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Challenge #10

These are the ten questions from War Dossier daily challenge #10, of 2 October 2026, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Today's challenge is a different one and it is free to play.

Which unit of American pilots made this shark-mouth design on their fighters famous?
Credit: Kogo · Licence: GFDL 1.2 · View at original source

The dossier entry: Los Tigres Voladores

The American Volunteer Group (AVG), known as the "Flying Tigers", was a unit of American pilots privately contracted to defend China before the US entered the war. Under the command of Claire Chennault, it flew P-40 fighters painted with the famous shark-mouth nose art and achieved disproportionate results against Japanese aviation between December 1941 and July 1942.

Challenge answers

1 / 10

Which unit of American pilots made this shark-mouth design on their fighters famous?

  • The Flying Tigers (AVG)
  • The Chindits
  • The Air Transport Command
  • The 1st Air Commando Group

The AVG painted their P-40s with a shark mouth, a design that became iconic of the war in China.

2 / 10

Which future British queen joined the Auxiliary Territorial Service (ATS) in 1945 as a driver and mechanic?

  • Princess Elizabeth
  • The Queen Mother
  • Princess Margaret
  • Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands

Princess Elizabeth, the future Queen Elizabeth II, joined the ATS in 1945 and trained as a driver and mechanic.

3 / 10

In what year did Argentina declare its formal neutrality after the outbreak of war in Europe?

  • 1939
  • 1937
  • 1941
  • 1943

Argentina declared its neutrality in September 1939, when the conflict began in Europe.

4 / 10

Which American mortar in this collection used a larger calibre than the Japanese Type 89 grenade discharger (50 mm)?

  • The M2 mortar, at 60 mm
  • The M1918A2 Browning Automatic Rifle, at 7.62 mm
  • The M1919 Browning machine gun, at 7.62 mm
  • The M1928A1 Thompson submachine gun, at 11.43 mm

The American M2 mortar fired 60mm rounds, a larger calibre than the 50mm of the Japanese Type 89 grenade discharger, though both filled a similar role of indirect fire support at the infantry level.

5 / 10

What was the Il-2 Sturmovik's main role?

  • Armoured ground-attack aircraft for troop support
  • Long-range escort fighter
  • Heavy strategic bomber
  • Reconnaissance seaplane

It was designed as an armoured ground-attack aircraft, hitting tanks and troops with 23 mm cannons and rockets. Its built-in armour made it very resistant to light anti-aircraft fire.

6 / 10

How was the decisive confirmation obtained that made the officers backing the Berlin coup begin to doubt?

  • Through a phone call to the Wolf's Lair
  • Through a coded radio message
  • Through a telegram from the Propaganda ministry
  • Through the arrival of a personal envoy from Goebbels

A phone call to the Wolf's Lair confirmed that Hitler was still alive, which proved decisive in stopping the coup.

7 / 10

What battle-related work still goes on the island?

  • Recovering and identifying the remains of the fallen
  • Rebuilding the bunkers for war tourism
  • Reactivating the Japanese coastal guns
  • Running annual landing exercises

Teams such as History Flight still recover and identify the remains of the fallen from both sides.

8 / 10

What happened to most of the German army corps encircled at Vitebsk?

  • It was destroyed or captured after not receiving permission in time to withdraw
  • It managed to break the encirclement entirely without casualties
  • It was entirely evacuated by air
  • It surrendered before the encirclement even began

The delay in authorizing withdrawal, due to the 'fortified place' designation, doomed most of the garrison.

9 / 10

The Arisaka Type 99 uses a cock-on-close bolt mechanism, unusual among the rifles on this list. Which German rifle, by contrast, uses the more common cock-on-open Mauser 98 system?

  • The Kar98k
  • The Springfield M1903
  • The Lee-Enfield No. 4
  • The Mosin-Nagant M91/30

The German Kar98k uses the Mauser 98 system, which cocks when the bolt is opened (cock-on-open), the most widespread mechanism among wartime bolt-action rifles. The Arisaka Type 99, by contrast, cocks when the bolt is closed (cock-on-close), a less common design.

10 / 10

How many fatal casualties did the Carpathian Rifle Brigade suffer during the siege of Tobruk?

  • Just over a hundred dead
  • About 30 fatal casualties
  • Close to 200 dead
  • About 60 fatal casualties

Of its total casualties, just over a hundred dead correspond specifically to the fighting during the siege of Tobruk.

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