WWII Quiz

The Other Guy

Yes it was certainly Churchill's idea, however this was a lengthy war winning memorandum, so it was a potential offensive operation (although there was never much chance of winning the war through any naval operation against Germany, particularily this one, more like losing it on the British side!) If you need another clue, it was a particularily ludricous idea in view of what happened in subsequent naval operations later in the war.
 
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or maybe even Norway?

I am assuming this has something to do with Churchill's "Catherine" plan but I can't find answers to the rest of the question.
 
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Who produced a lengthy war winning memorandum

Yes it was Churchill

What was it called, what did it involve, and by what means was it scuppered.

Yes it was Catherine, perhaps if someone answers the second part of the question what did it involve? they can have the next turn, since the last part is rather vague.
 
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Hehe once you have an answer would you mind posting the answers you expected as I can find almost nothing on this project and that interests me a lot especially the bonus bit about who was sacked as a result of their opposition.
The only people I can find that were heavily involved were Sir Alfred Dudley Pound (who effectively won the battle of the atlantic) and Lord Cork.
 
I think Monty knows the appropriate part of the answer and is holding off to give everyone else a chance! Better Google it before he wakes up!
 
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The Other Guy said:
I must say I'm completely baffled... It's all yours monty.
Click to expand...

Whats to be baffled about all you need to do is explain Operation Catherine and I am sure there a few websites that can explain it (as far as plans go it was completely ludicrous and well worth reading).
You have the author as Winston Churchill correct now all you need to do is finish it, you have already done the hard part and I am pretty sure you can google as good as anyone else here.
 
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Excellent link 'The other Guy' I couldn't find information as comprehensive as this and far better than the answer I have available!


and by what means was it scuppered: The First Sea Lord, Admiral Dudley Pound, added conditions requiring that Russia stay out of the war and that the cooperation of Norway and Sweden be firmly established. Fearing the destruction of the raiding force, Admiral Pound also demanded the preservation of British naval superiority in the North Sea without the vessels assigned to the raid. Still another condition required that the R-class battleships would be recalled for convoy escort if German surface raiders broke out into the Atlantic.

Despite Churchill’s arguments and agitations, the conditions raised by the Admiralty pushed the operation toward abandonment. Churchill’s portrayal of this scene in The Gathering Storm glossed over this administrative resistance to his plan, but an influential quorum of top admirals considered Catherine too risky for their valuable battleships. Their subtle administrative resistance delayed the preparations for the operation and eventually forced its postponement when not enough time remained before the spring of 1940 to transform the R-class battleships into the armoured turtles.

As for the Bonus "the single casualty of Catherine was Captain V H Danckerts, Naval Staff Director of Plans, sacked almost certainly because of his trenchant criticisms of the scheme (reflected in Pounds memoranda)" p.96 Engage the Enemy More Closely, Correlli Barnett

Go on, The Other Guy your turn, we have been trying to get more people involved in this quiz
 
Well we did set a 2 day time limit on questions so if you or anyone has one they want to ask the forum is open.
 
The Allies in Italy attacked the new German defensive line--the Gothic Line (Massa-Rimini fortifications). It was constructed by Kesselring in the Northern Appenines Mountains (August 1944). It was the most heavily fortified position the German prepared in Italy. After the fall of Rome (June 4, 1944), the Germans retired to this new defensive line, a heavily fortified belt some 16 km deep, extending from south of La Spezia on the west coast, through the Apuan mountains and the Apennine passes, and then down the Foglia valley to the Adriatic Sea between Pesaro and Cattolica.
source: http://www.histclo.com/essay/war/ww2/camp/eur/ita/w2i-gothic.html
and: http://members.tripod.com/~aries46/gemmoliv.htm
 
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