The Google-friendly History Question Thread.

[Geoff]

Looks like nobody has a clue Kevin.

Here's another one:

Which American had his portrait installed in the Nazi Party Headquarters in Munich by order of Adolf Hitler himself?

Henry Ford?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Looks like nobody has a clue Kevin.

Here's another one:

Which American had his portrait installed in the Nazi Party Headquarters in Munich by order of Adolf Hitler himself?

Henry Ford?

Ayep. His support of what became The International Jew (Collected works from his Dearborn paper) impressed Hitler very much. Ford also hired Charles Lindburgh during the war, when nobody else would touch him because of his pre-war isolationist and pro-Nazi position. Ford later recanted his position.

[klr]

Looks like nobody has a clue Kevin.

Here's another one:

Which American had his portrait installed in the Nazi Party Headquarters in Munich by order of Adolf Hitler himself?

Henry Ford?

Ayep. His support of what became The International Jew (Collected works from his Dearborn paper) impressed Hitler very much. Ford also hired Charles Lindburgh during the war, when nobody else would touch him because of his pre-war isolationist and pro-Nazi position. Ford later recanted his position.

Oddly enough, I had a strong suspicion it was Ford the moment I saw the question, but I said "Na, that's too obvious".

Geoff has has the dubious honour of setting the next question. :twisted:

[Geoff]

Why did some Royal Navy ships carry pneumatic road drills?

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Why did some Royal Navy ships carry pneumatic road drills?

The Royal Marines weren't gay enough?

[leo-rcc]

Why did some Royal Navy ships carry pneumatic road drills?

Are you referring to Holman Projectors?

[Geoff]

Why did some Royal Navy ships carry pneumatic road drills?

Are you referring to Holman Projectors?

Nope. These were actual road drills.

[leo-rcc]

Why did some Royal Navy ships carry pneumatic road drills?

Are you referring to Holman Projectors?

Nope. These were actual road drills.

When the first German acoustic mine appeared in 1940, the Sweeping Division of HMS Vernon's Mine Design Department responded with the Sweep Acoustic (SA) hammer box. This contained a 'Kango' pneumatic road drill or an electrically driven riveting hammer striking a 7/16 inch thick 19 inch diameter steel diaphragm but the pneumatic hammers proved more reliable than the electric type. The 'A Mark 1' hammer box was fitted in the flooded bow compartment of converted trawlers but later versions were deployed on a boom over the bow. By 1942, the hammer box was common in a variety of minesweepers and sometimes towed abeam with the LL magnetic sweep. Later in the war, the Oropesa Mk 1 mechanical sweep was augmented by the lighter Oropesa Mk 2 which could be towed by small craft such as motor launches (MLs) or converted Landing Craft. This shallow water sweep, based on a German design, came into its own during the defence of Malta, the Normandy invasion and later in the Scheldt estuary.

[Geoff]

Why did some Royal Navy ships carry pneumatic road drills?

Are you referring to Holman Projectors?

Nope. These were actual road drills.

When the first German acoustic mine appeared in 1940, the Sweeping Division of HMS Vernon's Mine Design Department responded with the Sweep Acoustic (SA) hammer box. This contained a 'Kango' pneumatic road drill or an electrically driven riveting hammer striking a 7/16 inch thick 19 inch diameter steel diaphragm but the pneumatic hammers proved more reliable than the electric type. The 'A Mark 1' hammer box was fitted in the flooded bow compartment of converted trawlers but later versions were deployed on a boom over the bow. By 1942, the hammer box was common in a variety of minesweepers and sometimes towed abeam with the LL magnetic sweep. Later in the war, the Oropesa Mk 1 mechanical sweep was augmented by the lighter Oropesa Mk 2 which could be towed by small craft such as motor launches (MLs) or converted Landing Craft. This shallow water sweep, based on a German design, came into its own during the defence of Malta, the Normandy invasion and later in the Scheldt estuary.

Well done! Your turn!

[leo-rcc]

Which other company was involved in making the M1 Carbine besides General Motors and Winchester?

[Geoff]

Which other company was involved in making the M1 Carbine besides General Motors and Winchester?

IBM

[leo-rcc]

The floor is yours Geoff.

[klr]

Which other company was involved in making the M1 Carbine besides General Motors and Winchester?

According to wiki, quite a few:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_carbine

...
A total of 6 million M1 carbines of various models were manufactured, making it the most produced small arm in American military history. Despite being designed by Winchester, the great majority of these were made by other companies. The largest producer was the Inland division of General Motors, but many others were made by contractors as diverse as IBM, the Underwood typewriter company, and the Rock-Ola jukebox company. Irwin-Pedersen models were the fewest produced, at a little over 4,000. Many carbines were refurbished at several arsenals after the war, with many parts interchanged from original maker carbines. True untouched war production carbines, therefore, are the most desireable for collectors.[

[leo-rcc]

Which other company was involved in making the M1 Carbine besides General Motors and Winchester?

According to wiki, quite a few:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_carbine

...
A total of 6 million M1 carbines of various models were manufactured, making it the most produced small arm in American military history. Despite being designed by Winchester, the great majority of these were made by other companies. The largest producer was the Inland division of General Motors, but many others were made by contractors as diverse as IBM, the Underwood typewriter company, and the Rock-Ola jukebox company. Irwin-Pedersen models were the fewest produced, at a little over 4,000. Many carbines were refurbished at several arsenals after the war, with many parts interchanged from original maker carbines. True untouched war production carbines, therefore, are the most desireable for collectors.[

IBM was the one I knew, I didn't bother to look up if there were any others. Sorry.

[klr]

Which other company was involved in making the M1 Carbine besides General Motors and Winchester?

According to wiki, quite a few:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/M1_carbine

...
A total of 6 million M1 carbines of various models were manufactured, making it the most produced small arm in American military history. Despite being designed by Winchester, the great majority of these were made by other companies. The largest producer was the Inland division of General Motors, but many others were made by contractors as diverse as IBM, the Underwood typewriter company, and the Rock-Ola jukebox company. Irwin-Pedersen models were the fewest produced, at a little over 4,000. Many carbines were refurbished at several arsenals after the war, with many parts interchanged from original maker carbines. True untouched war production carbines, therefore, are the most desireable for collectors.[

IBM was the one I knew, I didn't bother to look up if there were any others. Sorry.

No problem.

Now for something marginally more difficult: What was probably the most dangerous job in the Soviet Air Force in WW II?