Sunday, February 9, 2014

206 Quiz Answer


Answer: Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.
File:TheKennedyFamily1.jpg
Part of the Kennedy family in 1931. In the background, left, is Jack, the 35th President of the United States. Teddy Kennedy was unable to make it for this photo, what with not having been born yet.


(Also for Three Word Wednesday and ABC Wednesday: "E" is for "explosion") 
This week’s quiz is about a hero of World War II and this week’s question is, what was his name?

During that war the Nazis came up with some nastily creative thinking as far as weapons against Britain were concerned.  Usually they thought about rockets and such, but one interesting weapon was just a gun, a supergun.

 File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1981-147-30A, Hochdruckpumpe V-3.jpg
It was a very long, very effective cannon.  It rested on this unkempt frame inside an inclined tunnel near Calais.  The weapon just sat there; it never moved and it would launch cruel explosive projectiles across the English Channel that landed on London to ghastly effect, and it could do all this with impunity.

You see, Allied bombers, try as they might, could not bomb it.  The tunnel was located inside deep rock.

So the Allied types came up with some creative thinking of their own. 


In a top-secret, and very dangerous, mission (“Operation Aphrodite”) they loaded up a huge bomber, a Liberator, with 20,000 pounds of explosives.  They’d navigate this flying bomb until it was right on target for the entrance of the tunnel.  Then the pilot would lock in the auto pilot and bail out.  The plane would blow up the tunnel and the supergun within it.

A great plan, but…

What happened was a terrible tragedy.  Just before the pilot was to bail out, an electrical fault in the Liberator caused all that explosive material to detonate. 


In a tremendous explosion the plane and the pilot just disappeared.  Here’s his picture.  He had been an interesting naval lieutenant, still in his twenties.  Interesting because he came from a well-known New England family, the eldest of nine children, and he had had a charmed life up to that time.  His family had sent him to Choate and Harvard and had plans for the young man to become an important figure on the American political scene.
His father, a former Ambassador, had been convinced that ultimately he could become President of the United States.

 


 






 
 


 

 

 

34 comments:

rel said...

Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.

21 Wits said...

Oh my goodness, from the family that has probably the most horrible losses, of loved ones, even in flight, besides from the hands of mad men. This pilot you are searching for, is Joe (Joseph) Kennedy Jr. you can completely see Kennedy in his face. I have a link of him with another favorite Kennedy son.

http://www.jfklibrary.org/~/media/assets/Foundation/WWII/JFK%20PP-83.jpg

kaykuala said...

Joe Kennedy Jr I would think Berowne!

Hank

Berowne said...

We're starting off with three correct answers - from rel, Karen S and kaykuala.

Unknown said...

That man was Joseph Patrick Kennedy, Jr.

christopher said...

Joe Kennedy of course.

The Blog of Bee said...

Joseph P Kennedy Jnr

Berowne said...

Three more with the right answer: Bee of the Blog of Bee, christopher and Rene Foran.

naturgesetz said...

That's Joe Kennedy, JFK's older brother.

Tess Kincaid said...

Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr.

Berowne said...

I'm pleased to report that our own Tess K. and naturgesetz have provided us with the correct answer.

humbird said...

Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr. ~ Interesting post

Stafford Ray said...

Without cheating, I would guess the eldest of the Kennedy Clan.

Berowne said...

Humbird and Stafford Ray have also coughed up the right answer.

Roger Owen Green said...

No idea. Until I read the line about being President, and saw the picture! That's gotta be Joe Kennedy, JFK's older brother.

Berowne said...

Roger Owen Green also has the right answer.

Silent Otto said...

Gday Berowne , great yarn , Flight Lieutenant Phaeton ?

Doctor FTSE said...

Joseph P. Kennedy, whose father (same name) was US Ambassador to Great Britain during WW2.

Kathe W. said...

Joseph Kennedy Jr. I did not know how he had died in WWII- he certainly was a hero.

Berowne said...

A few more correct answers from Kathe W and Doc FTSE.

Meryl said...

Great quiz. I believe the answer is Joseph Kennedy Jr.

Hildred said...

Patrick Kennedy?

Leslie: said...

At first, I didn't think I knew this, but suddenly I realized it's Joseph Kennedy, Jr. I did know he'd died in WW2, but had not known how. Very interesting and how tragic!

Leslie
abcw team

Berowne said...

Three more "winners": Meryl, Hildred and Leslie, all with the correct answer.

Anonymous said...

Joe Kennedy Jr. , older brother of President John F Kennedy.

Berowne said...

Uberrhund is the latest to join us with the right answer.

Jae Rose said...

Major James Doolittle?

Sheilagh Lee said...

what a brave man and a very sad story but I knew at once it was Joesph P. Kennedy.

Old Egg said...

This was the favourite son of Joseph Kennedy, Joseph Kennedy Jnr. His father hoped he might be president material, however his younger brother John Kennedy got there instead.

Berowne said...

Sheilagh Lee and oldegg - two more with right answers.

Alice Audrey said...

Sounds like a Kennedy to me.

Berowne said...

The latest with the right answer: Alice Audrey.

Altonian said...

Joseph Patrick Kennedy Jr.

Berowne said...

Altonian also has checked in with the correct answer.

 
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