WWII Forums Quiz Part V

Charles Havlat is thought to be the very last American soldier killed in action in the European operations of World War II. The son of Czech immigrants, he took a bullet in the head while on patrol in southern Bohemia; shot by German soldiers who were unaware that a ceasefire had been declared and whose commander later apologised. Pfc Charles Havlat, was the last American GI killed in action on the 5th Division front, and is officially the last American KIA in the entire European Theatre. He was 34 years old.

taken from: http://www.radio.cz/en/article/66298/limit

May 7, 1945, 08:40: On a dirt road some 12 kilometres into Czechoslovakia, a reconnaissance platoon of the US Army's 803rd Tank Destroyer Battalion, Company C, is blindsided by a hail of enemy machine gun and small arms fire from concealed positions in the woods. Soldiers from the German 11th Panzer Division fire off four rounds of panzerfausts, which explode around the lead American vehicle, an M-8 armoured car. The American GIs in the second vehicle, an open jeep, get the worst of it: Two take hits to the hands and face: Pfc Charley Havlat is killed. The re-con men of the 803rd returned fire until their radio operator received word that, some nine minutes before the ambush, a cease-fire order had gone into effect, and an armistice was in effect. The company got orders to withdraw back into the town of Wallern, now known as Volary. Less than six hours after the attack, Nazi Germany surrendered unconditionally. Taken captive later, the German officer who led the ambush said he knew nothing of the cessation of hostilities until 30 minutes after their effective time and apologised for the incident.

 

Correct!!!

 

What was the first USN ship to use force in World War 2 and the date? Extra Credit if you get the commander.

 

Technically I would consider it to be the USS Panay on 12 December 1937 on the Yangtze River in China under the command of Lt. Cmdr. J. J. Hughes. But if you go by the Sept 1, 1939 date it would be the destroyer USS Niblack on April 10, 1941 and her depth charge attack on a suspected German U-boat shortly after rescuing survivors of a torpedoed Dutch freighter. Niblack was commanded by Lt. Cmdr. E.R. Durgin.

 

That's right! over to you, Bill.

 

Okay here we go;

We all realize that the Japanese used midget submarines in its attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 but it is not believed that these boats were successful in their mission. Where and when was the first successful use of midget submarines by the Japanese and what were the targets?

 

Sydney Harbor, 31 May 1942 by a Type A midget. This submarine, one of 3 or 4 in the attack successfully launched a torpedo that missed the USS Chicago, then passed under a Dutch submarine, and then a ferry boat used as a barracks. The torpedo hit the quay to which the ferry was tied up, detonated and sank the ferry killing a number of sailors aboard.
A second torpedo from this boat was found on the beach at Garden Island having missed its target.

 

Right on target T.A. Your up to bat......

 

Heres mine:

In the Batttle of the Bluge, While American forces held Bagstone, who rushed tanks to aid them? :stugg:

 

T A Gardner replied correctly to the last question, so it's actually his turn to raise the next one. If you can then answer his, it'll be your turn to pose a question.

So - if T A would like to post a Q ?