ww2 random quiz 2

How about this, name two european nations, that fought against and with the allies.

 

Italy and Romania

 

OK two good answers, lets keep this going. Now start naming one at a time.

 

Hungary

 

France

 

Ok how many more can you name?

 

does the USSR count? As it fought with Germany, then against Germany.

Also Finland, I think, very sensibly switched sides to fight against Germany towards the end.

 

I don't see how the French were on the German side. They were occupied by, not allied with, Germany.

 

France never was on the Axis side.
Local french troops fought against the allies when attacked, but always rejected any german or italian help.(Mers El Kébir, Dakkar, Syria, Madagaskar....).

 

I think Ricky meant that the Vichy-French government, or rather Pétain, could find it rather well with the German occupants of the rest of the country.

 

I'm accepting France, because of the combat right after their surrender. Like that naval battle, killing 1,200 frenchmen.

 

Vichy Frech forces fought against the Allies in Syria and Northern Africa.
Technically they were allied with the Axis powers.

 

No they were not.
They were agressed by british troops.They just did defend themselves.
In no way were they allied to the axis powers!

 

Syria was invaded because it belonged to a country that was largely a puppet of Germany, and it was felt that leaving such a territory as a menace to Britsh supply lines in the Middle East was unacceptable.

The bombardment of the French fleet was arguably right or wrong - that has been and surely will be debated for a long long time. The basic idea was 'Germany must not get her hands on these ships'. As they included a couple (or was it 3?) battleships and a carrier, it would seem sensible to deprive Germany of them. Whether the bombardment was the way to do that...

 

I think they had 3 Battleships, and a few BCs as well.

 

The French were given several options by the British as to what to do with their fleet. It was only after they refused to carry ANY of them out, that Churchill made what he later described in his memoires as "the most difficult decision I took during the war,and one over which I shed many tears".


I for one feel very sorry for those French sailors, who were effectively sentanced to death by their own government.

"They do not grow old, as we that are left grow old"

 

Actually, Finland wasn't that eager to fight against Germany but they were forced to do that after armistice with the Soviet Union. Allied, mainly SU, put pressure to Finland to expell German forces away from Lapland. It wasn't so easy to start fighting with your ex -brother in arms.

 

They may not have been eager to, but they did, and it was sensibe to!
They really had no other option unless they wanted to be take over by the USSR.

Finland managed to walk the tightrope during the whole of the Cold War, never really falling into either camp.

 

On Syria, was reading a book on Blenhiems and discovered that the decision to invade was taken because Syrian bases were being used by the Germans to give aerial support & logistical supply to the German-backed (or rather, German-encouraged / -helped) Iraqi insurgents.

 

New quiz :

Which WWII AFV earned the nickname "Naked Ass Ferdinand" ?