiwitz". This operation was mainly carried out 31 August 1939.

2. "Fall Weiss" ("Plan White") was an operation name used twice during WWII by Germany. First in 1939, then in 1943. Against which two nations were these operations directed?

Answer: Poland and Yugoslavia

"Fall Weiss" was the strategic plan for the attack on Poland in 1939. Less well known is the campaign in former Yugoslavia, carried out by combined Axis forces (Germany, Italy and Croatia) against Yugoslav Partisans in early 1943. The Battle of Neretva is the best known of the battles in this campaign.

3. Between 27 May and 4 June 1940 Allied soldiers evacuated Dunkirk, often under direct fire from Luftwaffe and even artillery with visual contact. What was the British codename for this operation?

Answer: Operation Dynamo

Within nine days 338,226 British and French soldiers were evacuated from Dunkirk. A very well planned and executed operation also known as "Miracle of Dunkirk", though this operation was a result of a devastating deafeat for the Allies with formidable casualties in manpower, and a great loss of military equipment for the Allies: more than 50,000 vehicles, thousands of guns and several hundred thousand tons of fuel, goods and ammunition had to be left behind.

4. 9 April 1940 Germany invades Denmark and Norway. This was called Operation ...

Answer: Weser�bung

Operation Weser�bung means Operation Weser Exercise. (The Weser is river in north-west Germany).

The invasion was supposedly to ensure the neutrality of Norway and Denmark.

5. One of these Operations was never a part of WWII. Which one?

Answer: Operation Bullet Shot

"Operation Bullet Shot" is an Operation from the War in Vietnam.
"Operation Battleaxe" (June 1941) was a British attempt to throw the Axis out of Cyrenaica. "Operation Olive" (late 1944) was an Allied offensive at the Gothic Line. "Operation Tannenbaum" ("Christmas Tree") was a German plan to invade Switzerland, which was never carried out.

6. Which of these animals is NOT an Operation code name from WWII?

Answer: Rhino

"Operation Sea Lion" ("Unternehmen Seel�we") was a German plan to invade Britain, which was never carried out. "Operation Grouse" was a part of the Norwegian heavy water sabotage. This operation included only four special trained commando soldiers. "Operation Cobra" was the code name for the Allied breakout from Normandy. No known operation was named Rhino in WWII.

7. An Operation was carried out on 22-23 October 1944 in the Netherlands, where Allied forces evacuated a large group of soldiers after the failure at Arnhem. This Operation is also partly shown in "Band of Brothers". What was its code name?

Answer: Operation Pegasus

"Operation Pegasus" was a result of the failure of "Operation Market Garden" (17-25 September 1944). "Operation Pegasus" was a success, but the second attempt, called "Operation Pegasus 2", mostly failed, resulting in many killed, wounded and captured.

Note: This Operation is unrelated to the capture of Pegasus Bridge on the Caen Canal in the very early hours of the Allied invasion of Normandy.

8. An Allied Operation starting November 1944. An offensive against the "Siegfried Line", trying to break through into Germany. A result of this Operation was a battle in German known as "Schlacht im H�rtgenwald". This Operation ended abruptly with the sudden German offensive known as "Battle of the Bulge".

Answer: Operation Queen

"Operation Queen" is usually called "The Battle of H�rtgen Forest". It was a series of bloody battles between US and German forces. One of the heaviest Allied tactical bombings in the entire war happened here. It is also known as the longest single battle US Army ever have participated in. Germany needed this area as their starting point for the planned "Ardennes Offensive" ("Battle of the Bulge"), and would not give it up easely. Typical for this battle was German hidden bunkers in the forest with overlapping machinegun fire zones, huge minefields, heavy artillery from both sides and the infamous "Kall Trail".

9. "Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein" ("Operation Watch on the Rhine") was a German code name for an Operation/battle commonly known as ...?

Answer: Battle of the Bulge

The Battle of Kursk took place in 1943 on the Eastern Front. The Battle of the Rhineland was an American and Canadian offensive in 1945. The Battle of Berlin started in January 1945. "Unternehmen Wacht am Rhein" started 16 December 1944, and was the last major offensive by Germany in WWII. It has become one of the most famous battles of WWII.

10. This was a relatively small offensive between 14 and 26 January 1945, carried out by the British 2nd Army. The Operation was a success and "the Roer Triangle" was mostly cleared of German resistance. The notorious "Desert Rats" (7th Armored Division) was a part of this Operation.

Answer: Operation Blackcock

"Operation Jupiter" was a British Operation in Normandy July 1944.
"Operation Fork" was a British invasion of Iceland May 1940.
"Operation Cherry Blossom" was an Allied Operation in the Pacific starting in 1943.
"Operation Blackcock" was a small and not very known Operation. Casualties were relatively low, and many got sick from the bad weather and extreme cold. The Operation name comes from the Scottish male black grouse.

Source: Author Jobabb

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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A quiz about Operation names from WWII in Europe. Sometimes code names may be translated from German. Operations planned but never executed may be mentioned.

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