4th Cumulative WW2 Quiz

[CruddyLeper]

VERY close PH. But not quite on the button.

A clue; they only called it that after 6th June, rather busy on the day, and someone very very close to Rommel.

 

[steviejay]

awww man I can't believe I got mixed up over such a well known question

 

[CruddyLeper]

Not at all - the person involved got almost no credit for it. Generals tend to steal the limelight.

EDIT: I think I'd better give it to you PH - the reference is very obscure, but here's the story.

Hellmuth Lang, Rommel's adjutant, was at La Roche Guyon (HQ) during 6th June. He was told about 10.20AM that Rommel was on his way back from Herrlingen.

Thing is, he'd already been up since 3AM telling various commanders "Der FeldMarschall ist hier nicht". And he went on telling them that until 10.20PN when Rommel drove in to the HQ.

Think about it. All Rommel did was sit in the back of a staff car and grind his teeth. Hellmuth had to put up with all sort of threats, curses, hysteria, you name it, for about 19 hours solid.

Afterwards Rommel nicked the words... but he didn't earn them that day. Oh no.

Your question PH.

 

[privatehudson]

Ok a short question this time, what was the "Woolworth's special" and why was it called that?

 

[privatehudson]

Wrong thing but the reason (i.e. it was cheap) you give is pretty much the same.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Maybe the CAM ships? Single catapult launched fighter to bring down Condors and similar small threats.

Those pilots must have been nuts to take off from those things.

 

[privatehudson]

Nope, a clue would be it's not associated with naval warfare.

 

[steviejay]

isn't it to do with a piece of kit for infantry? something they needed quickly so just churned out? if I had to guess I'd say some form of heavy weapon after Dunkirk but that's all guess work

 

[YNCS]

The Sten Gun was called the "Woolworth's Special." It was also called the "Stench Gun."

Sten Gun MK IIS

 

[Cheezy the Wiz]

Im guessing this is a free-for-all in asked questions, so I poropse one, and yea its easy; what plane was created by the Russians because they didnt give us back a B29?

 

[privatehudson]

It was indeed the Sten gun. Due to the cheap cost of making the gun, the various faults associated with it and it's simple design British soldiers often referred to it as the Woolworth's Special. The nickname comes from the fact that cheap toy guns were one of the specialties of Woolworth's department store.

 

[cidknee]

Im guessing this is a free-for-all in asked questions, so I poropse one, and yea its easy; what plane was created by the Russians because they didnt give us back a B29?

u actually need to answer one before you can ask one. the rules are on pg 1.

and i cant remember the name of it. But it helped spawn a whole arms race.

 

[YNCS]

It doesn't matter, cidknee. The Soviet clone of the B-29 was the TU-4.

Which two companies sold cannon to both sides during World War II? Note: Most of the cannon were actually manufactured by the combatants under license.

 

[nonconformist]

I know that Daimler sold cars to both the English and the Germans, and General Motors did as well?

 

[YNCS]

So did Ford. But I not looking for who sold motor vehicles, but for two companies who sold cannon.

 

[CruddyLeper]

It doesn't matter, cidknee. The Soviet clone of the B-29 was the TU-4.

Which two companies sold cannon to both sides during World War II? Note: Most of the cannon were actually manufactured by the combatants under license.

Bofors was one. Swedish I think.

I would guess Krupp as the other?

 

[YNCS]

Bofors (Swedish) and Oerlikon (Swiss) supplied cannon to both the Germans and the Allies. Oerlikon only gave a few samples and plans for their 20mm anti-aircraft gun to the Allies, production was done in Britain, the U.S., and Canada. The same is basically true of Bofors, other than none of their 40mm AA guns were made in Britain.

CruddyLeper and meisen can fight for who gives the next question.

 

[CruddyLeper]

What was RHINO, how did it help COBRA breakout, and WHO came up with the idea (and got little credit for it)?

 

[nonconformist]

Rhino I think was an attachment for the Sherman, to help it cut through the hedgerows, which helped during Operation Cobra in Normandy.
As for who it was, I'm guessing Sgt. Curtis McCullan.

 

[CruddyLeper]

Correct. Improvised from cut up beach obstacles.

HOWEVER, McCullan didn't come up with the idea. That was a "A Tenessee hillbilly named Roberts". Even his rank isn't recorded.

McCullan tried to give credit to the press, but Roberts wasn't the all American hero mould so got nothing for it.

Over to you for the next question.