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British Commonwealth: 2ND BATTLE OF EL ALAMEIN
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Who commanded the Allied forces at El Alamein?
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Bernard Montgomery
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...and who was his Axis counterpart?
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Erwin Rommel
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El Alamein was part of the Western Desert Campaign on the border of Egypt (a British protectorate) and Libya. Which country was Libya a colony of?
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Italy
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Between which two impassable obstacles were defensive lines at El Alamein drawn up?
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Mediterranean Sea
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Qattara Depression
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Prior to the battle, the British forces executed Operation Bertram, which entailed leaving empty supply crates in the desert, and building a pipeline to nowhere. What was the purpose of this?
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Deception
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The Commonwealth forces were not the only Allied forces present at El Alamein. Which other two countries (name one) aided them in the battle?
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Free France, Greece
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The British victory at El Alamein opened up the opportunity for an Allied landing in occupied Morocco and Algeria. What was the codename for this invasion?
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Operation Torch
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Complete the following sentence British prime minister Winston Churchill famously uttered about the victory at El Alamein: "Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, _______"
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"The end of the beginning"
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The British armoured divisions played a crucial role at El Alamein. Name one model of tank they used during the battle.
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Valentine, Crusader, Churchill, Grant etc.
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Soviet Union: BATTLE OF STALINGRAD
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Who commanded the Allied forces at Stalingrad?
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Georgy Zhukov
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...and who was his Axis counterpart who was captured as a prisoner of war at Stalingrad?
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Friedrich Paulus
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The battles of Stalingrad and El Alamein are inextricably linked. Which country under Allied control did Germany plan to invade had they been victorious at Stalingrad, to relieve pressure on forces in North Africa?
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Iran
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What was the name of the German military operation, named after a famous Holy Roman Emperor, that led them to invade the Soviet Union and end up in Stalingrad?
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Operation Barbarossa
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Unlike Moscow and Leningrad, Stalingrad was not a centre of political power in the Soviet Union. What natural resource did it control to make it an attractive target to Germany nonetheless?
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Oil
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At Stalingrad, the Soviets faced not only Germany, but armies from which three other Axis powers?
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Italy
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Romania
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Hungary
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Stalingrad was the deadliest battle of World War II. To the nearest hundred thousand, how many casualties did the battle claim?
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≈ 2,000,000
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Stalingrad was home to a tractor factory that remained operational until captured by the Germans, even as the city around it was turning to rubble. What piece of military hardware did they produce?
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T-34 Tanks
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Unlike in Western Europe, where Germany had lost air superiority, the Luftwaffe was a deadly part of the German assault on Stalingrad. Which iconic plane was particularly effective at destroying Soviet tanks?
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Ju 87 "Stuka"
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United States - BATTLE OF MIDWAY
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Who commanded the Allied forces at Midway?
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Chester Nimitz
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...and who was his Axis counterpart?
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Isoroku Yamamoto
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Midway was not only a turning point in World War II, but also a turning point in naval strategic thinking. Which type of ship did the battle demonstrate to be crucial to a modern war-going fleet?
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Aircraft Carrier
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Midway also featured the largest ever constructed of another type of ship, albeit a type that was rapidly becoming obsolete. Which type of ship was this?
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Battleship
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...and what was the name of the record-size ship itself?
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Yamato
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Which aerial attack by the US, two months prior to the battle, made the Japanese especially keen on conquering US islands (like Midway) that could put Japan's home territory within range of Allied bombers?
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Doolittle Raid
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Which type of plane was used extensively at Midway by both sides, after having demonstrated its deadly effectiveness in the battle at Pearl Harbour?
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Torpedo Bomber
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