2nd WW2 Cumulative History Quiz

[Adler17]

It was the German attack in the west 1940, terminating the Phoney war.

Adler

 

[Zeekater]

jups, correct

 

[dgfred]

It was the German attack in the west 1940, terminating the Phoney war.

Adler

@Adler, It is your turn unless you pass . We are waiting.

 

[Adler17]

Okay:
What was the first US warship being sunk? And when?

Adler

 

[dgfred]

Dang it! I don't know this one? . Before or after War was declared?

 

[Serutan]

The Ruben James? ~Sept. 1941 I know the first
American warship was sunk by a U-boat sometime
in '41...

 

[nonconformist]

The Arizona? Pearl HArbor?

 

[nonconformist]

Or possibly the Athenia.

 

[Adler17]

It was the USS Reuben James DD 245, which was torpedoed by Uboat U 552 on October 31st 1941. 115 of the 160 men died, including all officers. It escorted convoy HX 156 and the German Uboat commander Kapitänleutnant Klaus Topp thought it was a British destroyer. Although US ships were torpedoed earlier in this not declared war between the US and Nazi Germany, no ship got lost. Since the US attacked German Uboats and escorted enemy convoys the sinking of the USS Reuben James was a fair game and indeed an accident.
U 552 suffered no causality and was scuttled on May 2nd 1945. It sank on 15 patrols 32 ships with 165.500 ts and damaged three further with 27.000 ts.
Serutan, you have it. I wanted to know it was before the war really began.

Adler

 

[Zardnaar]

It was the USS Reuben James DD 245, which was torpedoed by Uboat U 552 on October 31st 1941. 115 of the 160 men died, including all officers. It escorted convoy HX 156 and the German Uboat commander Kapitänleutnant Klaus Topp thought it was a British destroyer. Although US ships were torpedoed earlier in this not declared war between the US and Nazi Germany, no ship got lost. Since the US attacked German Uboats and escorted enemy convoys the sinking of the USS Reuben James was a fair game and indeed an accident.
U 552 suffered no causality and was scuttled on May 2nd 1945. It sank on 15 patrols 32 ships with 165.500 ts and damaged three further with 27.000 ts.
Serutan, you have it. I wanted to know it was before the war really began.

Adler

Totally fair target- weren't US boats dropping depth charges on German submarines prior to an official declearation of war?

 

[Serutan]

@Zardnaar - Yes, the US wasn't exactly behaving like a neutral
in 1941.

Just found out I'm not going to be online again until Sunday,
so anyone feel free to ask.

 

[Adler17]

Okay a more difficult question: The British carrier Courageous, Furious and Glorious were not built as carrier. As what were they built and why were they redesigned? A bonus is, why were they construced as they were.
Attention: This question is only linking over ww2 to earlier times. If someone thinks that´s not fair, please tell me and I will retreat the question. I´m not totally sure if this is a correct question myself.

Adler

 

[PantheraTigris2]

Furious, along with her half-sister ships Courageous and Glorious, was laid down was a large light cruiser mounting 2 18-inch guns on a shallow draught for gunfire support of amphibious operations in the Baltic. Before completion the design was changed to only 1 18-inch gun and a flying-off deck for sea planes at the bow. After completion the remaining 18-inch gun was removed and a landing-on deck added for half the length of the ship.
This short flight deck caused problems with landing and was later extended to the full length of the ship, stopping just short of the forward flying-off deck one level below. Finally a small starboard island was added in 1939.

 

[Adler17]

Indeed. The ships were as large light cruiser only a real successfull design as target ships. In the only battle they fought German light cruiser were able to damage them severely. If they had met the battlefleet...
So they were never used again and since Fisher´s plan of invading Pommerania (!) was abandoned after Jutland these ships were shortly after the war redesigned.
Good Job, Tiger.
Your turn.

Adler

 

[PantheraTigris2]

Which were the two U-boats that were on the scene of the battle area during the time frame of BB Bismarck's demise? One of them was there throughout the night and early morning, but had no torpedoes, and basically could offer no help except to send homing signals for other U-boats, while watching the battle unfold. The second U-boat arrived slightly late, closer to mid-day due to rough seas, and the Bismarck had already just gone down a little while earlier. Name the two U-boats.

 

[Adler17]

It was U 556 which had no torpedoes left. Otherwise... Later U 74 appeared and rescued 5 crewmen of the German flagship.

Adler

 

[BananaLee]

The British battleships left the scene when the detected the U-boats, leaving many German sailors to their deaths in the water because the U-boats had no space to rescue all..
Comedy of errors..
God/Allah/whatever rest their souls..

 

[Adler17]

The tragedy was they didn´t see the Uboats but saw other "ghost" uboats...

Adler

 

[PantheraTigris2]

It was U 556 which had no torpedoes left. Otherwise... Later U 74 appeared and rescued 5 crewmen of the German flagship.

Adler

That is right, your question...

 

[Adler17]

What was the German "Schräge Musik" (Jazz)?

Adler