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Battle of Britain Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Battle of Britain Quizzes, Trivia

Battle of Britain Trivia

Battle of Britain Trivia Quizzes

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10 quizzes and 110 trivia questions.
1.
  The Battle of Britain in Blanks   popular trivia quiz  
Fun Fill-It
 15 Qns
The Battle of Britain was a difficult moment in Britain's history. Bombed repeatedly, the British showed incredible spirit as World War II dragged on. Fill in the blanks in this simple little history lesson all about this famous battle.
Easier, 15 Qns, lordprescott, Jul 14 23
Easier
lordprescott gold member
Jul 14 23
493 plays
2.
  A Few Words About The Battle of Britain   great trivia quiz  
Fun Fill-It
 15 Qns
Fill in a few words, about people, places and aircraft associated with the Battle of Britain, which took place in the summer of 1940.
Average, 15 Qns, spanishliz, Jul 01 23
Average
spanishliz editor
Jul 01 23
231 plays
3.
  Britain in WWII: Battle of Britain   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This is the second of five quizzes on Britain in World War II, a subject I am currently studying. Writing this has helped my revision and has allowed me to broaden my knowledge of the subject.
Average, 10 Qns, doublemm, Jun 25 15
Average
doublemm gold member
3627 plays
4.
  The Battle of Britain Test Your Knowledge   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
After Hitler had conquered most of Western Europe, Britain was isolated and facing invasion by a powerful and confident army. The only thing stopping the Germans was Britain's success in maintaining control of the skies...
Average, 10 Qns, Fergocricket93, Jan 08 09
Average
Fergocricket93
2769 plays
5.
  The Battle of Britain    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The Battle began on July 10th 1940 when the Luftwaffe set out to smash the RAF and establish air supremacy over England. However, only the determination to control the skies could save Britain from Nazi invasion. It all ended on October 31st 1940.
Tough, 10 Qns, doomed, Jun 25 15
Tough
doomed
2493 plays
6.
  "Blitz" on London, 1940-41    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The "Blitz" and London, two words that summed up life in 1940-41 Britain. An overview of some of the acts of war carried out against the British civilian population.
Average, 10 Qns, doomed, Apr 02 19
Average
doomed
Apr 02 19
2182 plays
7.
  Child of the Blitz   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
As a pre-teen living in London during the Blitz and WWII, I have many memories that still affect my attitudes and nightmares. Perhaps this quiz will give you an insight into what life was like at that time.
Average, 10 Qns, Toeknee448, Jun 25 15
Average
Toeknee448
578 plays
8.
  Aircraft of the Battle of Britain   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
So you may have heard of the Battle of Britain, or think you're an expert in the different types of aircraft involved. Let's find out if you really are!
Average, 10 Qns, ricardo777, Aug 20 19
Average
ricardo777
Aug 20 19
808 plays
9.
  Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is just about more random things that I recall as a pre-teen child living in South London during WWII. I hope you will enjoy sharing my memories.
Average, 10 Qns, Toeknee448, Jun 25 15
Average
Toeknee448
422 plays
10.
  Battle of Britain    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I would like to give credit to Blodge1 who gave me the idea.
Average, 10 Qns, korea159, Nov 26 16
Average
korea159
376 plays

Battle of Britain Trivia Questions

1. What was one of the main targets that the German air force attacked first?

From Quiz
Battle of Britain

Answer: coastal shipping convoys

The rest were attacked after shipping convoys first. Much to the chagrin of the RAF and the Royal Navy, even ships sailing round the coasts of the United Kingdom were not safe for a while.

2. At first we used to enjoy watching the returning fighters. They signalled that they had shot down an enemy by rolling in the sky before landing. Why was this practice stopped?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories

Answer: It caused too many damaged planes to crash

This practice was called "doing a victory roll", but damaged planes tended to loose bits which could have been repaired and that caused not only expense but unnecessary danger for the pilots.

3. There was a jar beside the kitchen sink. What odds and ends were put there to avoid wasting a then scarce commodity?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz

Answer: Soap

There were no detergents available. Soap was used for washing everything, mostly the same sort of soap, usually a red one called Lifebouy, and even that was in short supply. When a bar wore down too far to use it was put into the jar and later all the pieces were melted together and left to set for further use.

4. This aircraft which was given the nickname "Flying Pencil" was used for bombing and reconnaissance missions during the Battle of Britain by the Luftwaffe. What was the name of the aircraft?

From Quiz Aircraft of the Battle of Britain

Answer: Dornier Do-17

The Dornier Do-17 was a twin engined bomber used extensively in the Battle of Britain. It was given the nickname "Flying Pencil" due to its construction (the boom/tail was very thin). They suffered heavy losses and were taken out of service after 1941.

5. After the Battle of France came the Battle of Britain. This was a battle in the skies between the RAF and the Luftwaffe for air superiority. What was the plan issued by Hitler which spoke of the German plan to invade Britain?

From Quiz Britain in WWII: Battle of Britain

Answer: Operation Sea Lion

Operation Sea Lion was intended to be a threat to Britain, and was only to be carried out if other German pressures failed. Hitler expected Britain to agree to a peace. He believed that Britain had no reason to continue the war, and this was reflected by the words of Goebbels on 23 June 1940 that "Churchill is doomed".

6. Who named the air war between the Luftwaffe and the RAF, "The Battle of Britain"?

From Quiz The Battle of Britain

Answer: Winston Churchill

It was British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill who gave the Battle of Britain his name. On 18th June, 1940, after Britain was run-out of France by the Germans, Churchill gave an inspiring speech in the House of Commons. Towards the end he said "What General Weygand called 'The Battle of France' is over. I expect the Battle of Britain is about to begin ..." And so the name stuck.

7. What were the most popular airplanes used by the British in the battle?

From Quiz Battle of Britain

Answer: Spitfire and Hurricane

The F/A-18 and F/A-15 are modern planes .... The Mustang is a American plane which wasn't used in the battle. The Avro 621 is a trainer plane, while the Bell P-59 is American.

8. A deterrent for the enemy bombers were huge bags filled with lighter than air gas which were floated above the city to make the flight paths difficult. What were they called?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories

Answer: Barrage balloons

The whole sky seemed filled with these shiny grey blobs. Sometimes one would break free of its tether and drift away. Without a tether they went with the wind and as the gas leaked out would deflate and gradually come down to earth. This usually resulted in torn canopies which were considered fair game for us children who liked pieces for trophies. The official salvage task went to the Home Guard.

9. As protection against bombing we were offered two kinds of shelter - the Anderson and the Morrison. The difference was where they were meant to be used. If you had a Morrison shelter, where would you put it?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz

Answer: In a downstairs room

The Morrison shelter was a cage of immovable strong mesh with hard metal corners and a metal top. It was usually placed indoors in the corner of the living room. It was big enough for mattresses to be placed inside and the whole family would sleep there together during the bombing. The roof was used as a very large table top. The Anderson shelter was put in the garden. That meant digging a hole to sink the ends of the reinforced corrugated steel sides. I remember the men in our road joining together to dig each other's holes. As we lived on the North Downs that meant going into chalk hills, a daunting task. The shelters were were made of corrugated iron and although covered with a thick layer of soil they had no heating or electric lighting and so were candle lit and very cold. There were bunks made of rough wood for sleeping and the toilet was a bucket behind a curtain tied to the bolts that fixed the sections together. Some people had the shelters provided free of charge, but if you earned more than a certain amount, they cost £7 each.

10. This aircraft was armed with eight .303 calibre Browning machine guns. It was the first monoplane in the Royal Air Force, and the first aircraft to shoot down a German bomber over England in June 1940.

From Quiz Aircraft of the Battle of Britain

Answer: Hawker Hurricane

The Hawker Hurricane was the RAF's first monoplane fighter, constructed of metal and wood/canvas, the Hurricane was the most used fighter of the RAF during the Battle of Britain. Although the Supermarine Spitfire was bettter known, it was the Hurricane which shot down the most German aircraft between June-August 1940.

11. Which fighter plane shot down the most enemy planes in the Battle of Britain?

From Quiz The Battle of Britain

Answer: The Hawker Hurricane

Despite the hype about the Spitfire, it was the Hurricane that scored the most kills in the Battle of Britain. (One reason was that there were more Hurricanes than Spitfires). Because the German Bf 109 was faster than the Hurricane but equal to the Spitfires, the Spitfires tended to attack the 109s if possible. The Hurricanes, not equal to 109s, were encouraged to attack the bombers and as a result they scored more kills as the bombers were an easier target. Although the Spitfire did well, it was in short supply. The Avro Lancaster was an RAF bomber and as stated above, the Bf 109 was a German fighter. Source: * Battles of WWII, pp. 28-31.

12. What was the best squadron in the battle?

From Quiz Battle of Britain

Answer: No. 303 Polish Fighter Squadron

The No. 303 Polish fighter squadron was credited with about 40 kills in its first seven days of combat.

13. After an air fight, we children were encouraged to hunt for bits and pieces that could be recycled. Most things we were told to avoid, and just mark, but what were we allowed to collect and return?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories

Answer: Shrapnel

Shrapnel was any piece of broken metal that had fallen from the sky. It looked like lead, smooth on both sides with jagged rough edges. There was a central collecting station for it, but most of us had at least one small piece in our pockets which we would compare for size and quality. Discarded parachutes were never found. The authorities always reached the site first. We were warned to stay well clear of spent bullets in case they still contained explosives. Disguised bombs were considered very dangerous. These days we would know them as anti-personnel weapons. Most were said to be incendiaries and there were posters showing what they might look like. Some were said to be like discarded parcels, even decorated with Christmas wrapping, which would make us suspicious because fancy wrapping was not used much during the war; some were like tins of desirable foods and a few were fitted with wings or little windmill blades to catch in trees or the rafters of bombed buildings. Once we were even shown a picture of one that looked like a bottle of milk.

14. This aircraft was the only operational Bi-plane fighter in service with the RAF during the Battle of Britain.

From Quiz Aircraft of the Battle of Britain

Answer: Gloster Gladiator

The Gloster Gladiator was already an obsolete design when the war began. However, because of the desperate need of aircraft, it was kept in service during the Battle of Britain. It was armed with four machine-guns and had an enclosed cockpit.

15. How many fighter aircraft did the Royal Air Force have at its disposal at the beginning of the Battle of Britain (July 1940)?

From Quiz The Battle of Britain

Answer: 754 single-seat fighters and 149 two-seat fighters

At 0900 on 1st July 1940, an RAF census count confirmed a total of 1,963 planes at their disposal. The German air force, the Luftwaffe, had a total 4,074 planes, of which 2,242 could be used in an aggressive role (fighters and bombers). The Luftwaffe had more planes, more pilots (and more experienced pilots), greater industrial potential and had momentum from the Battle of France. However, they could not break the British spirit despite their continuously heavy raids. Source: * Stephen Bungay, "The Most Dangerous Enemy", Aurum Press, 2000, p. 107. * Battles of WWII, pp. 27-28.

16. How was our milk ration delivered?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories

Answer: Poured from a churn into your own container

There were horses brought out of retirement to pull a cart around the streets. Churns of milk were in the cart and you had to run out with your own container and a ration book to collect your share. Your container was a jug or basin that you supplied, but which had been marked officially with a line showing how far it it was to be filled. We had no fridges so milk would go off if it were delivered only once a week. Liquid-proof cardboard was not known, so not available to make milk cartons. The milk was pasteurised in a central depot before delivery.

17. This aircraft was the Luftwaffe's fastest level/dive bomber. It was mainly used for anti-shipping and night bombing London. It had two rear facing machineguns and twin radial engines.

From Quiz Aircraft of the Battle of Britain

Answer: Junkers Ju-88

The Junkers Ju-88 was a twin-engined bomber which was designed as a dive-bomber. It was the fastest in the Luftwaffe's bomber arsenal as well as the most poorly armed. It later became a very effective night fighter.

18. Why did Luftwaffe bombing have a temporarily disastrous effect on the British Fighter Command's strength?

From Quiz The Battle of Britain

Answer: The Luftwaffe targeted airfields, radar stations and industrial factories

From July 10 to August 11, the Battle of Britain took place over the English Channel. From August 12 to August 23, the Luftwaffe started an all-out assault on the coastal RAF airfields and radar stations (Eagle Attack). Despite the Luftwaffe's strength, the RAF shot down an enormous number of German bombers and fighters. From August 24 to September 6, the Luftwaffe targeted nearly all the RAF fighter airfields in Southern England, ports and the industrial areas of London, Birmingham, Coventry and other industrial cities. Despite the fact that the RAF was winning the Battle of Britain and inflicting terrible losses on their German counterpart, the RAF lost 200+ veteran pilots and 40% of their planes in that two-week period. The RAF were near total collapse with all available reserve pilots and fighter planes in the air. It was a critical time in the air war. Britain was alive by a thread. German historians state the Battle of Britain stretched from August, 1940 to May, 1941. Most British historians place the Battle from July 10, 1940 to October 31, 1940. There is no fully agreed date for the start and finish of the campaign. Source: * "World War II", by Ronald Heiferman, pp. 50-61.

19. As food shortages became more intense, "British Restaurants" were started where you could have a good meal at an economical price. What meat did they often use, which became linked with these meals but would be frowned upon these days?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories

Answer: Whale meat

Whale meat was often sold, but was not to everyone's taste. It was not known in those days how intelligent these animals were. It is amazing how forgiving the creatures have been as we get to know them better. To the best of my knowledge zoo animals were never used in this country, although I heard tell that some of the animals in European zoos were going to starve for lack of food to feed to them and were humanely killed and their bodies used for food.

20. Why did we seldom have sweets in World War II despite them being rationed?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz

Answer: Not many were made because of sugar shortages

Most sugar came from across the Atlantic which was a dangerous route with the submarines so there was very little brought from abroad. Sugar beet was not grown or prepared in quantity until later. With so many factories diverted to war work and with rationing so tight, sweets were not a priority and you seldom managed to buy your allocation. I remember my dentist would use his ration on chocolate bars when he could get them and, if you went through a visit to him without fussing, you would be given one quarter of a square of a bar of chocolate as a reward - not enough to be bad for your teeth and certainly no chance of becoming obese on that amount.

21. This aircraft was Britain's first nightfighter, it was a single engined two seat design with a large four gun turret mounted behind the pilot. What was the name of this aircraft?

From Quiz Aircraft of the Battle of Britain

Answer: Boulton Paul Defiant

The Boulton Paul Defiant was unlike any other fighter. This aircraft had a turret mounted behind the pilot with four .303 calibre machineguns, which would fire at an unsuspecting bomber over London, late in the battle of Britain. Although it saw service as a day fighter, it had limited forward firing armament, so it was transfered to night fighter service over London until 1941 when the Bristol Beaufighter took over.

22. In early September 1940 Britain was thought to be close to defeat. However, what German action on 7th September 1940 relieved the pressure on the RAF, allowing them to recuperate?

From Quiz Britain in WWII: Battle of Britain

Answer: The deliberate bombing of civilian areas of London

The Germans did this as they believed Britain only had a few fighter planes left, and that bombing London would draw them out, allowing for the defeat of the RAF. The bombing of London could also be seen as an attempt to get revenge on Britain due to previous RAF bombings of Berlin.

23. On August 24th, 1940, some German aircraft dropped high-explosive bombs on civilian suburbs of London, causing a loss of life. Churchill ordered an immediate retaliatory raid on Berlin. Hitler then:

From Quiz The Battle of Britain

Answer: Ordered continuous attacks on the civilian population and air defences of major British cities, by day and night

From the 7th of September, 1940 to May, 1941 Hitler's war on the cities became known as 'The Blitz'. Instead of RAF bases and radar stations, the Luftwaffe bombed Britain's major cities. This saved RAF Fighter Command. For nine months the Germans wasted their efforts trying to bomb English cities while the RAF rebuilt itself. They wasted pilots, planes, fuel, and time. Hitler's attempt to bomb the British into submission so they would plead for peace failed. It was a costly decision. The RAF began to fight back and the Germans were losing more and more pilots and planes. The blitz on the cities ended when Hitler transferred bomber and fighter units to Poland for the upcoming invasion of the Soviet Union.

24. Why was the game of cricket seldom played?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories

Answer: The outfields were dug up for allotments

Many of the outfields were dug up to allow locals to have an allotment plot to grow their own vegetables. There were certainly not many fit young men around, but there were plenty of old ones who would have played, given the opportunity. Time was certainly short with most people doing voluntary work after overtime in the factories. Voluntary work included Civil Defence, plane spotting, Home Guard, the Women's Voluntary Service and many other organisations, but we did find time to enjoy life as well. As for being exposed, I don't think anyone worried too much; they just made sure where the nearest shelter was, but this brings out one of my saddest memories. My 8 year old friend was working with her father on the cricket field allotment when a single enemy fighter sneaked in unseen as they sometimes did and strafed (laid a line of machine gun fire over) them, killing her father before her eyes. Happily she was untouched.

25. All these goods were rationed in one way or another. Which were registered by the points system?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz

Answer: Tinned fruit

The items that everybody wanted were rationed by quantity, but some things were not wanted regularly so the ration books had pages of "Points tokens" which could be spent on what you chose - tinned goods, dried fruit, suet and such like. Eggs, butter and milk were all rationed. Eggs at one time were limited to only one a week per person. Butter and margarine rations were small. We mixed both with a thick cornflour custard so it would go further when spread on bread Meat was rationed by price: in other words, there was a maximum amount of money that one could spend per week on meat; so the dearer the meat, the less you were entitled to.

26. This twin engined British design was known as the "Whispering Death" due to its quiet engines. It saw extensive night fighter service during the Battle of Britain. It was Britain's only twin engined 2 seater fighter at the time. Name the aircraft.

From Quiz Aircraft of the Battle of Britain

Answer: Bristol Beaufighter

The Bristol Beaufighter was the most heavily armed fighter of the time, armed with four .303 Browing machine-guns and four 20mm Hispanio cannons. The De Havilland, although also a 2 seater twin engined fighter, didn't enter service until three months after the Battle of Britain.

27. What was the Luftwaffe's main fighter plane during the battle of Britain?

From Quiz The Battle of Britain

Answer: Messerschmitt Bf 109

The workhorse of the Luftwaffe fighters was the Bf 109, designed by Willy Messerschmitt in the 1930s. In mid 1941, the Bf 109 was joined by the Focke-Wulf Fw 190. The Bf 110 was a twin-engined fighter-bomber that was equipped to repel enemy fighters as well as drop bombs. It wasn't as effective as the Bf 109. The Me 262 was the world's first jet fighter. It could fly faster than the other fighters but was not introduced till 1944, and so did not take part in the Battle of Britain. The Focke-Wulf Fw 187 was a twin-engined fighter which was rejected for production by the Luftwaffe.

28. In late summer and during the autumn, we children were sent out with baskets to collect something from the hedgerows that could be sold to the local food offices to be turned into a vitamin supplement. What did we collect?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz 2 - More Memories

Answer: Rosehips

Crab apples were gathered for jam, but could not be sold to the food offices. Mushrooms had no known use as vitamin supplements. By late summer the elderflowers had finished. Rosehips were made into rosehip syrup which was then provided for babies and young children because oranges were available only occasionally.

29. What did the dentist lack that made a visit to him absolutely terrifying?

From Quiz Child of the Blitz

Answer: anaesthetics

There were few anaesthetics for dental use as they were diverted to the hospitals for serious cases. Teeth were drilled without numbing. The young dentists were in the forces and it seemed that only old men with shaky hands were left. If you so much as moved, both the dentist and your mother were furious with you - the dentist probably because he was sorry for hurting you but mother was worse because you would hear about it for days afterwards from her. Extractions? Not until you were desperate! Some adults braved it out without anything. The less hardy adults and children could have a brief whiff of gas but I remember some pain even so. Also it had to be administered by a doctor and before the National Health Service, that added to the cost.

30. Until August 1941 this aircraft was the fastest Luftwaffe fighter, matched in speed only by the Supermarine Spitfire. What is the name of the aircraft?

From Quiz Aircraft of the Battle of Britain

Answer: Messerschmitt Bf-109

The Messerschmitt Bf-109 (also known as the Messerschmitt Me-109) was the most advanced fighter design at the time. Although it was 20kmph faster then the Supermarine Spitfire and better armed, it only had a combat time of 10 minutes over England before running out of fuel and being forced to return to base. In August 1941 the Focke Wulf 190 (Fw190), which was even faster than the Bf-109, entered service.

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