trivia

[Baron]

Can anyone name the only US Army commander to command at Corps level or higher in both the ETO and PTO during WW2?

[Kuniworth]

General AM Patch

[Baron]

Well that didn't take long!

He is one of my favorite WW2 generals and you never hear about him.

[Snowstorm]

And our contestant wins......

Will it be what's behind door number 1, door number 2, or door number 3? :eek:

Decisions, decisions.......

What's our next trivia question, Baron?

Plenty of eager contestants waiting......

[Baron]

Next question:

What was the name of the Confederate General killed in May of 1863 by a Doctor and why?

[CSS]

Is Stonewall Jackson, who was accidentaly shot by his own troops and received not the adequate/proper care for his wound and died?

[JerseyJohn]

That sounds very good. I think you're right CSS. :cool:

But personally I wouldn't venture an answer till Snowstorm reveals what the prizes are; I'm always suspicious of these behind one of three doors set ups. :eek:

Great Thread, Baron. :cool:

-- Kuni had something similar a few years ago. I remember one question was to name which major Russian city changed hands x number of times in x amount of time. Modesty prevents me from saying who got the correct answer.

[Hyazinth von Strachwitz]

Okay... which CS General was fired in early April 1865 near St. Peterburg because he celebrated a BBQ instead for defending the supply routes?

[JerseyJohn]

My guess is George E. Pickett. :cool:

source is:

http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/Appomattox_Campaign

... On April 1, the arrival of Warren's Fifth Corps at Pickett's rear caused the Confederate general to fall back to an intersection known as Five Forks. There, in what has come to be known as the "Waterloo of the Confederacy," Sheridan and Warren overwhelmed Pickett's forces, losing fewer than a thousand men compared to Confederate casualties of about 3,000. (Warren, a hero of Gettysburg, was nevertheless relieved of his command by Sheridan after the battle. Pickett, whose name was similarly carved into history at Gettysburg, was, like Warren, humiliated at Five Forks. He was famously absent during the battle, attending a shad bake.)

[Snowstorm]

Oh, I couldn't even hazard a guess what the prize is.

That's in Baron's court. I'll leave that up to him.

[Hyazinth von Strachwitz]

General Pickett is right.. next one.

Who was the highest ranked Reserve Officer in whole Wehrmacht?

[JerseyJohn]

Excellent question.

And thank you, Baron, for the great prize behind door #2. It's the first Masseratti I've ever owned!

Getting back to the question. It can't be Hitler since he wasn't an officer, till he made himself commander in chief.

First guess Hermann Goering.

-- Second guess Gerd von Rundstedt.

Fingers crossed, I'd sure love to win that private jet.

I know von Rundstedt was retired before the start of the Second World War and became active to command an army group in Poland. So my guess is he was listed as a reserve officer before the war and, becoming a fieldmarshal after the French Campain it's a cinche no one except Goering and Hitler would have outranked him.

Goering -- went to Switzerland after the First World War. During the 30s he held a number of positions and I guess officially he came out of the reserves when he was made commander of the Luftwaffe. As Reichsmarshal I think he was the equivalent of a six star general rank (fieldmarshal being a five star general).

I also considered Rudolph Hess as he was a WWI army officer and I'd guess in the reserves afterward. He was Hitler's closest advisor in the 20s, and became the second man in the Reich (Deputy Fuhrer) during the 30s, apparently never having been recalled to active officer status; but I may be wrong on that. Anyway, he pulled himself out of things fairly early in the war by flying to Scotland.

[Baron]

Actually the Gen. killed in May of 1863 by a doctor was Gen Earl Van Dorn. Apparently the doctor did not appreciate the Gen calling on his wife while he was not at home

Jackson did die in May of 1863 but it was from pneumonia which was a complication from the amputation of his arm 8 days earlier.

But a very good guess!!

Speaking of Jackson what other Confederate General was almost killed by his own troops a year later on the same battleground (4 miles distant)?

[Baron]

I have no idea who the highest ranking reserve officer was - the obvious guess would be Hitler

[JerseyJohn]

Baron, Hitler wasn't an officer coming out of the First World War, which was when, presumably, he would have been placed in the reserves as a civilian.

-- Very good American Civil War question, I would never have guessed Van Dorn.

[Baron]

JerseyJohn,

I'm full of useless information when it comes to the Civil War I was just guessing Hitler because it is so obviously not him that it might just possibly be him.... I think????

If I were a modder it would be great to see a Civil War mod I just wish I had the time to devote to it. What part of FL you in? I lived in Port Charlotte for almost 13 years and I don't miss the heat and humidity. I like it up here in my mountains although this winter has been very rough so far. I still have snow on the round from before Christmas and it has been in the 50's the last couple of days.

[JerseyJohn]

Baron, I'm in Orange City, around 30 miles NE of Orland and about that far SW of Daytona, right outside sleepy Deland. Guess it's about 150 miles or so from Port Charlotte.

I agree about the summers here, this past year it was like being in an oven, or a steambath on other days. I lived in Orlando during the late 70s and it seemed a lot better than it is now. People who have lived here all the way through told me it's warmer down here now than it was back then. Then we managed to have a pretty cold winter, though nothing compared to winters in most of the rest of the country.

Mountains sounds like a good idea. :cool:

I had the same reasoning for Hitler, perhaps that will turn out to be the correct answer through some quirk, denying me the top prize of a private jet aircraft. :eek:

[Kuniworth]

General Pickett is right.. next one.

Who was the highest ranked Reserve Officer in whole Wehrmacht?

Fromm the commander of the ersatzheer, and later Juttner. If we speak of reserve officers lots of field marshals placed on the substitution bench.

[Hyazinth von Strachwitz]

I need to admit that the way I asked my question wasn`t the best way-- there are a lot of "right" answer, so I should have asked a more detailed question.

The question I should have asked (before you guys enlightened me) can be something like "who was the hghest ranked Officer in the Wehrmacht who had nothing to do with the NSDAP, didn`t play a political role and was sitting at home drinking tea in late August 1939.. because he was already in the reserve and no longer an active officer."

Anyway: almost all of the answer I saw where right in one or another way.. because my question was not precise enough.

Technically right answer #1 is Hermann Göring... but we do not consider him an officer.. and he had that job for political reasons.

Technically right answer #2 is Gerd von Rundstedt. He had a very high rank in the Wehrwacht, but he dared to confront Hitler in 1938 because he tought the Wehrmacht is not yet ready for war.. so Hitler did send him into the reserve pool, but he was reactivated in summer 1939.

I`m not quite sure about Rudolf Heß.. I wouldn`t consider him an officer. But nevertheless this answer is right as well.. depends on the way you see it.. he was a reserve officer, and he had a very high rank.. so that is technically correct right answer #3.

Mr. Kuniworth is right as well (#4).. Fromm and Jüttner where the commanders of the Reserve, although Jüttner came from the SS and for that reason was no member of the Wehrmacht, but that depends on the way you see it.

So a virtual Ferrari 458 Italia is awarded to JJ and Kuniworth.. the one who asks unprecise question has to pay.. it`s his own fault.

The correct answer for the question (how I had it in mind) was my nickname.. he was Rittmeister (equivalent Captain) in autumn 1939 and already in the reserve since the early twenties. Final Rank in 1945 was Lieutnant General.. but the way I asked my question was simply to unprecise. I promise to improve that next time!

[JerseyJohn]

Excellent explanation Hyazinth, and very gracious of you. With the wisdom of King Solomon we decided how we'd share that Ferrari 458 Italia. Kuni's going now for a chainsaw. I'm all excited about my half! :eek:

[Baron]

With me being a "hillbilly" I can't afford some exotic sports car but we do make some great shine up here in the mountains. Maybe a virtual mason jar for correct answers?

Another clue to my second question. Jackson was the first officer shot on the field by his own men and this second General was also shot on the same field almost exactly a year later. The General was his "right" arm the second was his ????????

[JerseyJohn]

Well, if you were able to award expensive sports cars for winning answers you'd have to call yourself a Mountain William instead of a hillbilly, a description I refuse to believe even for a second.

Regarding the question. My first thought was A. P. Hill, who as a divisional commander in Jackson's corps led his light infantry division very effectively. But Hill died about the time that Pickett was at that shad bake instead of leading his troops, and that would have been two years later, not one, and also much farther south from the Chancellorsville area.

My next guess would be J.E.B. Stuart, the famed cavalry commander who temporarily commanded Jackson's corps after he was shot, and was shot in battle himself in, I think it was April 1864 at the action of Yellow Tavern. Not sure if that's near Chancellorsville.

So, my answer is J. E. B. Stuart, who would have been Jackson's Replacement.

It's too bad we didn't do this several years back. The late Jim Boggs, who everyone liked, was a true Civil War buff. I'm sure he'd have really enjoyed these questions as much as some of the rest of us are. :cool:

[Baron]

Jersey John,

J.E.B. Stuart is a good guess and he was killed in May of 1864 but it was on a different battlefield at Yellow Tavern. Stuart was often referred to as Lee's eyes and was one of the 3 Generals Lee depended on most during the war but he is not who I had in mind. Yellow Tavern is quite some distance from the battlefield at Chancellorsville and the Wilderness..

Another note: Stuart was a cavalry commander and would never have been considered to replace Jackson who was a Corps Commander (Infantry) in the ANV. He was also born not far from where I live here in Floyd. The next county over is Patrick County and the county seat is located in - you guessed it Stuart, he was born in Ararat which is very near the North Carolina border. Ararat is about a 45 minute drive from her to the Southeast. 45 minutes to the Northeast is the home of Jubal Early another of the Generals in Gray and one of my three personal favorites.

One more clue:

Jackson - Lee's right arm

Stuart - Lee's eyes and ears

????????? - his old warhorse

[Baron]

Jersey John,

Why do I know that name Jim Boggs? he sounds very familiar to me.

May he rest in peace

[JerseyJohn]

Baron, Jim's name seems to come up often. He was very well liked. Also, the two of us were banned together after the Christmas Riot a long time ago because we were mistakenly ID'd as the same person. With his usual sense of humor he contacted me and asked if we were doing some sort of Prince and the Pauper routine. The matter was soon cleared up and we were both reinstated. Rest in peace well deserved. I think he was in his forties. Ironically he lived near to where I'm living now, in Central Florida -- at the time of the incident we shared I was living in Central New Jersey.

Okay, the Old Warhorse would be James Longstreet!

I didn't realize he was killed in battle. I know that after Gettysburg he was sent west and fought at Chickamauga, then had an independent command, I think he tried to take Knoxville, not sure.

-- JEB Stuart didn't receive Stonewall Jackson's command, he replaced Jackson as corps commander after Jackson was shot. When the battle was over Stuart resumed went back to being commander of Lee's cavalry.

I don't think it would have made sense to place Stuart in command of an infantry corps either; he was only a battlefield replacement.