A little WWII quiz

[spidge]

These are the questions with his correct answers only.

1. Which event is generally considered to be the first belligerent act of World War II?
(C) Germany’s attack on Poland

2. Which two countries were the first to declare war on Germany?
(B) Britain and France

3. Against which country did the Soviet Union instigate an armed conflict in late 1939?
(A) Finland

4. What were the first two western European countries that Germany invaded?
(A) France and Belgium

5. Which best describes Germany’s standard invasion strategy at the beginning of World War II?
(A) Attack with a combination of speed and overwhelming force

6. What major mistake did the Allies make in preparing to defend against Germany’s attack on France?
(C) They misinterpreted where the main invasion would take place

7. What happened at Dunkirk in May 1940?
(A) British forces retreated across the English Channel

8. Where was the French surrender to Germany signed?
(C) In a railway car

9. Why did the British Royal Navy attack French warships at Mers-el-Kebir?
(C) The French crews refused to surrender their ships when the British requested

10. What was Germany’s initial strategy for conquering Britain?
(A) First establish air superiority, then send in ground forces

11. What was the “London Blitz”?
(B) A term used for Germany’s bombing campaign on London

12. Overall, the Battle of Britain is considered to be
(B) A victory for Britain

13. What was Italy’s primary role in the war?
(D) It distracted Germany from accomplishing its main objectives

14. What was Hitler’s primary justification for invading Russia?
(B) Germany needed more space for its population

15. What was the code name given to Germany’s plan to invade the USSR?
(B) Operation Barbarossa

16. What happened to the Soviet air force during the opening days of the German invasion?
(A) Up to 2,000 Soviet aircraft were destroyed while still on the ground.

17. Which of the following was not a part of the Soviet defense plan against Germany?
(C) The Soviets sought to lure German armies into forests, which they would then set on fire

18. On which region of the Soviet Union did Hitler place the highest priority?
(A) Ukraine and southern Russia

19. Via what route did Russians manage to send some supplies to Leningrad during the German siege of the city?
(C) A supply route across Lake Ladoga

20. Which country was the site of most of the Nazi extermination camps?
(C) Poland

21. How did the Western Allies respond to Germany’s invasion of Russia?
(A) They sent supplies and intelligence information to the USSR

22. What Japanese action created tension with the United States?
(A) Its seizure of territory in China

23. What U.S. action created tension with Japan?
(C) Its establishment of a trade embargo against Japan

24. Who was the Japanese admiral behind the Pearl Harbor attack?
(C) Yamamoto

25. Which of the following was not true about the Pearl Harbor attack?
(C) The Japanese painted their aircraft to look like American planes


26. What was unique about the Doolittle Raid?
(A) The bombers were launched from an aircraft carrier

27. Which battle is considered to be the turning point for the war in the Pacific?
(D) The Battle of Midway

28. The Battle of the Coral Sea was a unique naval battle in that
(C) It was fought entirely with carrier-based aircraft

29. During the Battle of Midway, Japan lost
(D) Most of its Pacific Fleet

30. The Battle of Stalingrad was
(C) One of the deadliest battles in human history

31. Who met at Casablanca?
(A) Roosevelt and Churchill

32. What was the focus of the Tehran Conference?
(A) The Allied invasion of France

33. What was the significance of Guadalcanal to Japan?
(D) The island was in an ideal position for controlling the Solomon Islands

34. Why was the Japanese capture of Rangoon such a bitter loss for the Allies?
(B) As a major seaport, it was an excellent supply point

35. Which statement best characterizes the series of battles in the Pacific following the Battle of Guadalcanal?
(C) With each battle, the Japanese soldiers increasingly fought to the death

36. What was the significance of Mt. Suribachi?
(D) It was the site of a major battle on Iwo Jima

37. Which country instigated the conflict in North Africa?
(B) Italy

38. Why did Allied forces invade Italy after it had already surrendered?
(A) German forces were still fighting in the country

39. What was Monte Cassino?
(C) A large monastery in central Italy where the Germans defended Rome from Allied forces

40. The Battle of Kursk is best described as
(D) A tank battle

41. After the Battle of Kursk, German forces
(C) Began a lengthy retreat back to Germany

42. What was the code name for the Allied invasion of Europe?
(C) Operation Overlord

43. The Allied invasion of Europe was primarily directed at
(D) The French coast

44. What was the location of the second major Allied assault into Europe in 1945?
(C) The French Mediterranean coast

45. Why was the Luftwaffe so ineffective during the last part of the war?
(A) Germany was experiencing a severe oil shortage

46. Where did the Battle of the Bulge take place?
(B) In northern Italy, near Milan

47. What were the V1 and V2?
(B) German missiles

48. Which Allied country’s forces arrived in Berlin first?
(D) The USSR

49. In the last six months of the war, what was the U.S. strategy for winning the conflict with Japan?
(C) Break the Japanese will with massive bombing raids on Japanese cities

50. At what conference did the Allies set the terms for the Japanese surrender?
(D) The Potsdam Conference

[spidge]

Originally Posted by spidge

These are the questions with his correct answers only.

29. During the Battle of Midway, Japan lost
(D) Most of its Pacific Fleet

Japanese had 4 carriers, 7 battleships, 150 support ships at the battle of Midway.

They lost the 4 carriers and 1 cruiser.

Definitely not most of their Pacific fleet.

At the time of Pearl Harbor the IJN had the following warships and did not lose many of those before Midway.

8 Aircraft Carriers,
10 Battleships
18 Heavy Cruisers
20 Light Cruisers
108 Destroyers
68 Fleet Submarines
50 Midget Submarines
193 Other