June 6, 1944

How much do you know about what some call 'the climactic battle of World War II'?

1. What does the 'D' in 'D-Day' stand for?

A. Departure
B. Designated
C. Debarkation
D. Nothing

2. Which of the following was NOT a code name for a landing beach?

A. Silver
B. Gold
C. Omaha
D. Juno

3. General Eisenhower described Andrew Higgins as 'the man who won the war for us.' What did Higgins design?

A. The M-1 rifle
B. The Sherman tank
C. The landing craft (LCVP)
D. The helicopter

4. American, British, Canadian, and Free French troops fought in Normandy. What was the identity of the fifth nationality to participate there on the Allied side?

A. Danish
B. Russian
C. Polish
D. Slovakian

5. Massive amounts of fuel were required for the Allied advance inland. What was the code name for the 'pipeline under the ocean'? (Hints: You can figure it out. It's also a Disney character.)

EXTRA CREDIT: What were 'Hobart's funnies'? Give an example.

ANSWERS: (1) D; (2) A; (3) C. Higgins boats had a ramp in front, for quick exit. (See photo on facing page.) They could beach themselves, then reverse and return for another load. (4) C. Free Polish forces landed in July and fought under Canadian command; (5) PLUTO (as in Pipe Line Under The Ocean); EXTRA CREDIT: British Gen. Percy Hobart designed special tanks, included 'swimming' ones that could motor ashore, 'flail' tanks with rotating chains to clear paths through minefields and barbed wire, and tanks that carried 40-foot bridges to deploy across antitank ditches.

Sources: 'The D-Day Atlas,' by Charles Messenger, 'D-Day, June 6. 1944,' by Stephen Ambrose.