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Fun Trivia: E : European War

Special Sub-Topic: More Wacky WWII Tidbits


What neutral country did the RAF accidentally bomb on June 11, 1940?

    Switzerland. Just after Italy and England declared war on each other, an RAF mission to Turin, Italy, lost its way and bombed Geneva, Switzerland. Six people were killed, and many injured. (In the course of WWII Switzerland was also mistakenly bombed by the Luftwaffe and the French air force, too).

What weather event prevented the slaughter of English and French troops during the evacuation of Dunkirk?
    Fog. For several days, heavy fog created a great cover for the Allies to clear the beaches. The Luftwaffe could not see the beaches, thus preventing them from flying over and shooting anything that moved. Later, a German flyer stated that "only the fog saved them."

Who was the only person to ever receive the Grand Cross of the Iron Cross in WWII?
    Hermann Goering. Hitler created this award specifically for Goering. He was presented with it shortly after the fall of Dunkirk. No one after him received it.

What Scandinavian country actually published a negative remark about the race of a Briton sent to protect the country?
    Iceland. A black British sailor was amoung the small force sent to help prevent a Nazi invasion of Iceland. When he was seen later in a local bar, it caused a sensation. The next day, a leading newspaper's headline simply said "Black Icelander?". The British pulled this gentleman out, and later when in the country the U.S. did not send a black serviceman into Iceland until racial tension eased. It is important to note that the general population didn't want the English Tommies in town, anyway. They seemed to be afraid that all they would do is drink get the local girls pregnant!

Which American reporter first announced to the world that France had surrendered to Germany, almost two hours before the official German announcement?
    William Shirer. Shirer was the European reporter for CBS radio. He covered mainland Europe, while his partner, Murrow, was based in England. The Germans had the pool of reporters taken back to Berlin, where Hitler had planned a grand announcement. However, Shirer caught wind of the surrender, and with the help of some officers who weren't were sympathetic to Hitler, stayed and actually listened to the signing with the official German reporters. He radioed his report to England and New York, where it beat the German report by almost two hours. Apparently, Hitler and Goebbels were furious, and almost had Shirer thrown out of the country. Even Winston Churchill didn't quite believe that an American reporter was the only person reporting such dramamtic news, even before the Nazis did. It took several more hours for the official press pool in Berlin to issue the statement that was provided them by the Germans that France had fallen.

Simply because of her father, Princess Mafalda of Hesse was sent to Buchenwald Concentration Camp. Who was her father?
    King of Italy. After the allies invaded southern Italy, The King of Italy ordered the arrest of Mussolini, so that he might sign the armistice with them. "El Duce" was arrested, but later freed by German troops. When free, he in turn had Prince Philip of Hesse-Cassel, and his wife Princess Mafalda of Savoy, arrested. Philip survived the war, despite being tortured by the Gestapo. Mafalda was sent to Buchenwald, were she hurt during a RAF raid. Her arm was amputated, and she died the next day. She was 42yrs old. Philip lived until 1980, when he died at the age of 96.

What happened to the German ace, Oberst Werner Moeders while on his way to Ernst Udets's funeral?
    Plane crashed. Moeders flew his HE-111 bomber right into a smoke stack and was killed.

France was forced to surrender twice in two days. First, of course, to Germany. What other nation was she forced to surrender to?
    Italy. Mussolini attacked France in a vain attempt to regain parts of Savoy which had been ceded to France in 1859.

The French First Armored Division could have stemmed the German advance through France. It was brought into action on May 15, 1940. It fought until what problem happened?
    Ran out of fuel. The division was rushed to the front. They fought until they ran out of fuel. In the rush to battle they forgot to bring the fuel trucks to the front with them.

Who was given the nickname "carpet biter" by some German generals?
    Hitler & Adolf Hitler & Adolph Hitler. According to several older generals, when Hitler threw his most spectacular temper tantrums he would sometimes throw himself on to the floor, and bite and chew the carpet. Saying this in Nazi Germany constituted "insulting the Fuehrer" and more than one soldier was sentenced to death for saying this among his comrades - if one may call them such.


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