Challenge #24

16 October 2026

These are the ten questions from War Dossier daily challenge #24, of 16 October 2026, with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Today's challenge is a different one and it is free to play.

What type of American vessel appears patrolling in this 1943 photograph? — Credit: Armada de EE.UU. · Licence: Dominio publico (obra oficial US Navy) · View at original source

The dossier entry: Las PT boats en el Slot

During 1943, US Navy PT boat squadrons patrolled at night through the strait known as the Slot, between Guadalcanal and Bougainville, trying to intercept the Tokyo Express, the Japanese destroyer and barge convoys resupplying their garrisons. These wooden-hulled boats, about 24 meters long, were armed with torpedoes, machine guns and light cannon, relying on speed and surprise night attacks for their effectiveness. They operated from advanced bases such as Tulagi and Rendova in support of the ground campaign.

Challenge answers

1 / 10

What type of American vessel appears patrolling in this 1943 photograph?

A PT torpedo boat
A wooden-hulled SC submarine chaser
A USAAF air-sea rescue boat
A Coast Guard patrol boat

The image shows a PT torpedo boat, the type used to patrol the Slot.

2 / 10

In which winter was the Battle of Suomussalmi fought?

1939-1940
1941-1942
1943-1944
1938-1939

The battle was fought between December 1939 and January 1940.

3 / 10

What was the main strategic objective of the German offensive launched southward in the summer of 1942?

Seizing the Caucasus oil fields
Conquering Moscow before winter
Cutting the Arctic route to Murmansk
Linking up with Japanese forces in Asia

The priority objective was the oil of Baku and the Caucasus, vital to sustaining the German war machine.

4 / 10

During which battle did the death of correspondent Ernie Pyle on Ie Shima occur?

The Battle of Okinawa
The Battle of Iwo Jima
The Battle of Leyte
The Battle of Guadalcanal

The event occurred in the context of the Battle of Okinawa.

5 / 10

What main advantage did torsion bars offer over Christie-type coil springs?

They saved interior hull space
They allowed higher road speeds
They eliminated maintenance entirely
They cut the vehicle's weight in half

By running under the hull floor, torsion bars freed up interior space that Christie-type springs occupied.

6 / 10

In what year did Clark Gable enlist in the US Army Air Forces?

1942
1940
1944
1939

Gable enlisted in August 1942, above the usual draft age.

7 / 10

Approximately how many Japanese prisoners were held at the Cowra camp when the breakout attempt took place?

1,104
250
50
5,000

Camp No. 12 held about 1,104 Japanese prisoners, and some 545 of them broke out in the early hours of 5 August 1944.

8 / 10

From where did General Fredendall direct the Battle of Kasserine Pass?

From a bunker built more than a hundred kilometres behind the front
From a forward command post on the front line
From a warship off the Tunisian coast
From Allied headquarters in Algiers

Fredendall directed the battle from an elaborate bunker far from the front, a fact heavily criticised.

9 / 10

With which other German military disaster is what happened to Army Group Centre in 1944 usually compared in scale?

Stalingrad
The Rhine pocket
Dunkirk
Tunisia

Because of its scale, the destruction of Army Group Centre is often compared to the disaster suffered at Stalingrad.

10 / 10

What was the approximate rate of fire of the sIG 33?

2 to 3 rounds per minute
20 to 25 rounds per minute
1 round every 5 minutes
10 rounds per second

Its rate of fire was low, around 2 to 3 rounds per minute, consistent with the large caliber and weight of its shells and its role of targeted support rather than fast sustained fire.

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