This document provides information about key events, battles, leaders, and developments during World War 2. It covers multiple theaters of the war, including Europe, North Africa, the Pacific, and China. Multiple choice questions are asked about specific details relating to countries involved, battles, ships, generals, and operations. Correct answers are provided along with short explanations of context.

2. With your host
“Diamond Toni” Rabroker

3. TEAMS:
Alpha
Bravo
Charlie
Delta
Echo
Oscar
Tango
Zulu

4. At the start of the European theatre
in 1939, there were already two
countries at war. What were the
two countries?
Japan and China
Japan and China had been at war since 1937.
Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939.
Point value: 10

5. The offensives in Poland and France
taught the English-speaking world a new
word called "Blitzkrieg." What does it
mean?
Lightning War
“Lightning War” summed up what seemed to be a
new way of warfare, combining the mobility, speed
and strength of tank divisions with the mortal and
physical power of air attacks and artillery, and of
course infantry.
Point value: 5

6. Which country denied much needed
border access to the Soviets, thus
finding itself at war against the Red
Army?
Finland
The brave Finns beat back the early Soviet attacks,
but the Soviets' numerical advantage and the
superior resources eventually forced the Finns to
make peace and concede border territory.
Point value: 20

7. Germany turned its aggression on its old
foe France. Even with Allied help, France
fell easily, leaving Britain to be the next
target. A massive air battle soon
followed. What was this battle called?
Battle of Britain
The British victory in the Battle of Britain ensured not
only that they would survive for the moment, but
also that Germany would have to fight a long war
that its economy was ill-prepared for.
Point value: 5

8. Italy decided to join Hitler's march of
conquest in June 1940. Which Italian
dictator was calling the shots?
Mussolini
Like Hitler, Mussolini was intent on expanding Italy into
an empire, but invasion attempts into Greece and North
Africa both failed. Time and time again the Germans had
to divert resources to prop up the Italians, in Africa, Sicily
and on the Italian mainland, resources they could not
afford to spare.
Point value: 5

9. Which German general was sent to
Tripoli ahead of his army to stem
considerable Italian losses?
Rommel
Allied forces, never stronger than two divisions,
destroyed 10 divisions, smashing the Italian lines and
taking 130,000 prisoners. Hitler could not allow his ally to
be so easily defeated and sent the up-and-coming
General, Erwin Rommel, with his Afrika-Korps to stem the
tide.
Point value: 5

10. Which two British ships (one a
battleship, the other a battlecruiser)
were sent to Singapore to provide
artillery support and help prevent the
Japanese invasion of Malaya (now
Malaysia)?
HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse
Three days after Pearl Harbor, the Japanese demonstrated to the
Royal Navy exactly what happens to surface craft without friendly
aircover. Britain's Force Z, centered on the battleship HMS Prince of
Wales and the battlescruiser HMS Repulse, attempted to intercept
the Japanese amphibious forces off Malaya. They were located by
planes of several IJN air groups and subjected to multiple attacks,
the third of which left both capital ships sinking. With their demise,
the road to Singapore lay open.
Point value: 20

11. In a surprise attack, three miniature
Japanese submarines sneaked into
which harbor sinking the HMS Kuttabul?
Sydney
Australia was not untouched by the war. As well as the
Sydney Harbor attack, Darwin, the site of US and Aussie
naval bases, was brutally bombed by the Japanese for
over a year. At the time these attacks were not made
public for fear of a national panic (that the Japanese
were so close to mainland Australia).
Point value: 20

12. The first engagement with the German Battleship
Bismarck would prove devastating to the Royal
Navy when she sent which capital ship to the
bottom?
HMS Hood
The loss of the Hood was a tragedy that's difficult to
measure. From a crew of 1418 men, only three survived.
The Hood was also seen as unsinkable, the pride of the
British fleet. It was a huge knock to morale not only to
Britain, but also for all allied navies.
Point value: 5

13. Guadalcanal was the scene of some of
the fiercest fighting in the Pacific. In
which group of islands is Guadalcanal
found?
Solomon Islands
During WW2, the Solomon Islands campaign (1942-
1945) saw fierce fighting between the United States
and the Empire of Japan, such as in the Battle of
Guadalcanal.
Point value: 10

14. Which significant 1942 naval battle
thwarted Japanese attempts to land
troops in New Guinea, sunk one carrier
and badly damaged another?
Battle of the Coral Sea
The Battle of the Coral Sea was not considered a victory for
the Allied fleet because the carrier Lexington sank and the
Yorktown was damaged. However, important supply lines
between the US and Australia remained open. Importantly,
the Japanese fleet were denied the services of two of her
newest carriers in the upcoming Battle of Midway.
Point value: 10

15. It was the largest battleship ever built. It
was a symbol of Japanese supremacy.
The characteristics of this super
battleship brought naval power to a
new level. What was it named?
Yamato
The awesome Yamato was sent on a suicide mission
(fueled for a one way journey) to draw fire and "do
whatever it could" during the battle for Okinawa. Fighter
planes from the USS Bennington and Hornet bombed and
torpedoed the Yamato until she finally listed and sank,
taking with her nearly 2,500 Japanese seamen.
Point value: 5

16. Which American general was nicknamed
"Blood and Guts"?
General George S. Patton
The ultimate fighting general, Patton, fought in Africa, Sicily and
Europe. He was perhaps the most animated and outspoken of all
the allied generals. His Third Army assignment during the liberation
of Europe saw him sweep through Southern France at great speed.
His greatest moments in Europe came during the Ardennes
Offensive in December 1944 when he swept his army group north
to choke the German attack and relieve stranded airborne troops in
Bastogne.
Point value: 5

17. When German troops were poised to
take Moscow, Hitler abruptly shifted the
advance to which region?
Ukraine
When German troops reached the outskirts of Moscow in
1941, the freedom of the world was at stake. With Russia out
of the picture, the Allies would have had little chance of
winning the war against Nazi Germany. However, abruptly,
Hitler shifted his advance to the south, to Ukraine. Hitler's
chance of winning the war was blown.
Point value: 20

18. What was the code-name of the
planned German invasion of Britain?
Operation Sea Lion
Hitler conquered France in a short time, ravaged the Russians
all the way to Moscow, and was the closest to taking over the
world as anyone since Genghis Khan. At the time, Britain
seemed to be the only obstacle (though of course later Russia
bounced back). The planned invasion of Britain from the
English Channel was called Operation Sea Lion.
Point value: 20

19. Who were the first recipients of
American bullets in ground combat
during declared war in WW2 in the
European/Mediterranean Theater of
Operations?
French
During Operation Torch, the American invasion of North
Africa, the Vichy French were occupying Morocco. Although
the French troops were generally unwilling to fight, they had
orders to oppose the Allies, and so many did. Therefore, the
first enemies on the ground in World War II in the ETO were
the French. The Italians came soon after, in the North African
and Southern Europe campaigns.
Point value: 20

20. What was the British plane credited
with the most kills during the famous
Battle of Britain?
Hawker Hurricane
During the Battle of Britain, when Britain held off endless waves of
incoming bombers, the rugged Hawker Hurricane had the most kills.
The Hawker Hurricane had the tiny edge in numerical superiority
over the Spitfire, as the Hurricane entered production earlier. Also,
while the more maneuverable and more agile Spitfire engaged the
German Messerschmitts, the Hawker Hurricane would pounce on
the bombers.
Point value: 10

21. This city was supposed to be captured
on D-Day by British and Canadian
troops, but ended up taking months to
capture.
Caen
One of the many D-day objectives for the British were to secure Caen. The landings
went fairly well. The problem was pushing inland, with the 21st Panzer Division
mobilizing with elements of the 12th SS Panzer Division. The Canadians reached
their own D-day objectives, only a little bit later than expected. They pushed, at
the limit, 7 miles inland to the Caen-Bayeaux road, where they were in position to
strike at Caen. However, by nightfall, not enough reinforcements had arrived to
take Caen or the other objective, Carpiquet Airfield, and the Canadians withdrew.
The British advance had bogged down, which resulted in the Canadian withdrawal.
Instead, the fully mobilized Panzer divisions occupied Caen and made it a fortress
city, giving it up months later, only when the city had been flattened.
Point value: 10

22. The Chinese Nationalist President
Chiang Kai-Shek believed this enemy to
be a greater threat than the Japanese.
Communists
When the Japanese first invaded China in 1937, the Nationalists and
Communists were already fighting one another in a vicious Civil
War. Chiang Kai-Shek was the recognized leader of China, fighting
the guerrilla forces led by Mao Zedong. Although both leaders
fought the Japanese occupation, only one considered it the real
enemy. The Communists fought hard, possibly earning the respect
of many Chinese citizens, who later supported the cause after the
war.
Point value: 20

23. This Sherman tank variant boasted a
much more effective 17 pounder gun.
M4 Sherman Firefly
The British had expressed a desire for a tank mounting a 17
pdr gun, when the current British tanks were showing a
distinct shortcoming in tank combat. The British also did not
have the huge production edge the Americans possessed. As a
result, the British sought to produce a more powerful tank. As
the designs came in, the British decided to choose the
versatile M4 Sherman to mount the 17 pdr.
Point value: 10

24. After the war ended, who became the
military governor of Japan?
General Douglas MacArthur
MacArthur officially accepted Japan’s surrender on 2
September 1945, aboard USS Missouri anchored in Tokyo
Bay, and oversaw the occupation of Japan from 1945 to
1951. As the effective ruler of Japan, he oversaw
sweeping economic, political and social changes.
Point value: 5

25. What was the unusual Krummlauf
weapon meant to do?
Shoot around corners
In urban warfare, when a soldier peeked around a corner, he would
get shot at by the opposing side. Although it was the same situation
for the enemies, still, no one liked to get shot at. As a result, the
German engineers developed a very unusual weapon. This weapon
attachment, called the Krummlauf, was an extension of the firearm
barrel so that the bullet could travel around the corner at an angle
without the soldier having to show himself.
Point value: 20

26. Japanese troops under General
Yamashita raced down the Malayan
Peninsula using these vehicles to easily
traverse the dense jungles.
Bicycles
In one of the more interesting marches of the 20th century,
General Yamashita led a forced march of his troops for over
100 miles, and then equipped the soldiers with their own
personal bicycles, which they used in the tight jungle roads to
flank and pursue the battered and retreating British. The
Malayan Peninsula fell within weeks, and the essential
fortified port city of Singapore fell soon after.
Point value: 20

27. What conference in 1945, held by the
U.S, the U.K. and the Soviet Union is
sometimes called the Crimea
Conference ?
The Yalta Conference
The Tehran Conference preceded the Yalta
Conference and the Potsdam Conference came after
the Yalta Conference. The Yalta Conference is
sometimes called the Crimea Conference, because
Yalta was located in the Crimea.
Point value: 20

28. What famous German battleship was
sunk at the Battle of North Cape?
Scharnhorst
The Bismarck was sunk in the Atlantic. The Tirpitz
was sunk not during a battle but during Operation
Catechism, and the Prinz Eugen was not a battleship,
but a heavy cruiser.
Point value: 20

29. Where were napalm bombs used for the
first time from aircraft?
France
On July 17 1944, 14 American P-38 Lightning aircraft
of the 402d Fighter Squadron / 370th Fighter Group
dropped the first napalm bombs on a fuel depot at
Coutances, near St. Lô, France.
Point value: 20

30. What was the difference between the
atomic bombs that were dropped on
Hiroshima and Nagasaki?
“Little Boy” dropped on Hiroshima contained
uranium and “Fat Man” dropped on Nagasaki
contained plutonium
The other differences are the shape of the bomb, the
name of the bomb and the device triggering the
explosion.
Point value: 10

31. What was the first Japanese Carrier
sunk by the United States?
Shoho
Sunk at the Battle of the Coral Sea.
For five extra points name the four Japanese carriers
sunk at the Battle of Midway.
Akagi, Hiryu, Kaga, Soryu
Point value: 20

32. What type of aircraft was produced the
largest number of all during the war?
Messerschmitt BF-109
Nearly 36,000 were produced.
Point value: 10

33. Where did the largest tank battle of
WW2 occur?
Kursk
Russia and Germany deployed nearly 3,000 tanks in
the Battle of Kursk from 5 July 1943 – 16 July 1943.
Point value: 10

34. What US ship at Pearl Harbor on
December 7, 1941, was sunk in the
Falklands War in 1982?
USS Phoenix
USS Phoenix (CL-46), was a light cruiser of the Brooklyn-
class cruiser family. After World War II the ship was
transferred to Argentina in 1951 and was renamed
General Belgrano in 1956. General Belgrano
was sunk during the Falklands War in 1982 by the British.
Point value: 20

35. How many Luftwaffe pilots attacked
troops on the beaches on D-Day?
Two
Colonel Josef Priller and Sergeant Heinz Wodarczyk
of the 26th Fighter Wing were responsible.
Point value: 10

36. What was the fate of the German heavy
cruiser Prinz Eugen?
It became a target at the Bikini atomic tests
The U.S. battleship Nevada, a Pearl Harbor survivor,
and carrier Saratoga were also target shops for the
atomic bomb tests.
Point value: 10

37. What ship carried parts of the atomic
bomb and later was sunk?
U.S.S Indianapolis
It was sunk by a Japanese sub and half of her crew
died in shark infested waters.
Point value: 5

38. Name the only father and son in the
U.S. Army to have landed at Normandy
on D-Day 6 June 1944?
Roosevelt
Brig. General Theodore Roosevelt Jr., was with the U.S.
4th Infantry Division and landed on Utah Beach. His son
Captain Quentin Roosevelt, was with the U.S. 29th
Infantry Division and landed on Omaha Beach June 6,
1944. Sadly, Theodore Roosevelt Jr. died of a heart attack
during the battle.
Point value: 10

39. Who was the American Vice-President
when the U.S. entered WW2 in
December 1941?
Henry A. Wallace
Henry A. Wallace, was elected with President
Franklin Delano Roosevelt in the 1940 election.
Point value: 20

40. Which was the first U.S. Island outpost
to fall to Japanese Forces in WW2?
Guam
Guam fell to Japanese Forces on December 10, 1941,
when 153 U.S. Marines armed with nothing large
than .30-caliber machine guns tried to hold back a
Japanese invasion force of 6,000 troops.
Point value: 10

41. Who was the first American General to
command four field Armies in WW2?
General Omar N. Bradley
During the drive into Germany the U.S. First, Third,
Ninth and Fifteenth Armies were under the
command of General Omar N. Bradley. Their
combined strength was nearly a million men.
Point value: 10

42. What was the name of the admiral who
commanded the Bismarck in battle and
went down with the ship?
Admiral 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.
Point value: 20

43. What is the name of the German U-Boat
commander who succeeded in
penetrating the British base of Scapa
Flow?
Guenther Prien
On 13th October 1939, Prien sank the battleship Royal Oak at
anchor in Scapa Flow getting through a gap in the defenses. The
HMS 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 damage
then 3 more from a second salvo which caused it to sink in 11
minutes taking the lives of 800 of her crew.
Point value: 20

44. What was the name of the only German
aircraft carrier that was laid down,
launched and commissioned but never
saw active service?
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 WW2
neared, Graf Zeppelin was scuttled in shallow water at
Stettin (now in Poland and known as Szczecin) on 25 April
1945.
Point value: 10

45. What is the name of the top flying ace
of the WW2?
Erich Hartmann
Flying for the Luftwaffe, Hartmann downed 352
planes during WW2 - the highest number of any
nation in the world. Many of these victories were
during the Russian campaign.
Point value: 10

46. What was the name of the most
decorated soldier of the WW2?
Lt. Audie Leon Murphy
Audie Murphy was awarded 28 medals during WW2
including the Medal of Honor.
Point value: 5

47. What was the name of the US Navy's
first aircraft carrier?
USS Langley
Langley was attacked by Japanese planes on
February 27, 1942. Too severely damaged to salvage,
she was subsequently sunk by her escorts.
Point value: 10

48. What was the name of the admiral who
was in overall command of the Imperial
Japanese Navy?
Isoruku Yamamoto
Isoruku Yamamoto was the best naval mind in the
Japanese Empire. The architect of the attack on Pearl
Harbor. 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 April 14, 1943.
Point value: 5

49. What claim to infamy is accredited to
Alois Schicklgruber?
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!).
Point value: 20

50. How many beaches were earmarked for
the invading Allied troops on D-Day?
Five
For five extra points, name the five Normandy beach
codenames:
Sword, Juno, Omaha, Gold and Utah
Point value: 10

51. What was 'Operation Barbarossa'?
The German invasion of the USSR
'Barbarossa' was Hitler's codename for the invasion
of the Soviet Union. The Germans attacked on 21
June 1941.
Point value: 10

52. LAST QUESTION

53. What are the generally accepted dates
for the start and finish of fighting in
WW2?
September 1, 1939-September 2, 1945
Germany invaded Poland on September 1, 1939 and
the Japanese signed the surrender treaty on
September 2, 1945.
Point value: 10