More World War II Teasers (puzzle)

[WSUCougar]

1. Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.
Refers to the battle of Monte Cassino, which devolved into a muddy mess and was dominated by a monastery high on a hill which was used as an artillery observation post by the Germans. Meanwhile, huge railroad guns (dubbed "Anzio Annie") pounded away and then hid in tunnels.
2. Maid Marian enjoys a foray into the woodland, and finds a bug to buzz the bastards.
Maid Marian was played by Olivia De Havilland in the famous 1938 Robin Hood movie with Errol Flynn. De Havilland was a British aircraft manufacturer that made the Mosquito (bug) out of wood (foray into the woodland) to buzz (swoop over, plus knock down V-1 buzz bombs) the bastards (strafe Gestapo HQ).

3. Partial quota - seven (ages 13-19), lost? Almost half the flock, to wolf and hawk, when shepherds walk.
PQ17, allied convoy going to Russia, was attacked by a wolf pack of U-boats and land based bombers. Sufered severe losses because the escort ships turned around and left the convoy half way there.

4. Watered-down plans can cost you several hair cuts, surprisingly.
The Japanese attacking force on Midway lost 4 carriers (hair cuts-->flattops-->carriers) due to their lack of surprise (the Americans knew they were coming). The Americans verified the Japanese code by mentioning a phony water purification problem at Midway.

5. 0, valentine, Boop, Katherine, and the grouch? You really like me!
American nicknames for Japanese aircraft, the Zero (fighter), Val (dive bomber), Betty (bomber), Kate (torpedo plane), Oscar (fighter), and Sally (bomber).

6. (M)arch in light, right past the line and through the trees.
A reference to the Germans marching through the Arc de Triomph in Paris, the City of Light, after bypassing the Maginot Line and attacking through the Ardennes in 1940.

7. Take the train to see Ricky’s strip in the kings.
The Japanese "Tokyo Express" supplied their assaults against Henderson Field on Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands.

8. Great, green uncles seek a pass muster but get sent away from the ER.
Inexperienced US troops' first action against the Germans resulted in humiliating defeat at the hands of Erwin Rommel at Kasserine Pass.

[sachmo71]

5. Zero, Betty, Kate, Oscar are all Japanese planes. Is "you really like me" a reference to Sally Field? Would this be all types of planes that attacked Henderson Field on Guadalcanal?

3. The Sullivan Brothers?

1. The D-Day airborne landings on the Contien Peninsula? Brother= Band of Brothers? Muddy mess = flooded fields? Sisters hid = the nunnary at St. Marie Eliges?

[mordhiem]

3. Partial quota - seven (ages 13-19), lost? Almost half the flock, to wolf and hawk, when shepherds walk.

PQ17, allied convoy going to Russia, was attacked by a wolf pack of U-boats and land based bombers (Focke-Wulf Condors AFAIK). Sufered severe losses because the escort ships turned around and left the convoy half way there.

[sachmo71]

Nice, mordheim.

[dacman]

sach, I think Henderson Field (Ricky's strip) works very well for #7. In the kings = Solomon Islands.

[WSUCougar]

PQ17, allied convoy going to Russia, was attacked by a wolf pack of U-boats and land based bombers (Focke-Wulf Condors AFAIK). Sufered severe losses because the escort ships turned around and left the convoy half way there.
Nice.

sach (#5) and dacman (#7) are getting close.

[dacman]

#6 -- march in the light --> not carrying much equipment??
right past the line --> Seigfried line
through the trees --> invasion into France via the Ardennes

[mordhiem]

I would like to stick around and have a go at some more, but alas, I must depart to work.

[gstelmack]

7. Take the train to see Ricky’s strip in the kings.

My failing memory is trying to tell me that "Midnight Express" was the name given to the Japanese convoys that tried to run the Slot at night to bring supplies and reinforcements to their troops on Guadalcanal.

And if my memory is right, thanks to the other guys for figuring out "Henderson Field".

[gstelmack]

1. Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.

Guess: US Bombers typically have male names (i.e. Mitchell), while Japanese planes had female names (Val, Kate, etc). References to bombings of Japan?

[sachmo71]

7. Tokyo Express nightly bombardment of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal?

Take the train-Tokyo "Express"

to see Ricky’s strip-Ricky "Henderson" field

in the kings-Solomon Islands=Guadalcanal

This one is Gstlemack's!!

[WSUCougar]

7. Tokyo Express nightly bombardment of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal?

Take the train-Tokyo "Express"

to see Ricky’s strip-Ricky "Henderson" field

in the kings-Solomon Islands=Guadalcanal

This one is Gstlemack's!!
Yup.

[sachmo71]

5. How about just Japanese planes in general?

0=Zero
valentine=Val
Boop=Betty
Katherine=Kate
grouch=Oscar
You really like me=Sally

[gstelmack]

7. Tokyo Express nightly bombardment of Henderson Field on Guadalcanal?

Take the train-Tokyo "Express"

to see Ricky’s strip-Ricky "Henderson" field

in the kings-Solomon Islands=Guadalcanal

This one is Gstlemack's!!

"Tokyo Express"! My memory is failing, but not quite all the way yet ;-)

[WSUCougar]

5. How about just Japanese planes in general?

0=Zero
valentine=Val
Boop=Betty
Katherine=Kate
grouch=Oscar
You really like me=Sally
Aye.

[WSUCougar]

Now it gets interesting! :D

[WSUCougar]

#6 -- march in the light --> not carrying much equipment??
right past the line --> Seigfried line
through the trees --> invasion into France via the Ardennes
This is partially correct.

[dacman]

4. Watered-down plans can cost you several hair cuts, surprisingly.

The Japanese diversionary tatics into the Aleutians watered-down their attacking force on Midway and cost them 4 carriers (hair cuts-->flattops-->carriers) due to their lack of surprise (the Americans knew they were coming).

[gstelmack]

8. Great, green uncles seek a pass muster but get sent away from the ER.

Kasserine Pass, where the Americans were pushed back by Erwin Rommel's troops?

[WSUCougar]

On #4 & #8, you're both correct but there's more to them.

[dacman]

I don't see how their could be anything more to #4.

edit: Doh! Of course immediately after posting this I think of something.

The US learned the location of the planned attack (Midway-->Japanese naval code "AF") by sending a bogus message in the clear about the water purification equipment on Midway being broken. When the Japanese repeated the message using the AF code (instead of just saying "Midway"), the US knew AF=Midway.

[sachmo71]

8. US troops first action against Germans results in humiliating defeat at the hands of Erwin Rommel at Kasserine Pass?

[WSUCougar]

8. US troops first action against Germans results in humiliating defeat at the hands of Erwin Rommel at Kasserine Pass?
Almost there, but one more little tidbit.

[WSUCougar]

I don't see how their could be anything more to #4.

edit: Doh! Of course immediately after posting this I think of something.

The US learned the location of the planned attack (Midway-->Japanese naval code "AF") by sending a bogus message in the clear about the water purification equipment on Midway being broken. When the Japanese repeated the message using the AF code (instead of just saying "Midway"), the US knew AF=Midway.
There ya go.

[sachmo71]

Almost there, but one more little tidbit.

Uncle=Uncle George? As in George Patton?

[WSUCougar]

No...it's a subtle thing regarding the Americans.

[sachmo71]

Great Uncle=Lee tanks?

[sachmo71]

Errr...how about inexperienced (green) American troops?

[WSUCougar]

Errr...how about inexperienced (green) American troops?
There ya go. I was also suggesting a bit of overconfidence ("great"), but you got it.

[sachmo71]

Sweet!

[sachmo71]

2. Maid Marion= HMS Hood?

[WSUCougar]

2. Maid Marion= HMS Hood?
Nope

[gstelmack]

There ya go. I was also suggesting a bit of overconfidence ("great"), but you got it.

"Great green" was how I figured out it was the Americans. "Great" meant giant industrial might, and "Green" meant the color of their uniforms ;)

[gstelmack]

1. Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.

I'm pretty close to thinking this is a reference to raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi over Iowa Jima with the Japanese going to ground and making the Americans dig them out at great cost, but I'm not sure how I get from "sister" to "Japanese soldier".

"Lofty" is a reference to the altitude

"Brothers" are the troops raising the flag

"Marked" is for raising the flag

"Muddy Mess" is the chewed-up mountain

"Sisters hid" refers to the Japanese troops digging in

"bloody pests" refers to how the Japanese tactics of no surrender meant the Americans paid dearly for their victory.

Again, I'm not sure of the link between "Sisters" and "Japanese soldiers".

[WSUCougar]

I'm pretty close to thinking this is a reference to raising the flag on Mt. Suribachi over Iowa Jima with the Japanese going to ground and making the Americans dig them out at great cost, but I'm not sure how I get from "sister" to "Japanese soldier".
Barking up the wrong tree.

Yeah, I was slathering it on pretty thick with the "Great, green uncles seek to pass muster" phrase. "Great" was a double-entendre (great=big, great=overconfident), "green" was a double-entendre (green=inxperienced, green=American army color), "uncles" & uncles seek = Uncle Sam, "pass muster" is a double-entendre (pass=Kasserine Pass, and pass muster = perform well).

[gstelmack]

Barking up the wrong tree.

Okay, then my next guess is that this is a veiled reference to "The Sound of Music".

"Lofty" is because they were up in the mountains

"Brothers" refers to half the children

"Marked Muddy Mess" is when they were playing and showed up to meet the Captain's fiancee while all dirty

"Sisters Hid" is when they hid in the nunnery, and has a double-reference to the other half of the children as well as the nuns

"And Were Bloody Pests" is when they sabotaged the German cars: "bloody" is a euphemism for the grease they got on their hands when they pulled the distributor caps

How's that one?

(On a more serious note, I'm now leaning towards Market Garden, but only because it's another airborne invasion).

[WSUCougar]

Okay, then my next guess is that this is a veiled reference to "The Sound of Music".

"Lofty" is because they were up in the mountains

"Brothers" refers to half the children

"Marked Muddy Mess" is when they were playing and showed up to meet the Captain's fiancee while all dirty

"Sisters Hid" is when they hid in the nunnery, and has a double-reference to the other half of the children as well as the nuns

"And Were Bloody Pests" is when they sabotaged the German cars: "bloody" is a euphemism for the grease they got on their hands when they pulled the distributor caps

How's that one?

(On a more serious note, I'm now leaning towards Market Garden, but only because it's another airborne invasion).
:D :D :D

[sachmo71]

I'll get 'em...if only I didn't have to work.

[MrBug708]

Does the first one deal with Hungary, Greece, and possibly one other reference?

[Whar]

(M)arch in light, right past the line and through the trees.

through the trees. ---> Invasion by the germans through the Ardennes in 1940

right past the line --- Past the Diel(sp?) line the allies were forming to the North

M)arch in light --- Ok breaks down here :) ... A reference to the Arch of Triuph in Paris?

[MrBug708]

Huertgen Forest for the second one?

[WSUCougar]

(M)arch in light, right past the line and through the trees.

through the trees. ---> Invasion by the germans through the Ardennes in 1940

M)arch in light --- A reference to the Arch of Triumph in Paris?
These are correct! Very good.

[WSUCougar]

Sorry, Bug...nothing else is right so far.

[Whar]

Right past the line ---- The attack avoided the maginot line.

[gstelmack]

(M)arch in light, right past the line and through the trees.

through the trees. ---> Invasion by the germans through the Ardennes in 1940

right past the line --- Past the Diel(sp?) line the allies were forming to the North

M)arch in light --- Ok breaks down here :) ... A reference to the Arch of Triuph in Paris?

So correct "Diel line" to "Maginot Line" and it looks like we get it.

[WSUCougar]

Yup!

[gstelmack]

1. The D-Day airborne landings on the Contien Peninsula? Brother= Band of Brothers? Muddy mess = flooded fields? Sisters hid = the nunnary at St. Marie Eliges?

I'm wondering how close we are here. This "mark the muddy mess" could be the pathfinders lighting the way for the follow-on airborne troops, while bloody pests could refer to some of the other commando operations.

However, I keep thinking of lots of other airborn operations.

Or something off the wall? What about Stalingrad, where women got involved in the fighting? "Lofty Brothers" are the men fighting above ground, "Sisters" are the women hiding in basements and getting potshots when they can?

[Whar]

Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.

I think the sisters in this were artillry peices? I seem to recall some artillry earning nicknames along the Italy front.

Lofty Brothers might be a refernce to the monastary that over looked the battlefield ... Mount Cassino I think?

The battle that took place there was a mess. Don't recall if it was muddy:)

[WSUCougar]

Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.

I think the sisters in this were artillry peices? I seem to recall some artillry earning nicknames along the Italy front.

Lofty Brothers might be a refernce to the monastary that over looked the battlefield ... Mount Cassino I think?

The battle that took place there was a mess. Don't recall if it was muddy:)
Damn, it's like Whar's reading my mind. Tidy it up a bit and you've got it.

[Whar]

Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.

Am I missing any references? Or do I just need to phrase my thought better?

[Whar]

Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.

Observation posts in the Abbey on Mount Cassino directed deadly artillry fire upon allied troops in the valley below. The artillry fire from covered positions to thrawt allied air attacks.

Thats my official guess! :)

*Edit the Sister reference might by a combination of the Holy Abbey and the fact artillry is called the "Queen of the Battlefield"

[Whar]

2. Maid Marian enjoys a foray into the woodland, and finds a bug to buzz the bastards.

Thers a whole lot of 'B's in the second half of that sentence. One, Buzz, may be a reference to V1 and V2 rockets or buzz-bombs.

A parital reason to the green lighting of operation Market garden was to drive into the area these buzz-bombs were being fired from.

Maid Marion is a english character and the initals MM could stand for Marshall Montgomery.

Not a clue if I am close :(

[sachmo71]

I don't get the bug reference?

[WSUCougar]

Lofty brothers marked a muddy mess, while sisters hid and were bloody pests.

Observation posts in the Abbey on Mount Cassino directed deadly artillry fire upon allied troops in the valley below. The artillry fire from covered positions to thrawt allied air attacks.

Thats my official guess! :)

*Edit the Sister reference might by a combination of the Holy Abbey and the fact artillry is called the "Queen of the Battlefield"
Not quite there.

[Whar]

2. Maid Marian enjoys a foray into the woodland, and finds a bug to buzz the bastards.

Going in an entirely different direction.

This could refer to the bataan death march. The battlin' bastards of bataan marched thru the woods or jungle. They were buzzed by insects particularly mosquitos. They were riddled with disease for their trouble.

The alliteration of B's also dovetails with the "Battlin Bastards of Bataan" nickname they referred to themselves.

[WSUCougar]

Cold on #2.

[Whar]

"a muddy mess" - I did a littlle checking on this battle.

Rains had reduced the roads to an almost impassable state. Mud and eroded ditches greatly hampered the allied advance.

[Whar]

Nothing to do with the questions but while researching the Battle for Mount Cassino I came across this ...

"How are things going?" we asked a haggard leader of a squad who had spent more than 20 days in the embattled ruins of Cassino. He replied in a colorless, low monotone, his voice betraying an ageless weariness. Only in his eyes was there the least flicker of his wry emotion. "We have a line which occupies one room in the Continental Hotel. With the moral support of the people back home who don't want the Abbey destroyed, and at the bloody price of several more of their sons, we are gonna push our outposts into the kitchen."

[WSUCougar]

You've got the whole gist of it, there's just one particular missing. I could give it to you, but given your knowledge level I think you're up for the challenge. Your clue: be more specific.

[sachmo71]

We haven't solved 1 or 2?

[WSUCougar]

Whar is very close on #1 but I'm being a stickler on one specific detail.

#2 is still wholly unsolved.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Damn, I missed this one, and don't have time to play now.

[sachmo71]

The controversey over the destruction of the abby?
The tactical advantage given to the germans after the destruction of the abby gave them extensive covering terrain?

[Whar]

Your clue: be more specific.

Is the clue about the taking of Mount Cassino itself? As opposed to its effect on the battle around the Gustav line in general?

[sachmo71]

Where the fudge is Fritz?

[Whar]

The abbey was a centuries old structure that was important to Christians. The Army wanted to bomb it into obilvion but this was shot down, initially. The folks back home did not want to see such a historic and religiously (thats a word right? ;) ) important site destroyed.

After a great deal of bloodshed Allied command relented and allowed bombing runs.

[WSUCougar]

Your clue: be more specific.

Is the clue about the taking of Mount Cassino itself? As opposed to its effect on the battle around the Gustav line in general?
No, the clue refers to your previous explanation of "sisters hid and were bloody pests."

[mordhiem]

No, the clue refers to your previous explanation of "sisters hid and were bloody pests."

Does 'pests' refer to Mosquito bombers that carried out the air attacks? (total guess)

After a great deal of bloodshed Allied command relented and allowed bombing runs.

Which didn't help at all, as the ruins left behind made perfect cover for the Falschrimjager. Before it was just an observation point, the bombing turned it into a mini-fortress...

[Godzilla Blitz]

2. Maid Marian enjoys a foray into the woodland, and finds a bug to buzz the bastards.

This could be another one of my completely wrong, absolutely ridiculous answers, but...

Maid Marian was played by Olivia De Havilland in the famous Robin Hood movie. De Havilland was a British aircraft manufacturer that made the Mosquito (bug) out of wood (foray into the woodland) to buzz the bastards (strafe Germans).

Am I way off again?

[Rando]

2. Maid Marian enjoys a foray into the woodland, and finds a bug to buzz the bastards.

Olivia DeHavilland played (Maid Marian) opposite Errol Flynn's Robin Hood in the classic Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

DeHavilland was also the name of the aircraft company that built the Mosquito ( a bug) Great Britain's twin engined, all-puropse fighter/bomber/attack/reconisance superplane which saw extesive use in the the European theater against the Germans (buzzed the bastards).

Oddly enough, the plane wasn't originally wanted by the British War Ministry and was only accepted into production because of it's extensive use of "non-strategic" materials in it's construction. Namely molded plywood (a foray into the woodland)

Ed: Damn, just saw GB beat me to the punch.

[Godzilla Blitz]

Ed: Damn, just saw GB beat me to the punch.

Actually, I haven't been close at any of my guesses yet, so you're not in good company.

Although I feel a little more confident now that two of us have come up with the same thing.

[Rando]

Okay, on to number 1 then.

No, the clue refers to your previous explanation of "sisters hid and were bloody pests."

At the risk of stealing Whar's thunder perhaps the details he's looking for here are names of some the particular artillery pieces used by the Germans in Italy.

To the Allies fighting in Italy, the German 280mm railroad guns were known "Anzio Annie" (sisters). Two of these beheamoth weapons were used by the Germans against the Anzio beachhead. When not in use the guns were said to be stored in railway tunnels to protect them against air attacks (sisters hid).

In a almost completely unrelated bit of trivia, the Germans had this rather odd tendency to refer to their very large peices of military equipment (everything from warships, to fighters, to railguns) by male names or pronouns (odd only because most other western militaries have this rather odd tendency of refering to their equipment by female names and pronouns). All potenial Fruedian jokes aside, the German soldiers who manned the "sisters" at Anzio refered to the ladies as Robert and Leopold.

[MrBug708]

I wish I could help, but I'm better with the names of people...

[sachmo71]

2. Maid Marian enjoys a foray into the woodland, and finds a bug to buzz the bastards.

Olivia DeHavilland played (Maid Marian) opposite Errol Flynn's Robin Hood in the classic Adventures of Robin Hood (1938).

DeHavilland was also the name of the aircraft company that built the Mosquito ( a bug) Great Britain's twin engined, all-puropse fighter/bomber/attack/reconisance superplane which saw extesive use in the the European theater against the Germans (buzzed the bastards).

Oddly enough, the plane wasn't originally wanted by the British War Ministry and was only accepted into production because of it's extensive use of "non-strategic" materials in it's construction. Namely molded plywood (a foray into the woodland)

Ed: Damn, just saw GB beat me to the punch.

I thought about the bombing of the Ruhr valley, but that was done by Lancasters.

Coug, are we even warm on the Mosquito part?

[sachmo71]

How about the Mosquito used as a Pathfinder?
Or a strategic bomber?

[WSUCougar]

2. Maid Marian enjoys a foray into the woodland, and finds a bug to buzz the bastards.

This could be another one of my completely wrong, absolutely ridiculous answers, but...

Maid Marian was played by Olivia De Havilland in the famous Robin Hood movie. De Havilland was a British aircraft manufacturer that made the Mosquito (bug) out of wood (foray into the woodland) to buzz the bastards (strafe Germans).

Am I way off again?
No, you are dead on! Excellent! (I was particularly fond of this teaser).

Everything is exact except the last part, which needs to be more specific.

[sachmo71]

DeHavilland Mosquitos, because they were so fast, partly because they were made of wood, were used to knock down V-1s. BUZZ BOMBS!!!!!

Is that it?

[WSUCougar]

Okay, on to number 1 then.

At the risk of stealing Whar's thunder perhaps the details he's looking for here are names of some the particular artillery pieces used by the Germans in Italy.

To the Allies fighting in Italy, the German 280mm railroad guns were known "Anzio Annie" (sisters). Two of these beheamoth weapons were used by the Germans against the Anzio beachhead. When not in use the guns were said to be stored in railway tunnels to protect them against air attacks (sisters hid).

In a almost completely unrelated bit of trivia, the Germans had this rather odd tendency to refer to their very large peices of military equipment (everything from warships, to fighters, to railguns) by male names or pronouns (odd only because most other western militaries have this rather odd tendency of refering to their equipment by female names and pronouns). All potenial Fruedian jokes aside, the German soldiers who manned the "sisters" at Anzio refered to the ladies as Robert and Leopold.
Also excellent!

This wraps up #1. I went with "sisters" (plural) because of the second paragraph above, plus the Allies' use of Anzio Annie (singular), which I though would throw you off. Nice job, Rando!

[WSUCougar]

DeHavilland Mosquitos, because they were so fast, partly because they were made of wood, were used to knock down V-1s. BUZZ BOMBS!!!!!

Is that it?
Yes! But only part of it... :D

[sachmo71]

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!

[Whar]

Due to the Mosquito's bombing accuracy they were used to bomb Gestapo HQs alot. I think we can all agree the Gestapo were real bastards. :)

[Whar]

Thanks Radon! I had this tickle in the back of my head about Artillry that earned a nickname on the italien front but for the life of me could not find any refernces to it!

It was driving mad ... MAD I tell you! :)

[WSUCougar]

Due to the Mosquito's bombing accuracy they were used to bomb Gestapo HQs alot. I think we can all agree the Gestapo were real bastards. :)
And there's the final link.

Nicely done, everyone! :cool: