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Quiz about Britain in WWII Mediterranean Campaign
Quiz about Britain in WWII Mediterranean Campaign

Britain in WWII: Mediterranean Campaign Quiz


This is the fourth of five quizzes on Britain in World War II, a topic I am currently studying. Writing this has helped my revision and allowed me to broaden my knowledge of the subject.

A multiple-choice quiz by doublemm. Estimated time: 5 mins.
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Author
doublemm
Time
5 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
303,206
Updated
Jul 23 22
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
6 / 10
Plays
2153
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
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Question 1 of 10
1. One of the main reasons Britain became involved in the Mediterranean was to protect its oil supplies from the Middle East and its route to Asia. What was Britain's route to Asia? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. In September 1940 an Italian invasion was launched in North Africa. Although massively outnumbered, the British counter attacked in December pushing the Italians back 400 miles. Who commanded the British army in this counter attack? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. In desert warfare, it was difficult to maintain advances due to supply lines becoming stretched. As a result, both sides (British and Axis powers) made several successful advances followed by huge retreats. Once the Italians had been pushed back in late 1940, the German army, led by Rommel, became involved in North Africa. The British army was pushed back to the Egyptian border by April 1941. As well as the initiative of Rommel, this was caused by Churchill's decision to remove troops from North Africa. Where were these troops sent? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. Churchill was criticised for his decision to remove British troops in April as it was believed that it created a missed opportunity to win the campaign in North Africa. British troops were later removed again to Singapore. However, before this the British army had success in a winter offensive (1941), pushing the German army back 340 miles. Who commanded the British army in this advance? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. A sign of determined British and Commonwealth resistance to Nazi forces in North Africa was Tobruk in Libya, which the British and Australians managed to hold even when the rest of the army was pushed back several hundred miles by the Germans. However, the port was eventually surrendered. When? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The fighting spirit of the British army and the loss of Tobruk were amongst the reasons for US sympathy. However, Britain itself was able to prevent further advances of the German army. At which battle did the British make this defiant stand under the command of Montgomery? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. In November 1942, there was also a joint US/British invasion of Morocco and Algeria which was intended to surround the German army, forcing surrender. This invasion provided vital practice for the amphibious landings which were to occur on D-Day. What was the codename for this invasion? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. The victory at El Alamein helped Churchill persuade Roosevelt at a conference in Casablanca (January 1943) to continue with the Mediterranean campaign. Following this, a joint offensive was launched in July 1943, led by Montgomery and Patton. Which Mediterranean island did they invade? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. The invasion of mainland Italy began in September 1943, but the fighting soon became bogged down due to the mountainous terrain and its defensive advantages for the German army. What was the name of the defensive line which the German army formed 30 miles north of Naples? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. Churchill believed victory in the war would come through the invasion of Italy. He was wrong. However, there were some major events caused by the invasion of Italy which benefitted the Allies. These included the removal of Mussolini from power, which significantly lowered the fighting force of the Axis powers. In which month was Mussolini initially removed from power? Hint



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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. One of the main reasons Britain became involved in the Mediterranean was to protect its oil supplies from the Middle East and its route to Asia. What was Britain's route to Asia?

Answer: Suez Canal

At the time Britain did not have oil from the North Sea. Oil was a very important factor in the defeat of Germany in the later years of the war. This, along with the fact that Germany had lost its Romanian oil supply in August 1944 to the Soviet Army meant that the German army began to fall apart as there was not enough fuel to run their tanks. One such example of this is the Battle of the Bulge (December 1944-January 1945).
2. In September 1940 an Italian invasion was launched in North Africa. Although massively outnumbered, the British counter attacked in December pushing the Italians back 400 miles. Who commanded the British army in this counter attack?

Answer: General O'Connor

O'Connor was often seen as not having the stereotypical large ego possessed by many other top generals, seen in his willingness to accept the blame for failures the British army faced whilst under his control. The British army took advantage of the static Italian positions and took 130,000 prisoners.
3. In desert warfare, it was difficult to maintain advances due to supply lines becoming stretched. As a result, both sides (British and Axis powers) made several successful advances followed by huge retreats. Once the Italians had been pushed back in late 1940, the German army, led by Rommel, became involved in North Africa. The British army was pushed back to the Egyptian border by April 1941. As well as the initiative of Rommel, this was caused by Churchill's decision to remove troops from North Africa. Where were these troops sent?

Answer: Greece

The British campaign in Greece began in April 1941. The three British divisions (along with several Greek army divisions) were overwhelmed by the Nazi war machine, which provided 18 strong divisions.

Though Churchill was often criticised for this action, Greece was seen to have strategic relevance. Firstly, it was believed that British presence in Greece would allow for daytime bombing raids on the Romanian oil fields. Secondly, the Nazi conquest of Greece brought Germany uncomfortably close to the Middle East.

Also, with the benefit of hindsight, it seems that the campaign in Greece caused the postponement of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, "Operation Barbarossa".
4. Churchill was criticised for his decision to remove British troops in April as it was believed that it created a missed opportunity to win the campaign in North Africa. British troops were later removed again to Singapore. However, before this the British army had success in a winter offensive (1941), pushing the German army back 340 miles. Who commanded the British army in this advance?

Answer: Auchinleck

Yet another counter attack led by Rommel in May 1942 pushed the British army back 570 miles. This caused Auchinleck to lose credibility with other generals and with Churchill.

Rommel's quick action and improvisation along with the slow pace of the British army was the cause of this drastic retreat.
5. A sign of determined British and Commonwealth resistance to Nazi forces in North Africa was Tobruk in Libya, which the British and Australians managed to hold even when the rest of the army was pushed back several hundred miles by the Germans. However, the port was eventually surrendered. When?

Answer: June 1942

Although Tobruk was later retaken, its surrender in June 1942 prevented it from being celebrated as one of the symbols of heroic British and Australian resistance in World War II.
6. The fighting spirit of the British army and the loss of Tobruk were amongst the reasons for US sympathy. However, Britain itself was able to prevent further advances of the German army. At which battle did the British make this defiant stand under the command of Montgomery?

Answer: El Alamein

The strength of the Royal Navy was again shown in this conflict as supplies were brought round South Africa due to the hostility in the Mediterranean. This allowed British resources to be built up and despite the German army attacking first, Montgomery held.
Although by this point he had been replaced by Montgomery, Auchinleck deserves much credit for the choice of El Alamein as a defensive position. The Quattara Depression surrounding El Alamein made it impossible for the Germans to outflank the British army.
7. In November 1942, there was also a joint US/British invasion of Morocco and Algeria which was intended to surround the German army, forcing surrender. This invasion provided vital practice for the amphibious landings which were to occur on D-Day. What was the codename for this invasion?

Answer: Operation Torch

This was a very effective tactic as it allowed the Allied forces eventually to trap the Germans, forcing surrender. Also, it stretched the German resources even more, as Hitler sent 150,000 troops to North Africa over the next nine months. This was particularly significant as many of these German forces were taken from the Eastern Front, while the Stalingrad campaign (July 1942-February 1943) was taking place. The US gained experience in this campaign in terms of working with the British and practicing amphibious landings.

The US actually faced a defeat at the hands of Germany in February 1943 when they were attacked at the Kasserine Pass. This showed America the strength of their opponents.
8. The victory at El Alamein helped Churchill persuade Roosevelt at a conference in Casablanca (January 1943) to continue with the Mediterranean campaign. Following this, a joint offensive was launched in July 1943, led by Montgomery and Patton. Which Mediterranean island did they invade?

Answer: Sicily

Sicily was invaded as part of Churchill's strategy of defeating Germany through Italy. Also, allied occupation of Sicily allowed daytime raids to be carried out on mainland Italy. However, Montgomery (Britain) and Patton (US) seemed unable to work with each other and the slow pace of the advance resulted in 40,000 German soldiers escaping across the Straits of Messina.
9. The invasion of mainland Italy began in September 1943, but the fighting soon became bogged down due to the mountainous terrain and its defensive advantages for the German army. What was the name of the defensive line which the German army formed 30 miles north of Naples?

Answer: The Gustav Line

This was a particular advantage for the Germans as the mountainous terrain meant that Allied air superiority was negated. As a result, Allied forces took eight months (October 1943-May 1944) to advance 70 miles. (Ordinary soldiers commented on shades of World War I). By this time, preparations were being made for the Allied landings in Normandy.
10. Churchill believed victory in the war would come through the invasion of Italy. He was wrong. However, there were some major events caused by the invasion of Italy which benefitted the Allies. These included the removal of Mussolini from power, which significantly lowered the fighting force of the Axis powers. In which month was Mussolini initially removed from power?

Answer: July 1943

This caused the German army to carry out "Operation Axis" which involved the capture of Italian soldiers in order to prevent any revolts within the Axis forces. The Axis was significantly weakened, and Germany had to interfere directly in Italy. So, although the Mediterranean campaign did not bring victory in Europe, the effect it had on stretching the German resources certainly contributed to the weakening and eventual defeat of Hitler in 1945.
Source: Author doublemm

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