The Google-friendly History Question Thread.

[klr]

Here's an easy one. Name the countries that attacked Poland in 1939.

Easy: Germany, the Soviet Union and Slovakia.

IIRC, the Slovaks wanted some land back, among other things.

Told you it was easy. Am I forgiven for the bridge question now.

Yes.

Next question. Which WW II bomber is claimed to have a 'plus' score in aerial combat? In other words, more enemy aircraft were shot down by this type than losses of this type to enemy aircraft.

There is probably more than one answer here, but I'll take the most well-known.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Multi-engine? Probably the Mosquito. Single-engine, the P-47.

[klr]

Multi-engine? Probably the Mosquito. Single-engine, the P-47.

Bomb-er. A real bomber. There's no sleight-of-hand here with multi-role types. This aircraft was an out-and-out bomber.

[Geoff]

I can't think of any in the European theatre, so I'll guess the Superfortress, if only because of its more advanced gunnery system.

[klr]

I can't think of any in the European theatre, so I'll guess the Superfortress, if only because of its more advanced gunnery system.

Nope. Actually, I wouldn't have been surprised if it had a 'plus' score, but I've never read anything to that effect.

I thought this one would be very easy myself, but then I know the answer.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Um, the Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class.

[klr]

Um, the Son-of-a-Bitch 2nd Class.

Close, but no cigar. Very close in fact ...

[Geoff]

Dauntless, then?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Dauntless, then?

In the thread I created about Most overrated Aircraft the subject came up about divebombers. It reminded me about the Air to Air victories attained by the SBD Dauntless. Heres a few snippets of info.On 20 Feb 42 a SBD from VS-2 operating off the USS Lexington scored an aerial victory against the Japanese. It shot down a G4M1 bomber. Another SBD finished off another G4M1 that had been damaged by a F4F Wildcat. Some SBDs were also used for Combat Air Patrol work too. Also LtJG John Leppla and his aviation radioman/gunner John Liska are credited with having downed 7 enemy aircraft during the Battle of the Coral Sea on May 8th, 1942, while flying scout duty in their SBD-3. Some accounts put the total at 5 aircraft.The SBD was credited with 138 victories in air-to-air combat. The breakdown was 107 fighters and 31 bombers; carrier-based SBDs destroyed 75 fighters and 31 bombers; land-based SBDs destroyed 32 fighters and 0 bombers.
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[Geoff]

Barrett Tillman, in his book on the Dauntless, claims that the Dauntless has a "plus" score against enemy aircraft, a rare event for a nominal "bomber" indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBD_Dauntless

[klr]

Yes, the SBD is the answer I was looking for. Geoff comes through again.

Set a question, but I won't be around to answer it for a while. I'm watching a 90-minute documentary on BBC (no breaks) about humour amongst the ordinary people under Communist rule.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Barrett Tillman, in his book on the Dauntless, claims that the Dauntless has a "plus" score against enemy aircraft, a rare event for a nominal "bomber" indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBD_Dauntless

I gived youse deh cluez.

[Geoff]

Google will give the answer straight away, so try without first: how is Temujin better known?

[Geoff]

Barrett Tillman, in his book on the Dauntless, claims that the Dauntless has a "plus" score against enemy aircraft, a rare event for a nominal "bomber" indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SBD_Dauntless

I gived youse deh cluez.

True! I don't think of either as a pure bomber, though, which slowed me down... (my excuse, and I'm sticking to it!)

[klr]

Google will give the answer straight away, so try without first: how is Temujin better known?

Too easy: Genghis Khan. Once a 500,000 pound question on who "Wants To Be A Millionaire?"

You can have the next question, no time for me to set one.