WWII Forums Quiz Part IV

I´ll go for it:

The Greek

General Papagos

The Italian:

General Visconti Prasca

 

Yep Kai, thought people would fall for Metaxas, but no you didnt...Over to you then..

 

Thanx Urgh!

Next question:

What did Himmler decree on the Italian SS collar patches that would indicate their non-German status?

 

That the SS-runes should appear on a red, not black, patch as was the usual case ?

 

That the Italians would wear a collar patch in the style of ethnic SS groups, and decree a distinct insignia, just like the British and Handschar divisions.

 

Martin has got it right.The patch is red, well at least it was Himmler´s thought at the very beginning.

Here´s as well one example of italian SS eagle:



So over to you Martin!

More info here :

http://www.wssob.com/029divita.html

 

A topical Dams Raid Question.

Which pilot was ( probably unfairly ) 'thrown out' of 617 Squadron by Guy Gibson, after aborting the Raid.

And what became of him and his crew ?

 

Errrr, how about Flt Lt Munro, flying in Lancaster "W", who had his radio knocked out by flak?

Doh! No idea.

[ 28. April 2003, 07:01 AM: Message edited by: Heartland ]

 

Good try, Heartland - but no !

Les Munro stayed with 617 for over a year....

 

Was it P/O Geoffrey Rice of AJ-H (ED936) who had to abort when he hit the sea on the way to the target losing his bomb.
P/O Rice and his crew were later shot down on the 20 December 1943. Only P/O Rice survived.
For more details on the crew
http://www.dambusters.org.uk/crew2.htm#aj-h

 

Hi Kai, this Italian SS patch also comes in black and ive even seen some with the Italian flag colors on the eagles chest. But I think the one with the flag colors is only for a dress uniform or parade uniform--not sure.

 

Very good try, Redcoat ! But still not right...

In fact, Gibson told Rice 'Bad luck - I nearly did the same thing myself' when Rice reported that he'd flown so low over the North Sea that he lost the bomb and nearly the aircraft.

No, Rice stayed 'in' but someone else didn't.....

 

Grrrrr!

That would perhaps make it Flt Sgt Anderson in "Y", turning back with a malfunctioning rear turret?

Dunno what happened to the crew, but the aircraft was damaged on July 2, 1944, transferred to a maintenance unit on February 1, 1945, and finally scrapped on September 23, 1946.

Update: Confusion reigns, as other sources state Anderson reached and attempted to bomb, but brought the bomb back after mist prevented a good run. Still my guess though!

Update 2: The entire crew was killed in action on September 23, 1943, over Germany. Buried at Rheinberg War Cemetary. Now, let's hope this is the answer!

[ 29. April 2003, 07:37 AM: Message edited by: Heartland ]

 

Heartland, well done - you thoroughly deserve this one !

Cyril Anderson and crew it was indeed. Taking off late, they were over Germany as dawn started to break & with mist rising in the valleys, they could not identify a target.

Landing with their bomb unreleased, their efforts were greeted with a harsh view from Gibson. Thinking of how many crews had been lost in the attempt, he posted Anderson's crew out of 617 that very day.

Anderson's crew went to 49 Squadron, and they died together on a raid to Mannerheim, 23rd September 1943.

And so to your question......

 

Rah rah rah!

Okay, here goes. Perhaps the most famous Soviet female fighter pilot during World War II was Lilya "The White Rose of Stalingrad" Litvyak. On August 1, 1943, she and her squadron can be found escorting Il-2 Sturmovik aircraft in the Orel area.

What happened on this mission, and when would Lilya be seen next time...?

 

Is it that she is shot down by a pair of 109's.

she wouldn't be seen again for nearly forty years. a womens body was found in a common grave which on the 31st march 1986 the Central Archives of the Ministry of Defense confirms that the woman pilot who crashed near Dmitrievka had to be Litvyak. Litvyak name was placed on the grave.

Initially she was not given the Hero of the Soviet Union though on the 5th of May 1990 Chairman Mikhail Gorbachev signed a document conferring the title of Hero of the Soviet Union on Lilya Litvyak.

 

Ding-ding, that's it! Very good, over to you...

 

Which French ship was sunk by an air raid on the 27th august 1944?

 

The French battleship 'Clemenceau' was sunk during the siege of Brest, 27th August 1944 by a 5 Group force consisting of 24 Lancasters and 1 Mosquito.

The ship was salvaged and scrapped in 1951.

 

Very good martin. your turn.