Obscure WW2 Allied Commanders Trivia Quiz

Answer: Maxime Weygand

Maxime Weygand (1867-1965)
Nationality: French

Charles de Gaulle was a famous French armored tactics visionary who later became the most famous French general and leader.
Maurice Gamelin was the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces before Weygand.
Paul Reynaud was the Prime Minister of France at the time of its fall in 1940.

Answer: 1st Baron Hugh Caswell Tremenheere Dowding

Hugh Dowding (1882-1970)
Nationality: British

Sir Arthur Harris was a firm believer in the importance, future, and possibilities of the air war, especially carpet bombing.
Douglas Bader was a well-known British fighter ace who lost both of his legs and still continued to fly.
Trafford Leigh-Mallory was a above average British air officer who played a significant role in Operation Overlord.

Answer: 1st Viscount Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham

Andrew Cunningham (1883-1963)
Nationality: British

Chester Nimitz is one of the naval geniuses of the twentieth century, commanding the U.S. Navy to victory in the Pacific, along with his many able colleagues.
Lancelot Holland and John Tovey were best known for their involvement during the Bismarck's victory, flight, and subsequent sinking. Holland was killed in the battle.

Answer: Sir Alan Gordon Cunningham

Alan Cunningham (1887-1983)
Nationality: British

Gerard Tovey is the only name on this quiz that does not really refer to a World War 2 general. I did so, so that Cunningham would not have an obvious parallel with the previous question.
William Platt commanded British troops in the East African theatre, working with Cunningham early on to defeat the Italians. He remained in command in the theater, which did not see much more action through the war.
Richard O'Connor was a successful Australian general, participating in campaigns from North Africa to Normandy.

Answer: 1st Baron Henry Maitland Wilson

Henry Maitland Wilson (1881-1964)
Nationality: British

William Slim fought early in the war at the East African and Middle East theaters, before being transferred to the Burma theater and spending the rest of the war there.
Archibald Wavell was the field marshal who led the British to victory over Graziani and the Italians, only to be defeated by Rommel and his Afrika-Korps. He was transferred to the Indian theater and was appointed Viceroy of India.
Leslie Morshead was an Australian officer who led the victories at the Siege of Tobruk and later played a part in the victory at El Alamein, before he was transferred to New Guinea and Borneo.

Answer: 1st Baron Bernard Cyril Freyberg

Bernard Freyberg (1889-1963)
Nationality: British

Kurt Student was actually an axis general, the only one on this quiz. He was the airborne advocate on the axis side, with his forces playing a leading role in the invasion of Crete. However, the high losses in the operation caused Hitler to discourage future use of airborne forces.
Charles Hazlitt Upham was a captain who was the only British soldier in World War 2 to earn two Victoria Crosses, and one of only a few in history.
Howard Kippenberger was a New Zealand soldier who served in North Africa. He was captured, but he escaped, and returned to command a division in Italy, where a land-mine wounded him badly, ending his military career.

Answer: Sir Neil Methuen Ritchie

Neil Ritchie (1897-1984)
Nationality: British

Leslie Morshead was an Australian officer who led the victories at the Siege of Tobruk and later played a part in the victory at El Alamein, before he was transferred to New Guinea and Borneo.
Alan Brooke first distinguished himself in his command at Dunkirk, and also his wisdom in requesting that all British forces be pulled out of France, before they were overrun. He did not hold a field command again, as he was promoted to Chief of the Imperial General Staff in 1941 and became the Chairman of the Allied Combined Chief of Staffs, playing a major part in North Africa and Italy, and in planning for the invasion of Normandy. He was bitter when he did not receive the role as Supreme Commander for the invasion, with the command going to Marshall, then Eisenhower. For one who had such an influence on Allied strategy, he is remarkably unknown.
Jonathan Wainwright was an American commander whom MacArthur had left in command when he escaped from the Philippines. Wainwright surrendered at Corregeidor, and spent the rest of the war in Japanese prison camps.

Answer: Semyon Mikhailovich Budenny

Semyon Budenny (1883-1973)
Nationality: Russian/Soviet

Kirponos was regarded as one of the geniuses on the Eastern Front, ably handling the Finnish war, and later, rallying the broken forces of the Soviets in Barbarossa. His valiant effort in the defense of Kiev was ultimately unsuccessful, but it significantly delayed the Nazi invasion. His loss was not due to any shortcoming on his part, but rather the definite superiority of German forces. The Hero of the Soviet Union recipient lost his life during his inspiring defense of Kiev.
Andrei Yeremenko was a Ukranian general, who stopped the German war machine twice in Barbarossa, first at Smolensk and then at Moscow; at both battles he was wounded once. He later played a part stopping Operation Blau, and helped to surround the 6th Army at Stalingrad, where his role stopping Manstein's counterattack was crucial. After Stalingrad, he held many commands, playing major parts in liberating the Baltics, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.
Georgi Zhukov was likely the most successful Soviet general, his achievements are too long to list. He was the mastermind behind the counterattack at Moscow, the victory at Stalingrad, and the relief of Leningrad. He commanded the drive into Germany, directing Soviet forces to victory from Moscow all the way to Berlin.

Answer: Henry Gordon Bennett

Henry Gordon Bennett (1887-1962)
Nationality: Australian

Arthur Ernest Percival was the commander at Singapore at the tip of the Malayan Peninsula. Singapore was a fortress, and could have withstood a siege for a very long time. The first few attacks were soundly defeated, but British communication and intelligence problems caused the defenders to fall back, giving the Japanese a free landing onto Western Singapore. Percival made the right decision to surrender, when he realized the battle was lost. This surrender was the worst British defeat of history, worse than Yorktown or Tobruk.
Thomas Phillips was the commander of Force Z at Malaysia, where he went down with his flagship, the H.M.S. Prince of Wales, which, along with the Repulse, was sunk without a fight by Japanese fighters.
Mark Young was the governor of Hong Kong, where he at first refused to surrender to the Japanese forces. However, after 18 days of fighting, he surrendered, and he was imprisoned for the rest of the war.

Answer: 1st Baronet Sir John George Smyth

John Smyth (1893-1983)
Nationality: British

Thomas Hutton commanded British troops in the China-Burma-India theater for the entirety of the war.
William Leggatt commanded Sparrow Force in Timor, where he was captured by the Japanese. After he was released from prison at the war's end, he was elected to Victorian Parliament.
Harold Alexander served with minor distinction in France in 1940, before he was sent to Burma, where he and William Slim commanded the fighting retreat to India. He then replaced Auchinleck as North African commander, presiding over Montgomery's victory at El Alamein. Then, he was in charge of Patton's 7th Army and Monty's 8th Army, commanding the invasion of Sicily. He was Eisenhower's choice for ground command for Normandy, but Brooke disagreed, and Alexander stayed to capture Rome and command Italy. Although very popular with both his superiors and his subordinates, he was not a superb commander. Montgomery, a long time friend of Alexander, advised Clark and Patton to ignore any of Alexander's orders that they thought unwise.

Answer: Frank Jack Fletcher

Frank Jack Fletcher (1885-1973)
Nationality: American

James Doolittle was the commander, leader, and brainchild of the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo which greatly dampened Japanese morale. He later commanded the North African air forces and the Mediterranean forces, before commanding the Eighth Air Force. His decision to change the fighter-bomber escort policy allowed the escorting Allied fighters to leave their bombers and strafe and bomb other important targets, greatly contributing to Allied air superiority.
Aubrey Fitch was a carrier admiral through and through, beginning World War 2 in command of Saratoga. He later commanded the Lexington and Yorktown at Coral Sea, before once again commanding the Saratoga, which arrived too late to contribute to the Battle of Midway. He later commanded South Pacific Air Forces for the Navy, greatly contributing to Allied naval superiority. He was also unusual in the fact that he, not a young man in his prime, would often take hazardous reconnaisance missions, earning him a Distinguished Flying Cross.
Ernest King was the Commander in Chief of US Fleet and Naval Operations throughout the war, second in command to William Leahy. He was promoted to the vaunted five-star rank, one of a select few in history, and later a Secretary of the Navy. Although considered a genius, he never held tactical command, and made many enemies with his abrasive personality.

Answer: Raymond Ames Spruance

Raymond Ames Spruance (1886-1969)
Nationality: American

Wade McClusky was awarded the Navy Cross for his exemplary strategy commanding the Enterprise air group in Midway, with his decision to trail a Japanese destroyer leading to the sinking of the two major Japanese carriers, the Akagi and the Kaga. He later commanded the escort carrier Corregeidor.
Husband Kimmel was commander in chief at the time of Pearl Harbor, where he failed to heed numerous warnings, and his many decisions worsened the situation at Pearl Harbor. He was demoted and he retired. Numerous attempts by his grandchildren to reinstate his four-star rank have been declined by four presidents, although an investigation into Pearl Harbor had blamed other officers and partially exonerated Kimmel.
Omar Bradley did not hold a command until Tunisia in 1943, where he worked with Patton to finalize the victory there and later to take Sicily. He directed three American corps in Overlord, hitting Utah and Omaha beaches. He came under criticism for a few mistakes he made, possibly costing many more lives at Omaha. He planned the breakout Operation Cobra, and later commanded the 12th Army Group, including Hodges' 1st Army and Patton's 3rd Army. Bradley, although commanding the largest Army group in American history, later encountered difficulties as Montgomery, in the north, received more supplies for Operation Market Garden. Bradley was also in command when the Germans struck at the Battle of the Bulge, where, Montgomery once again took priority over Bradley. Bradley was ultimately responsible for the crossing of the Rhine, taking a bridge at Remagen. When his army group met with the Soviets at the Elbe, his troops numbered 1.3 million men. He was uncharacteristically polite and gentle, favored by the troops, other generals, and the public.

Answer: Ira Clarence Eaker

Ira C. Eaker (1896-1987)
Nationality: American

Henry Arnold was one of the earliest pilots, and a later General of the Air Force, after a short term as General of the Army, making him the only person to ever hold the five star general position for two separate branches of the Armed Forces.
Carl Spaatz was the first Chief of Staff of the Air Force. In May 1942 Spaatz became commander of the Eighth Air Force, later also the USAAF in the European Theater of Operations. He then commanded the Twelfth Air Force in North Africa. Subsequently he was named commander the Allied Northwest African Air Force in February 1943, the Fifteenth Air Force and Royal Air Forces in Italy in November 1943, and the U.S. Strategic Air Forces in Europe in January 1944.
As commander of Strategic Air Forces, Spaatz directed the strategic bombing campaign against Germany, directing the Eighth Air Force and the Fifteenth Air Force.
Geoffrey Cheshire was a decorated pilot, earning the Victoria Cross, not for a large number of kills, but for daring support and target-marking tactics.

Answer: Sir Richard McCreery

Richard McCreery (1898-1967)
Nationality: British

Mark Clark was an American general, early on commanding II Corps, and Commanding General in European Theater of Operations.He partly planned Operation Torch, where he landed by submarine earlier to negotiate with the Vichy French. The first U.S. first field army overseas, the Fifth Army, was handed to Clark for the Invasion of Italy. Clark sent the U.S. VI Corps towards Rome, rather than exploiting a gap in the German positions to capture German units. In December 1944 Clark succeeded Harold Alexander in command of the 15th Army Group, putting him in command of all Allied ground troops in Italy.
John Lucas was a bunker commander, staying far behind the lines in his single combat command at Operation Shingle in Anzio. His deficient tactics caused a great cost of lives, and he was later replaced by Lucian Truscott, a much more cooperative and competent commander.
Simon Buckner commanded the Tenth Army in the massive battle for Okinawa, where he was killed.

Answer: Wladyslaw Anders

Wladyslaw Anders (1892-1970)
Nationality: Polish

Ivan Konev began WW2 by commanding the fighting retreat of the 19th Army to Moscow. In the Kalinin front, he played a major role in saving Moscow. After commanding the Soviet Western Front and Northwestern Front, he was given command of the Ukranian Front, where he commanded the southern pincer that surrounded Manstein in the Battle of Kursk. His troops liberated Belgorod, Odessa, Kharkov, Kiev, and Slovakia. Konev and Zhukov liberated Poland, where Konev saved Krakow from a German scorched earth plan. Both of these commanders attacked Berlin, but Zhukov was given the right to fully take it. Konev instead circled to the south and linked up with the Americans and liberated Prague.
After early efforts to save troops, Timoshenko lost the bulk of his troops around Smolensk, but many of his men survived to save Moscow. He launched a failed offensive at Kharkov, where his resulting defeat allowed the Germans to take Stalingrad. Zhukov took his post, and Timoshenko served on second-rate priority fronts for the rest of the war.
Andrei Vlasov was a capable and charismatic general, commanding medium sized units at Kiev and Moscow, where he did well. However, his attempt to liberate Leningrad failed when supporting units failed to keep up with his 2nd Shock Army. In captivity of the Germans, he protested against Stalin, and created a Russian Liberation Army, recruiting Russian volunteers that would serve in German units. He was finally given command of the army, and only fought the Russians once, at the Oder. He was later in Prague when the Czech partisans rose up. The Soviet armies halted outside the city, presumably to allow the Germans to kill the partisans. For reasons unknown, Vlasov turned on the Germans, helping the partisans. He was executed after the war.

Answer: Sir Bertram Home Ramsay

Bertram Ramsay (1883-1945)
Nationality: British

Answer: 1st Baron Arthur William Tedder

Arthur Tedder (1890-1967)
Nationality: British

Frederick Morgan served early in the war, commanding troops in France. He was later assigned with planning for a landing in the western Mediterranean, at Sardinia and Sicily. He was later an instrumental planner in Operation Overlord.
After serving in Operations Biting, Torch, and Husky, he played a famous part in Market Garden. Colonel Frost was the commander of about 800 paratroopers of the 1st Airborne, that reached the Arnhem Bridge, their objective. However, they found themselves surrounded by the elite 2nd SS Panzerkorps, and still refused to surrender, even facing artillery, heavy tanks, and huge groups of infantry. However, the rest of the Allied advance bogged down, his men were doomed. At the end of five days of heroic defense, there were only 100 men left to surrender, Frost one of them.
Douglas MacArthur was a famous American military commander, instrumental in the Pacific War. The publicity-conscious general is very well known and has numerous accomplishments.

Answer: Sir Miles Christopher Dempsey

Miles Dempsey (1896-1969)
Nationality: British

Joseph Collins was a lesser known, but highly complimented corps commander in Western Europe, ably commanding VII Corps at D-day, Operation Cobra, and onward until Germany's surrender. He later served as Chief of Staff in Korea, and a supporter of Special Forces warfare. His nephew is Michael Collins, part of the three-man team that saw the two first men on the moon. Collins was the one in orbit.
Leonard Gerow commanded V Corps just as well as, if not better, that Collins, with both of them instrumental corps commanders at D-day until the end of the war. Eisenhower praised them both highly, along with Patton and Bradley, some more well-known commanders.
Bernard Montgomery. What more can I say? Tactically sound, publicity-conscious, and considered one of the most aggravating but successful figures of military history. Try not to use this name in the same sentence with George Patton's name, another similar figure.

Answer: Philippe Francois Marie de Hautecloque

Jacques - Philippe Leclerc (1902-1947)
Nationality: French

Jean de Lattre de Tassigny commanded the 14th Infantry in France, putting up a fierce defense before surrendering. As a Vichy French commander, he was found guilty of plotting against the Germans. However, he escaped, to command French Army B, later French First Army, in Corsica and its numerous exploits following its landing in Operation Dragoon in Southern France. The established general commanded a liberated France's First Army of 300,000 soldiers, taking Ulm and Stuttgart in Germany. He had the privilege of representing France at Germany;s surrender.
Alphonse Juin commanded the 15th Motorized Division, before he was captured, and then freed by the Vichy French government. He supported the Allies, commanding the French Expeditionary Corps in North Africa. His troops were instrumental in breaking the Winter Line of 1944, and breaching the Gustav Line later.
Raymond Dronne was the first Free French soldier that entered occupied Paris, commanding a small group that brought news to the Resistance forces of the imminent approach of the French 2nd Armored.

Answer: Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky

Ivan Danilovich Chernyakhovsky (1906-1945)
Nationality: Russian

Feodor Tolbukhin commanded the 4th Ukranian Front, after numerous subordinate commands in which he was highly praised by his superiors. After the joint liberation of Ukraine with the 3rd Ukranian Front, he was assigned to that command instead. His troops liberated the Balkans, conquered Romania, and liberated Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. He would be known as one of the few Russian generals who cared for his men, trying to keep casualty rates low. Although Stalin frowned on this tactic, Tolbukhin's great military successes and exploits were indisputable.
Konstantin Rokossovsky first served under the czar, and was captured and imprisoned. Released to fight in the second war, he quickly rose up the ranks, commanding troops at Smolensk and Moscow. He commanded the Bryansk Front and also later the Don Front, where he commanded the northern pincer that surrounded Paulus at Stalingrad. At the Central (1st Belorussian) Front, Rokossovsky repelled and counterattacked the Germans at Kursk. Rokossovsky was famous for his initiative, not trusting the sometimes unsound orders of his superiors. He later challenged orders that he thought were bad, even going against Stalin, who respected Rokossovsky for his confidence in his sound tactical skills.