WWII Quiz

Dean

Yes it was FIDO using heat from petrol burners (coke was tried as well) and a sonic method was another of the fundamentally different approaches. There was another disadvantage with using gasoline or Diesel, visualise it.

Any idea of the other methods attempted? Fog is composed of small water droplets, so think of the methods you would normally use to get rid of condensation or moisture/humidity
 
The only ways would be to force the water to condense even more, (to fall as rain). This might have been accomplished by seeding the area in the hopes of causing rain. The problems is that I have found some references to seeding, but none of them state that it was actually tried as a method of dispersing fog. Another method would have been dehumidification, but in order to accomplish that, you would have had to have built a wall to stop more humid air from flowing in. (a very expensive proposition) I have found no references regarding this.

Other than that, you would have to have raised the ambient temperature of the air in the vicinity of the runway to cause the fog to "burn" off. As I stated, burners were used for this, and a fuel-air explosion or popping a nuke would have done the job quite nicely. However, both of these methods would probably (FAE) or definitely (nuke) destroyed the airfield in question, making fog removal a moot point!

I'll keep on looking for a bit...

Dean.
 
Dean

You are thinking along the correct lines, dehumidification can be accomplished in two simple ways, those are the two out of the three other methods attempted. Seeding was not on my list.

I know this should be about WW2 history rather than a physics lesson so we better move on soon.
 
well, Ive searched about a bit more, and then I lost a day because my internet provider crashed for 20 hours. In the interests of moving things along, I will now officially give up.



I really hate doing that!!!!!


Dean.
 
Monty

You had more or less answered the last part of the question by saying dehumidification.

Air conditioning systems do this by blowing the air over a cooling coil so the water condenses out or freezes on the coil, as the air is remixed or heated the overall relative and specific humidity is reduced, so in the case of fog the droplets will vaporise into the now unsaturated air. Hence cooling or chilling is one method they tried.

The other method is simply passing the air through or over a chemical drying agent, I am not sure which ones they tried but the most well known one is silica gel which you put into cupboards and drawers etc.

The 5th method is rather more difficult (that is why I asked for only 4) they experimented with electrical discharges, presumably to ionize the air or droplets in some way?

The gasoline method caused an updraft which cleared the air for 100-2000 meters. The updraft, smoke (I wonder why coal gas or methane wasn't used?) and flames themselves caused landing problems. However, 1200 aircraft were landed by this method by the end of the war, this was used in 15 airfields in Britain one in France and another by the USN in the Aleutians.

Let's leave the forum open to questions.
 
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I don't want to hog the forum, but since no-one else is answering:

Is this something to do with his appointment as Chef der Schnellen Truppen (Chief of fast Troops) responsible for recruiting, training, tactics and technique of motorized and armoured units?

Or did he hold too high a rank or something like that?
 
I will have to withdraw this question gentlemen, as I've found that the answer I had isn't exactly correct. Therefore the forum is open to questions.
 
Boris

Good try, it is not the answer I was looking for though. However, if you can find a reference to an official declaration of war against Britain and America by Mussolini's new republic at that time you may have the question.

It is along the right lines though, in the sense it was more of a movement rather than a true country.
 
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January 9 1943. The Nanking Government in China had declares war on the United States and Britain.
 
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It's amazing what you find out asking these questions! I checked 1943 for other declarations but could not find any, then am presented with two possibilities. At least in your case Monty you are correct

The Nanking Government signed the Anti-Comintern Pact of 1941 and declared war on the United States and Great Britain on January 9, 1943.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powers

However the one I had in mind was the Indian National Army .
Subhas became the president of the Indian Independence Movement in East Asia. He formally took the leadership of INA on 25 August and dedicated himself in bringing discipline within its rank and file.
On 21 October 1943 Subhas, popularly called Netaji, declared the formation of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind and on the 23rd declared war on Britain and America.
http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/I_0046.htm

Which led to some bizzare confontrations:

The Indian National Army saw plenty of action (as did their Burmese equivalent). The highlight of the force's campaign in Burma was the planting of the Indian national flag by the 'Bose Battalion' during the battle of Frontier Hill in 1944, although it was Japanese troops from the 55th Cavalry, 1/29th Infantry and 2/143rd Infantry who did most of the fighting. This battle also had the curious incidence of three Sikh companies of the Bose Battalion exchanging insults and fire with two Sikh companies of the 7/16th Punjab Regt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powers

I guess it's your turn Monty although perhaps Boris deserves a turn, whoever asks first!
 
perseus said:
It's amazing what you find out asking these questions! I checked 1943 for other declarations but could not find any, then am presented with two possibilities. At least in your case Monty you are correct

The Nanking Government signed the Anti-Comintern Pact of 1941 and declared war on the United States and Great Britain on January 9, 1943.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powers

However the one I had in mind was the Indian National Army .
Subhas became the president of the Indian Independence Movement in East Asia. He formally took the leadership of INA on 25 August and dedicated himself in bringing discipline within its rank and file.
On 21 October 1943 Subhas, popularly called Netaji, declared the formation of the Provisional Government of Azad Hind and on the 23rd declared war on Britain and America.
http://banglapedia.search.com.bd/HT/I_0046.htm

Which led to some bizzare confontrations:

The Indian National Army saw plenty of action (as did their Burmese equivalent). The highlight of the force's campaign in Burma was the planting of the Indian national flag by the 'Bose Battalion' during the battle of Frontier Hill in 1944, although it was Japanese troops from the 55th Cavalry, 1/29th Infantry and 2/143rd Infantry who did most of the fighting. This battle also had the curious incidence of three Sikh companies of the Bose Battalion exchanging insults and fire with two Sikh companies of the 7/16th Punjab Regt.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Axis_Powers

I guess it's your turn Monty although perhaps Boris deserves a turn, whoever asks first!
Click to expand...

Since Boris answered first I am happy to pass.
 
Another famous spy network operating in Hawaii was under a Japanese named Commander Itaru Tachibana. Earlier, in 1930, Tachibana had entered the United States and enrolled as a language student at the University of Pennsylvania, but later switched to the University of Southern California and from there worked in a spy network. However, he was arrested by the FBI while trying to recruit ex-navy officers to spy for him in Hawaii.
Tachibana's work was carried by a Takeo Yoshikawa who was transferred from the Japanese Navy to the Foreign Office. In August, 1941, he was sent to Honolulu under the cover name of vice-consul Ito Morimura. Though not a professional spy he was nevertheless adaptable, versatile, imaginative and effective. He frequented the Shuncho-ro Restaurant which had an excellent view of the harbor. To be more clandestine, the Japanese spy network also used a German named Dr. Keuhn, whose attractive and gregarious daughter Ruth played her full part by making friends with American naval officers at parties and tennis courts. Ruth started a beauty parlor and learned a great deal by listening to the gossip of her clients, mainly U.S. officers' wives. Yoshikawa had an eye for detail and a mass of information was collected, including names, numbers and technical idiosyncrasies of ship movements and transmitted to the Hawaiian Japanese consul. Although American Intelligence officers were aware that the U.S. Naval fleet was being watched by the Japanese, they were skeptical that Japan had any heinous design for Hawaii. Further, Japanese counter intelligence was very effective in confusing American intelligence by getting all sorts of naval information from every Japanese embassy and consulate around the world -- ranging from Stockholm to Cape Town, and from Geneva to Naples as well as that from Hawaii.

Dean.
 
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Indeed, I was originally going to ask about Dr Keuhn but there was all sorts of issues verifying his actually name and then it turned out there was a German fighter ace of the same name which would have confused things more.

Anyway over to you.
 
Thank-you again, Monty.
During the Battle for Berlin, the Russians were basically attacking anything that moved, and usually winning. However, there were some strongpoints that were far harder to take then others. What were two of the three toughest places for the Russians to take?
This question is somewhat subjective. Because of this, I would really appreciate it if you could explain your answer. That way, if your answer does not agree with mine, I can evaluate it and see if you realy have a point.

Dean.
 
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