World War ll History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Guenther Lutjens

Admiral Lutjens was 52 when he went to his death on the Bismarck.He along with over 2,000 officers and men, as well as prize crews and the admirals staff aboard.

Answer: Guenther Prien

On 13th October 1939, Prien sank the battleship Royal Oak at anchor in Scapa Flow getting through a gap in the defences. Ironically the spot he used was scheduled to have another block ship sunk in the same passage the next day. The Royal Oak, built in 1914-16, was 600 ft long, had eight 15" main guns in 4 turrets.

Its top speed was 20 knots and took part in the battle of Jutland. It was hit by 1 torpedo that did slight dammage then 3 more from a second salvo which caused it to sink in 11 minutes taking over 800 of her crew to their deaths.

Answer: Graf Zeppelin

The Graf Zeppelin was laid down but never saw active service as Hitler scrapped the program to divert the steel to building other armaments.
As the end of World War II neared, Graf Zeppelin was scuttled in shallow water at Stettin (now in Poland and known as Szczecin) on 25 April 1945. Her fate after Germany's surrender is unclear.

Answer: Erich Hartmann

Hartmann downed 352 planes during WWII - the highest number of any nation in the world. Many of these victories were during the Russian campaign.

Answer: USS Indianapolis

USS Indianapolis was sunk on its return trip from delivering components of the atomic bombs. Because it was on its secret mission no-one knew it was missing for a few days after she went down. Many who survived the sinking lost their lives to the great numbers of sharks in the area.

Answer: Enola Gay

Paul Warfield Tibbets piloted Enola Gay and dropped the first atomic Bomb on August 6th, 1945 on Hiroshima, Japan killing 60,000 to 70,000. A second atomic bomb dropped 3 days later dropped on Nagasaki killed about 40,000 and persuaded Japan to surrender unconditionally.

Answer: Bernard Montgomery

Montgomery was named the head of the British 8th Army and given the task of ridding Africa of the Germans.

Answer: Lt. Audie Leon Murphy

Film star Audie Murphy was awarded 28 medals during WWII, including the Medal of Honor.

Answer: USS Michigan

Built by New York SB, Camden, NJ. Laid down 17 December 1906, launched 26 May 1908, commissioned 4 January 1910.Served in the Atlantic throughout her career. Participated in operations at Vera Cruz, Mexico, 1914. During WWI operated as a convoy escort, as a part-time recruit training ship, and as a gunnery training ship late in the war. Cage foremast collapsed 15 January 1918; 6 killed. Operated as a troop transport postwar, then as a training ship 1919-1921. Was in reduced commission (commissioned reserve) for brief periods during 1919-1920 and 1920-1921; was inactive after August 1921, but remained in commission. Designation BB 27 assigned 17 July 1920.

Decommissioned 11 February 1922, stricken for disposal 10 November 1923, and scrapped at Philadelphia Navy Yard under the Washington Treaty; scrapping completed 1924.

Answer: USS Langley

Langley was sunk by Japanese planes in 1942. Too severely damaged by the planes she was susequently sunk by her escort.

Answer: Isoruku Yamamoto

Isoruku Yamamoto was the best naval mind in the Japanese Empire.The architect of the attack on Pearl Harbour. Brilliant and aggressive,he commanded and received respect and obedience from his juniors.He was killed when his plane was shot down by p-38 Lightnings on Apr.14.1943.

Answer: The Longest Day

'The Longest Day' was a spectacular movie with such stars as John Wayne, Richard Burton, Sean Connery, Red Buttons, Henry Fonda, Peter Lawford, Robert Mitchum, Edmond O'Brian, Robert Wagner, Rod Steiger and Paul Anka.

Answer: HMS Repulse

The HMS Prince of Wales and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse were sunk by a Japanese air attack on December 10, 1941.

Answer: Rudolf Hess

Hess was one of Hitler's earliest and most fervent followers. On April 21, 1933 he was made Deputy Fuehrer. He later lost ground in the Nazi hierchary to Martin Bormann and tried regain Hitlers approval by flying to Britain on a peace mission. He hoped to persuade the British that Hitler wanted only more 'Lebensraum' ('living space') in Eastern Europe and they had no need to continue this war.

He failed and remained in custody the rest of the war. Sentenced to life in prison at Nuremberg, he committed suicide in 1987 at age 92.

Answer: Braunau am Inn, Austria, April 20,1889

Adolf Hitler's father Alois was married twice and had many affairs before marrying Clara Plözl, Adolf's mother.

Answer: Operation Torch

The beginning of the end for Rommel and his Afrika-Korps.

Answer: The first 1,000 bomber raid

On May 30-31, 1942 the RAF sent 1,080 bombers to the city of Cologne and dropped 1,455 tons on bombs that destroyed 18,440 buildings including over 13,000 homes and 250 factories.

Answer: June 6, 1944

Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy was originally set to go June 4, 1944 but bad weather delayed it by two days.

Answer: SS Athenia

On September 3, 1939 Lemp, commanding U-30, sank the Athenia. Apparently, he mistook it for an armed merchant cruiser. Over 300 of the 1,000 people on board were Americans heading home. At the time, Germany denied having sunk the ship.

Answer: He was Adolf Hitler's father

Alois Schicklgruber is the original name of Alois Hitler, Adolf Hitler's father. He was the illegitimate son of Maria Anna Schicklgruber. His uncle, Johann Georg Hiedler, persuaded Alois to change it to Hiedler to carry on the family name. At the time it was recorded however, it was written 'Hitler' instead.

In the dialect of Upper Austria, "Hitler" and "Hiedler" sound identical, and most of the procedure for the change in name was conducted orally. (Just imagine imagine the Nazis chanting 'Heil Schicklgruber!).

Answer: five

Sword, Juno, Omaha, Gold and Utah were the codenames for the Normandy beaches.

Answer: Me-262

The Messerschmidt 262 did see battle in WWII and was faster than anything the Allies had, but never was produced in numbers big enough to change the course of the war. Moreover, by the time it was used Germany was desperately short of fuel.

Answer: General Eisenhower

Eisenhower was nominated the Supreme commander of all Allied forces in Europe. He later went on to become President of The United States.

Answer: The invasion of the USSR

'Barbarossa' was Hitler's codename for the invasion of the Soviet Union. The Germans attacked on 21 June 1941.

Answer: September 1, 1939-September 2, 1945

Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 and the Japanese signed the surrender treaty on September 2, 1945.