Can you nail this 6 pack of questions without resorting to a search engine?

All relate to World War II.

1 - What was "The Twin Tailed Devil"?

2 - Who was "The Gambler" and where did this person acquire that name?
3 - What was "Window"?

4 - Who were "The Three Lions"? (A hint: The first lion was also "The Last Lion".)

5 - "Wailing Wendy" was...?

6 - What were "The Trumpets of Jericho" and what was their purpose?

Bonus question: (super easy!) What were "Gold, Juno, Omaha, Sword and Utah"?
+++++++++++++++++++
08-23-03, 02:59 PM
bedstor
I Know 2
No 3 "Window" is also known as "Chaff" a form of radar anti detection countermeasures normally streamers of aluminium foil
And the last question: they were all codenames for landing points on D-Day (beachheads)

08-23-03, 03:09 PM
Tractor
Excellent hit on #3 Bedstor. I didn't mention "Chaff" because that would have made it too easy...just like the bonus question was. Any ideas as to how the Brits found out about the foil strips fouling up radar? Most people shake their heads in disbelief when they find out what tipped off the R.A.F.

08-23-03, 03:43 PM
Lydia
hmmm...I know the "easy bonus question" - they were the beaches of the invasion of Normandy during WWII (D-Day)

#6 "Trumpets of Jericho" were the sirens of one of the WWII bombers (DON'T ask me what the name of it was...I'm clueless!) - which were used to warn of attacks by the Germans (I think??)

The rest, I'll be gracious (ya that's it!! Roll Eyes) to leave for others to answer!! Wink

08-23-03, 04:30 PM
Tractor
Very good lovely Lydia!

The Trumpets of Jericho were the Stutz 7-E air driven sirens mounted to the landing struts of the Luftwaffe's Junkers Ju-87 "Stuka" dive bomber. The airflow was insufficient for these to function until the aircraft passed 500 km/h (just over 300 m.p.h.), which it did only in a dive. Their sole purpose was to instill terror into those on the ground about to be bombed.

08-23-03, 06:12 PM
FredPuli
Wailing Wendy sounds like a name for an air-raid siren so that's my guess.

08-23-03, 07:09 PM
Karrow
The "twin tailed devil" was what the Germans called the Lockheed P-38 Lightning fighter plane.

Were "the three lions" Churchill, Roosevelt and Stalin?

Was "the gambler" Schindler? I know he was a gambler.

08-23-03, 07:46 PM
Sailracer
I remember a reference to a Dr. Mabuse, called "The Gambler", but since search engines are not allowed, I cannot elaborate or verify!

(I hate the honor system!)

08-23-03, 10:46 PM
Tractor
YOU GUYS ARE GREAT!!!

~Fred; Yes, a "Wailing Wendy" was the nickname the Brits gave to the Wendell Ames 'Kingdom' air raid siren used throughout most of Great Britain during the Second World War.

~Karrow; Those were indeed "The Three Lions". Not that order, it was Churchill, Stalin and then Roosevelt...but very good my fair lady. And yeah, I know it was another easy one, you're also right about the P-38.

Sorry to the rest, none of those were The Gambler. I'll drop another hint - this person earned that name due to a displayed prowess in poker and 5 card stud.

A quick question to you Karrow. Since you're from Britain you'll probably get this one first: Who were the "Erks"?

08-24-03, 12:35 AM
Wildflower63
Someone is going to have to explain this to me. My husband will slaughter at a game of Trival Pursuit. I am a complete idiot and refuse to even play because it make me look like a complete moron.

This is my way of thinking. I take trival facts, put them together, and come up with a 'Big Picture' scenario. I may be completely off base with my conclusion at times. Once I put together my Big Picture Theory, I completely forget the facts that led me to my belief.

How on earth do you guys remember all this stuff? My husband can do it. The only problem with his thinking is that he could be brilliant with that memory I lack. He stops at knowing a zillion facts and completely lacks 'Big Picture' thinking and common sense.

I don't understand. Brainiacs like you guys that can remember all these facts make it to medical school. I can't. Why????

08-24-03, 12:43 AM
DorianGreyed
FDR was a known poker player, and once, was absent-mindedly clicking his chips together during one of his Fireside Chats. It seems that the Chat interrupted a poker session. Could he be the Gambler you are looking for?

08-24-03, 12:49 AM
Sherasi
Wildflower, I suspect that most people remember facts about things they enjoy alot. For example, I know alot about Egyptian History and similar things.

I remember what I like to learn about.

But people think in different ways also. Some people are detail rememberers, others are better at the big picture. It is just the way people think/remember.

08-24-03, 04:02 AM
FredPuli
Can't think they were the Erks and deserving of a capital letter ! They were just 'erks'. It was a good name because they were wearisome; they were likely to be constantly seeking help and explanations from more experienced colleagues . They were irksome and irked their fellows and superiors; it seems likely that this word irk , a common one in British English ( derived from an Old Norse word for 'work' and related to a Swedish one for 'claim, demand, insist', it seems )is the origin of the name.

Around here 'erk' was RAF slang for an aircraftsman,particularly one of the lowest standing AB2 ( there were many airfields here in WW2) and for a while after the war was still current for anybody annoyingly incompetent.

Not heard it called Wailing Wendy but the siren was still used regularly well into the 1950s here. It was to give firemen a way of locating where, in all this the open countryside, the village was with the fire . They just drove towards the noise.It did, naturally, only sound the steady 'all clear' note not the varying wail !

08-24-03, 04:10 AM
FredPuli
That should read AC2 not AB; 'edit' is playing up;some gremlins here; need a boffin. Tally-ho, what ? ( This RAF-speak is catching!)

08-24-03, 04:17 AM
FredPuli
Oops! I see I may have put up a black;the question was just for Karrow, though I can't think why anybody expects Karrow or anyone else quite as young as her to know.Sorry!
FP

08-24-03, 11:37 AM
Tractor
Hey Fred; I don't care who gets the right answer, as long as someone gets it. You're mostly right about the "Erks" except that it was the term, even officially used, (with the capital 'E') by the Royal Canadian Air Force in all theaters of the war. And it was used in reference to all aircraft ground maintenance personnel. I had heard that the RAF used the term as you described, now I know for sure - thank you. I guess I don't have to ask you who the "Black Shirts" were then, do I?

On the "Wailing Wendy" bit, I believe the nickname was mainly used in London and originally surfaced at the beginning of the Blitz. There's an old rhyme that the children of London, who were not evacuated, were taught which mentions Wailing Wendy, I'll see if I can dig it up.

Now then, this Gambler...
Alright, This individual acquired the nickname while attaining his/her military training in a foreign country. This is not an obscure little name either but rather a major player in the events of WWII. (I know, I'm making this too easy again. But why not, everybody has done such a great job so far!)

08-26-03, 10:58 PM
Tractor
OK, this has dragged on long enough...

Who was "the Gambler?"

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. (1884-1943) Supreme commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet. During his studies at Harvard, and particularly during his military studies at West Point, Yamamoto acquired a reputation as a virtually unbeatable poker player. This reputation was not soon forgotten by the American military graduates who'd had the misfortune to play cards against him during their West Point days. As such the nickname/code name assigned to Yamamoto by U.S. Naval Intelligence during WWII was, "The Gambler".

This message has been edited. Last edited by: DorianGreyed,