Famous "B" Battles of the World Quiz

Answer: Battle of Bunker Hill

It took place in the American Revolutionary War and is better known as the Battle of Bunker Hill. Occurring near Charlestown, Massachusetts this battle was a major victory for the British troops. Although the British lost almost twice as many men as the Americans did (226 vs. 115), they managed to capture the Charlestown Peninsula.

In the end, it did not matter. It was a temporary victory.

Answer: False

The Battle of Britain was a major air campaign involving the United Kingdom and Germany in World War II. Fought during the summer and fall of 1940, Germany was attempting to gain air superiority over southern England. It was the very first major campaign to be fought entirely by the air forces. Germany's defeat in this battle is considered by many historians to have been a major turning point in the war, and it prevented any attempt by Hitler to launch an invasion of Britain.

Answer: World War I

According to many papers of the time the intense and bloody Battle of Belleau Wood in the dark forests of northern France was fought with such ferocity by the American Marines alongside the French and English that they were given the nickname "Devil Dogs" - a crude translation of "Teufelshunde". ("Hounds from hell" would have been much more idiomatic).

This World War I battle led to heavy casualties on both sides, before being declared an Allied victory. There are memorials to the soldiers who fought this battle located in both France and in the U.S.

Answer: Canada

The North-West Rebellion was an unsuccessful attempt by the indigenous Métis people against the country of Canada. It was a protest by the native peoples that promises made by the Canadian government were not being kept and that their culture was being forcibly anglicized.

The Battle of Batoche, in present day Saskatchewan was an effort in futility. In this slaughter 250 Métis fought Canadian troops that numbered over 900. While one fifth of the Métis were killed only 8 Canadian soldiers were killed. Similar battles occurred in both North and South America once the influx of Europeans began.

Answer: Switzerland

The famous Battle of the Bulge raged from Dec. 16, 1944 to January of 1945 in the Ardennes Mountains of Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg. Switzerland was not part of this skirmish. The densely forested Ardennes Mountain range was the background for this horrible conflict fought in the dead of winter near the end of World War II.

The Germans recorded over 67,000 men killed while the British and American losses numbered almost 100,000. This battle was mostly tank and infantry warfare with almost no air activity.

It was also one of the first battles in which African-American soldiers were provided with weapons and allowed to fight in hand to hand combat and was considered a major step towards desegregating the American military. Switzerland was neutral throughout both World Wars.

Answer: Missouri

Fought on Nov. 7, 1861, the Battle of Belmont was the first combat test for the future American President Ulysses Grant. Over 1,200 men died in this American Civil War battle that was fought in Mississippi County, Missouri. The South claimed to be victorious as Grant and his men were forced to pull back.

This was one of the first battles in the war and many scholars believe the engagement was encouraged simply to give Grant combat experience commanding a large force of men. In truth it was a battle that nobody won.

Answer: Disease

In the Battle of Buna-Gona the combined Australian and American forces lost one in every 11 men who fought. When compared to much more famous Battle of Guadalcanal, where every one in 37 soldiers died, the horror of this battle reaches unbelievable proportions. Over 60% of those who died, did so because of diseases such as typhus, dysentery, and malaria.

The Japanese who were credited with winning this battle on Papua-New Guinea, did so at great cost to themselves. Their losses were much higher, disease was rampant, food had run out and cannibalism had occurred.

This battle in the Pacific Theater of World War II brought out both the best and the worst of humanity.

Answer: Scotland

The Battle of Bannockburn was one of the most significant victories for the Kingdom of Scotland during the Wars of Scottish Independence that were fought between the kingdoms of Scotland and England during the late 13th and early 14th centuries. Scotland under the leadership of Robert Bruce led his men against the English soldiers under the rule of Edward II.

The English army was at least twice the size of the Scottish Army and both side suffered great loss of life. In the end England gave full recognition to the independent status of Scotland as its own sovereign nation. Robert Bruce was crowned King Robert I of Scotland on March 25, 1306.

Answer: False

The Battle of Ban Dong was a major battle of the Vietnam War. Occurring from Feb.8-March 20, 1971, this battle took place in Laos and pitted the North Vietnamese against the South Vietnamese and the U.S. This battle cost at least 1,800 soldiers their lives, caused the loss of at least 9 aircraft and resulted in the capturing of over 200 American POW's.

This battle was considered a victory for the North Vietnamese Army after they were able to claim the area known as Ban Dong.

Answer: An ensuing death march

In the Bataan Death March which occurred in spring of 1942, Japanese soldiers forced over 70,000 Filipino and American prisoners of war to March 80 miles (128 km) without food, medication, and almost no water. The Japanese viewed these soldiers as less than men because they had surrendered when realizing the futility of their position. Thousands of soldiers died during this march, both from physical abuse, disease, starvations, heat stroke, shock, dehydration and outright murder.

The actions of the Japanese government were later judged to be a war crime. Eight Japanese military leaders found guilty and put to death while several others were sentenced to imprisonment.