Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. The decision to invade France came as a bitter blow to Churchill who wanted to continue with his efforts in the Mediterranean. However, the Allies had already agreed in the Quebec conference (August 1943) and the Tehran conference (November 1943). Before D-Day could occur, the RAF and USAAF (US Air Force), under the command of General Eisenhower, were to bomb French railways. They did this to restrict German movement after the landings. What was the bombing of French railways known as?
2. The British set up floating harbours on the French coast after their landings in order to provide the soldiers with supplies. What were these floating harbours known as?
3. Before the landings took place on 6th of June 1944, there were several parachute drops which were made in order to secure targets such as bridges and large guns. Most of the drops were successful, however some American soldiers landed far from their target positions. Which American divisions in particular were unsuccessful in their drops?
4. The landings in Normandy were to take place on five beaches, known as Sword, Gold, Utah, Omaha - and what was the fifth?
5. The landing on Sword beach was made by British soldiers. Their landing was a success; however, one objective they failed to achieve that day was to capture a nearby city. Which was it?
6. The British, American and Canadian soldiers had to build up their supplies to a sufficient scale before Germany could recuperate and recover their defensive positions. This was a relatively easy task due to a number of factors. Firstly, the Allies had sea and air superiority, allowing them to make use of the plentiful US resources available. Another reason was the problems Germany faced in the East, as Russia launched an offensive in June 1944. What was this offensive known as?
7. The breaking out across France was more difficult for the Allies as nearby ports were not able to be used due to German soldiers holding them as fortresses. Also, the allies faced difficulties with the terrain. What name was given to the land which was almost impassable by tanks?
8. The Germans faced heavy casualties at the hands of the Allies. One of the major reasons for this was Hitler's obstinate reluctance to retreat. The Allied General Bradley used this to his advantage, suggesting to Montgomery that their forces should move round the German army, trapping them. What was this technique known as?
9. The unsuccessful Operation Market Garden was proposed by Montgomery and aimed to cross the Rhine and Meuse rivers and capture the Ruhr. Why was this operation unsuccessful?
10. It was the Battle of the Bulge which arguably caused the defeat of Germany in the West to become imminent. It was seen to have broken the morale of the German soldiers and exhausted the resources of the Wehrmacht. However, the Germans did have much initial success in their offensive, so much so that they offered the allied forces a surrender ultimatum. This was presented to US General Anthony McAuliffe. What was his famous one word reply?
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doublemm
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