MWS Quiz Retrospective – 5th August 2020 Answers

Here’s the answers to the latest of Peter’s quizzes from last year. 

01a         Which unit took the main part of the fight against the Persians at Thermopylae?

Answer: Spartans (plus 1200-odd Thebans)

01b         What is the common name for the Persian Guard troops who eventually broke through?

Answer: The Immortals

02a         Which order of Crusader knights were also part-time doctors?

Answer: Knights (Hospitalers) of St John

02b         When their last HQ in Europe was taken by the Turks, what were the elite Turkish forces called?

Answer: Janissaries

03a         Which units of mainly German mercenaries were raised in the Renaissance era to combat the Swiss?

Answer: Landsknechts

03b         Which renaissance-era unit is still serving in Europe today? Not ‘Beefeaters’ (Yeoman of the Guard?

Answer: The Swiss Guard (1st set-up by Julius 2nd in 1506)

04a         18thC: The American militia units were commonly known as what?

Answer: Minutemen

04b         Which hero of the irregular SYW against the French & Indians on the US/Canadian border fought against the US?

Answer: Colonel Robert Rogers

05a         The 95th Rifles was one of two rifle-armed units of the British Army in the Peninsular. What was the other one?

Answer:  60th (Royal American) Regiment

05b         What was the French Guard equivalent unit commonly called, to distinguish them from general Voltigeur/light infantry?

Answer: Tirailleurs

06a         What is the name of the ‘super-orc’ units created by Saruman (Christopher Lee)

Answer:  Uruk-Hai

06b         What is the common name of the shadowy group of super-humans from the north to which Aragorn initially belongs?

Answer: Dunedain or Rangers of the North

07a         What was unusual about the Union 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry Regt in the early years of the war?

Answer: They were armed as lancers

07b         What was unusual about the CSA Marine Corps

Answer: They never went to sea; only fought one naval action, as gunners on CSS Virginia.

08a         Which British Army unit only lasted from 1912 to 1918?

Answer: Royal Flying Corps

08b         Which other specialised unit only lasted from 1915 until 1922?

Answer: Machine Gun Corps

09a         What knick-name did the Germans give to WW2 British Parachute forces?

Answer: The Red Devils

09b         What did they call their own parachutists?

Answer: Green Devils (the Fallschirmjager, ‘Hunters From The Sky’)

10a         To which human organisation does the hero belong:  Steve Zodiac (Fireball XL5)

 

Answer: WSP – World Space Patrol

10b         To which human organisation does the hero belong:  Troy Tempest (Stingray)

 

Answer: WASP – World Aquanaut Security Patrol

10c         To which human organisation do the heroes belong:  Tracey family (Thunderbirds)

 

Answer: IR – International Rescue

10d         To which human organisation does the hero belong:  Colonel Straker (UFO)

 

Answer: SHADO – Supreme HQ Alien Defence Organisation

10e         Name any two of the Angels in Captain Scarlet

 

Answer: Destiny, Melody, Rhapsody, Symphony, Harmony

11a         What is the US equivalent unit to our SAS

Answer: 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (1st SFOD-D) more commonly known as Delta Force

11b         And their not-Soviet-really counterparts

Answer: SPETZNAZ

12a         MWS Game of a famous siege lasting almost 2yrs

Answer: Beds of Jonquils (Masada) AD73