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Quiz about Spies and Spy Rings in WWII
Quiz about Spies and Spy Rings in WWII

Spies and Spy Rings in WWII Trivia Quiz


Spying is as old as warfare itself and has sometimes been referred to as the 'world's second oldest profession'. WWII could not have been won without covert operations. Enjoy!

A multiple-choice quiz by beterave. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
beterave
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
335,334
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
535
Awards
Top 35% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 174 (8/10), Guest 51 (6/10), Guest 174 (5/10).
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Question 1 of 10
1. What did British intelligence agents discover was the most effective method to turn captured German spies into double agents? Hint


Question 2 of 10
2. What was the primary mission of ULTRA during WWII? Hint


Question 3 of 10
3. Richard Sorge was the Soviet Union's most successful spy. What vital information did he have that Stalin ignored before hostilities with Germany? Hint


Question 4 of 10
4. During WWII, what was the Soviet spy ring in Switzerland known as? Hint


Question 5 of 10
5. During WWII, what was the code name of the Soviet spy Rudolf Roessler? Hint


Question 6 of 10
6. The operation, 'the man who never was' was used to fool the Germans prior to the invasion of Sicily. What type of covert action was used? Hint


Question 7 of 10
7. During WWII, what was the German counter intelligence agency known as? Hint


Question 8 of 10
8. What did the Office of Strategic Services become after WWII? Hint


Question 9 of 10
9. During WWII, which US law enforcement agency was responsible for apprehending spies? Hint


Question 10 of 10
10. What did Japanese undercover agents discover while spying in Hawaii prior to WWII? Hint



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Most Recent Scores
Nov 09 2024 : Guest 174: 8/10
Oct 28 2024 : Guest 51: 6/10
Oct 20 2024 : Guest 174: 5/10
Oct 19 2024 : 173Kraut: 9/10
Oct 14 2024 : Guest 173: 9/10

Score Distribution

quiz
Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. What did British intelligence agents discover was the most effective method to turn captured German spies into double agents?

Answer: threatening to kill them

The British discovered that by threatening to kill captured German spies was the most effective method to turn them into double agents. This was done without torture and worked faster than persuasive argument.
2. What was the primary mission of ULTRA during WWII?

Answer: code breaking

The primary mission of ULTRA during WWII was the decryption of Axis radio communication or, to put it simply, code breaking.
3. Richard Sorge was the Soviet Union's most successful spy. What vital information did he have that Stalin ignored before hostilities with Germany?

Answer: The date of Operation Barbarossa

Richard Sorge passed on the exact date of the German invasion of the Soviet Union, Operation Barbarossa - 22 June 1941. (According to some sources the date he gave was actually 20 June 1941). Stalin chose to ignore this information, apparently claiming that it was disinformation.

In addition, Richard Sorge sent two messages in September 1941, informing the Soviet government that Japan was not intending, at that stage, to attack the Soviet Union. Stalin's entourage succeeded in persuading him to take the second message seriously. This allowed the Soviet government to move a large number of first rate troops from the Far East and Siberia westward to defend Moscow. Some believe that this was an absolutely key decision.
4. During WWII, what was the Soviet spy ring in Switzerland known as?

Answer: the Red Orchestra

'Die Rote Kapelle' was the Red Orchestra. The operators were called pianists, the transmitters were known as pianos, and the supervisors were the conductors.

The term was used loosely by German counter espionage for a number of Communist spy rings and resistance groups, which probably had no contact with one another. This 'Rote Kapelle' should not be confused with the resistance group in Germany established by Harro Schulze-Boysen and Arvid Harnack in Berlin, which also passed information to the Soviet Union.
5. During WWII, what was the code name of the Soviet spy Rudolf Roessler?

Answer: Lucy

Roessler's code name was 'Lucy'. Operating out of Switzerland, the information this spy ring provided was incredibly accurate.
6. The operation, 'the man who never was' was used to fool the Germans prior to the invasion of Sicily. What type of covert action was used?

Answer: disinformation

By enclosing false information on a corpse that was discovered by Spanish intelligence who passed the information to the Germans, the Wehrmacht actually deployed vital forces away from Sicily prior to the invasion. This process is known in the intelligence community as disinformation.
7. During WWII, what was the German counter intelligence agency known as?

Answer: the Abwehr

The German intelligence gathering services was known as the Abwehr. It was under the command of Admiral Canaris who was later imprisoned by the Gestapo after the failed 20 July 1944 attempt on Hitler's life.
8. What did the Office of Strategic Services become after WWII?

Answer: CIA

The Office of Strategic Services (OSS) became the CIA after WWII. Its mission after WWII was centered around intelligence operations against the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact.
9. During WWII, which US law enforcement agency was responsible for apprehending spies?

Answer: the FBI

During WWII, the FBI was responsible for investigating and apprehending foreign intelligence agents operating on US soil. This is still one their missions today.
10. What did Japanese undercover agents discover while spying in Hawaii prior to WWII?

Answer: most Japanese Americans were loyal US citizens

Japanese spies operating in Hawaii especially around Pearl Harbor, discovered that most Japanese Americans were loyal citizens of the United States despite retaining Japanese customs.
Source: Author beterave

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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