World War 2 from F-J Trivia Quiz

Answer: Fairey

The Fairey Swordfish biplane, developed during the 1930s, was already outdated as a naval bomber by 1939. However, the torpedo bomber, for lack of a better choice, still served throughout the role in many naval roles. It was the plane of the famous attack on the Italian Navy in the Battle of Taranto, as well as participating in the Bismark's final voyage.

Answer: Freyberg, Bernard Cyril

General Freyberg, a New Zealand commander, was in charge of the large group of Allied troops in Crete after the disastrous Greek campaign. The Germans began a large-scale, airborne only operation to capture Crete. In the first few parts of Operation Mercury, the German paratroopers took very heavy losses and secured minimal objectives.

However, Freyberg, a quite capable commander, failed to grasp the situation. This, coupled with communication and staff problems, allowed the Germans to secure a foothold to bring in reinforcements.

Answer: Flying Tigers

The Flying Tigers were formed of former American military pilots. Commanded by General Chennault, they relocated to China before Pearl Harbor. After the attack, the Japanese staged rapid conquests, demoralizing American and other Allied troops. However, the Flying Tigers' successes in the air were the only challengers to the myth of Japanese invincibility.

Their innovative strategies and their skill earned them fame, and their trademark symbol of a painted shark on a plane's nose became legendary. Later in the war, they were absorbed into the proper U.S. military.

Answer: France

The Moroccan Goumiers had their origins before World War 2. Made up of mostly Moroccan men, these famous night raiders caused terror in North Africa. They were short on supplies from the faltering French, so they sneaked into Axis camps and took clothes, supplies, weapons, and lives.

They never, ever took prisoners. In Italy, they were deployed together in the Cassino campaign, where their movement was praised by American general Mark Clark as one of the most important advances of the entire Italian campaign.

However, their exceptional service record and potential propaganda usage were blemished by the fact that they had one of the highest crime rates of any Allied unit. Large numbers of Moroccans were executed in Italy for rape, murder, looting, stealing, etc.

Answer: Grumman

While Grumman did not establish much success in creating land-based aircraft, they developed successful carrier-borne aircraft, most notably the Cat series, which stretched from the F4F Wildcat to the F6F Hellcat, and all the way to modern times with the F-14 Tomcat. Their torpedo bomber design, the Avenger, was not as much of a success.

Answer: Guadalcanal

The Marines landed on this island to capture the Japanese airfield, which could threaten the entire Solomon Island area, and even New Guinea. After they captured the airfield, renamed Henderson Field, the Japanese counterattacked and cut off the Marines, who were stranded in a bloody fight for weeks.

The "Tokyo Express" ferried reinforcements to the Japanese, but, as the battle developed, the Americans were gaining the upper hand. The battle finally ended when the Japanese troops were spirited away under the cover of night.

Answer: Graf Spee

The Graf Spee was destroyed off the coast of Montevideo, Uruguay, after sustaining heavy damage from Royal Navy cruisers. In order to prevent capture of the modern ship, the captain ordered it scuttled. The Gneisenau was a German battlecruiser and a constant threat in the Atlantic, sinking the carrier HMS Glorious.

The Giulio Cesare was given to the Soviets as reparations and was eventually sunk by an old German mine after the war.

Answer: Guderian, Heinz

Heinz Guderian was one of Germany's brightest generals, leading the attack of France through the Ardennes, circumventing the extremely fortified Maginot Line. This movement, although first thought of by Erich von Manstein, another of Germany's brightest generals, was given to Guderian to command, who mastered the doctrine of quick, lightning warfare. Guderian's strategies culminated in the fall of one of Europe's powers within months. Guderian later fell out of favor with Hitler over disputes over strategy in the Eastern War.

Answer: Hermann Hoth

Hermann Hoth participated in the invasion of France, and moved into the invasion of the Soviet Union. He participated in the battle of Stalingrad, and in the counteroffensives at Kursk. Dismissed by Hitler in 1943, he was reinstated soon afterwards. He was imprisoned for six years before being released, and he became a military historian.

Answer: Hood

The Bismarck was initially met by the HMS Hood, and the HMS Prince of Wales, both capital ships. In the furious engagement that followed, the Bismark took average damage, but the Hood was battered and took an armory shot: the ship exploded and sunk, leaving only three survivors.

The more modern Prince of Wales withdrew after sustaining heavy damage. The Bismarck continued, only to be sunk after being damaged heavily by carrier-borne bombers and after being cornered by a large part of the Royal Navy.

Answer: Horsa

The Horsa had to be towed by an engine-driven aircraft, before being dropped behind enemy lines. They were used to good effect in Normandy, Market Garden, and other minor airborne drops. They were especially important in bringing in light vehicles, light howitzers, anti-tank guns, and even light tanks to the lightly-equipped airborne troops.

The glider strategy was obsolete with the development of helicopters.

Answer: Hellcat

The M18 Hellcat was a successful tank destroyer, with a powerful, penetrating gun mounted on a quick, nimble chassis. The F6F Hellcat was an excellent carrier-borne fighter in the middle and even later years of the Pacific War.

Answer: Indianapolis

The Indianapolis, a Portland-class cruiser, was on a return trip from delivering parts extremely important to the atomic bomb, when it was torpedoed by a Japanese sub. The survivors were stranded in the water for days before rescue.

Answer: India

The China-Burma-India theater referred to the Asian theater, which was often relegated to second priority after the war in Europe. The Allied troops at first suffered crushing defeat after crushing defeat, losing almost all of Burma. However, new leadership and the Japanese logistics and technological problems allowed the front to be stabilized by 1943.

Answer: Itagaki, Seishiro

Seishiro Itagaki was a general that instigated the Manchurian invasion and capture, then led Japanese troops with reasonable success in China. However, his career was doomed when the Soviet troops defeated his forces at Khalkin Gol in 1939. During the formal war, Itagaki commanded the Korean troops, until 1945 when he was transferred to Malaya-Singapore, where he surrendered to Louis Mountbatten in 1945.

Answer: Iwo Jima

At Iwo Jima, the Marines stormed the beach to capture an airfield for the use of bombing Japan. The battle for the island developed into one of the bloodiest battles of the war, and the Japanese were obstinate in their refusal to surrender.

Answer: Ju-87

Junkers produced a list of successful planes in the war. Most notable of these are the Ju-87 Stuka dive bomber, the versatile Ju-88 tactical bomber, and many other designs, some of which were less successful.

Answer: Jagd

The Jagd series stretched from the Panzer IV chassis to the Panther and Tiger Chassis. With the exception of the Jagdtiger, the tank destroyers were quite successful, although different from the quick tank destroyers of the Allies. Another tank destroyer was very successful, the Hetzer, but this was based on the Czechoslovakian design of the light 38(t) tank.

Answer: Joseph

General Joseph Stilwell was transferred to the China-Burma-India early in the war. He later was frustrated over the fact that Chiang was more concerned about the Communist presence in China than the Japanese. They constantly conflicted and disputed, and eventually Stilwell was recalled. Chiang, in grudging respect, named the reopened Burma Road lifeline after Stilwell.

Answer: Junyo

The Junyo, meaning peregrine falcon, was one of only four large carriers after the debacle at Midway. During the rest of the war, the other carriers were sunk, and only Junyo was left at the end of the war. It was only damaged once, hit by a submarine torpedo off Sasebo.