The official AHF (European) Axis Nations quiz thread

[AVV]

Good evening!
It was general Petre Dumitrescu. See the link:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petre_Dumitrescu

Best regards, Aleks

[Robb]

Hi Aleks,

Hope your well! Correct answer so over to you now.
http://www.worldwar2.ro/generali/?article=98
regards Robb

[AVV]

Good evening!

Please, name the pilot to the right (I mean, closer to the plane). Hope, it will be an easy task.
http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/aleksrabin ... 008?page=0

Best regards, Aleks

[A Sombra]

Who was head of the Croatian Orthodox Church?

The ONLY "head" of the Croatian Orthodox Church was Metropolitan Germogen (Grigori Ivanovich Maximov, 1861-1945) of Sarajevo. Althought technically he was a monk (because ALL Bishops in the Orthodox Church must be monks), he had not specifically been only a monk since 1910, when he had been consecrated Bishop of Aksaisk, Vicar of the Kishinev Diocese. Later he became an Archbishop, so, the correct way to describe him would be: "The head of the Croatian Orthodox Church was the Russian Archbishop Germogen (Grigori Ivanovich Maximov, 1861-1945) of Ekaterinoslav & Novomoskovsk. Upon assuming the position of head of the Croatian Orthodox Church, His title was "Metropolitan Germogen of Zagreb & the Croatian Orthodox Church."

Also, Metropolitan Germogen largely took upon himself this position hopefully to save lives and make it easier for the Orthodox in Ustashi Croatia to be ale to practice their Orthodox Faith without persecution. The persecution at the outset wasa horribly barbaric, even the Nazis were repelled by the utter cruelty and rapacity of the Ustashi against the Orthodox Serbs. Though the Croatian Orthodox Church, by it own constitution, was supposed to be led by a Patriarch, Vladika Germogen understood beforehand that he would NOT be named "Patriarch," as the Ustashi were saving that title for a Croatian Bishop. Count Yuri Pavlovich Grabbe, Secretary of the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Ooutside of Russia (later Bishop Gregory of Washington & Florida, 8 Apr 1902-24 Sep/07 Oct 1995), although very opposed to Vladika Germogen's assuming leadership of the Croatian Orthodox Church, would not lie or slander Metropolitan Germogen, and admitted freely that Vladika Germogen had altruitstic motives behind leading the Croatian Church-the Ustashi had told him that if he declined the offer, many Orthodox Serbs would die beacuse of his refusal, as the offer to Vladika Germogen was the second offer made. The first time the offer was "put on the table," it was made to Archbishop Feofan (Feodor Georgievich Gavrilov, 26 Dec 1872-18 Jun 1943) of Kursk & Oboyansk, who, like Archbishop Germogen, was living a quiet retirement at the Lesna Convent (a Russian Convent), which was at that time using the grounds and buildings of the Hopovo Monastery of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Archbishop Feofil flatly refused the offer. He was perhaps more worried about the canonical question (the creation of a "Church" by a civil government is totally "uncanonical," or to put it plainly, "illegal" according to Orthodox Church rules and regulations. He was also quite sensitive to the reaction of the Serbian Orthodox Church. Since 1920, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia (those Russian clergy and laymen who had left Russia after the end of the Russian Civil War-the so-called "White Russians," who opposed bolshevism) had been living in Serbia thanks to the hospitality of the Serbian government and the Serbian Orthodox Church-offending the Serbian Church would also cause offense to the government, and possibly cause the welcome mat to be yanked out from under the Russians feet! As it turned out, the hierarchy of the Serbian Church understood that Archbishpop Germogen had acted solely on his own-the Synod of Bishops of the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia had defrocked him almost immediately upon his acceptance of the position within the Coratian Orthodox Church-an act which caused this Russian Exile Church trouble with the Ustashi and the Nazis-they would not allow the news of Germogen's being defrocked to be published in Church periodicals, nor announced in the churches.

Of course, to say that Metropolitan Germogen was the only "head" of the Croatian Orthodox Church ignores the facts in a way. It ignores the facts that: the Croatian Orthodox Church was unlike any other Orthodox Church in that it had been recently created by a totalitarian government; the Croatian Church was not truly admionistered by its hierarchy, but by the Ustashi government; and, finally, the future of the Croatian Church depended solely upon the outcome of the war-if the Axis Powers won the war, the Croatian Orthodox Church would most likely continue its existence for some time; if the Axis Powers lost the war, the Croatian Church would be immediately liquidated. Although I dount that anyone could have predicted the executions of Metropolitan Germogen and Bishop Spiridon-it is difficult to understand why Tito's partisans would execute two clerics who headed a Croatian Church. No doubt Tito's communist partisans were anti-church, but they were almost marching in lockstewp with the Serbian Church in the rush to liquidate the Croatian Church. So, the point could be made that the "Glavnik" was the "head" of the Croatian Orthodox Church.

Did you have someone else in mind?

[dragos03]

Good evening!

Please, name the pilot to the right (I mean, closer to the plane). Hope, it will be an easy task.
http://fotki.yandex.ru/users/aleksrabin ... 008?page=0

Best regards, Aleks

I will reply to this, to keep the contest alive. It's the top Romanian ace, Bazu Cantacuzino.

[AVV]

Good evening, Dragos03!

To keep this quiz alive is a really good idea, IMHO.
Your answer is correct, the photo was taken from www.airwar.ru.
So, now is your turn to ask (if you wish, of course ).

Best regards. Aleks

[dragos03]

Ok, next question then.

What minor Axis ship survived one of the heaviest combined land/air/naval attacks against a single ship in WW2?

[dragos03]

Is the question too hard?

Hint: it happened during the evacuation of Sevastopol in 1944.

[AVV]

Good evening, Dragos03!

Yes, your question is really hard, but I hope the hint will be helpful. So, is it SMR Dacia - http://www.worldwar2.ro/arme/?article=254

Best regards, Aleks

[dragos03]

Thanks for trying, but it's not the Dacia. It was another ship during the same operation, you are really close to the answer.

[AVV]

Good evening, Dragos03!

Well...The Romanian Navy was relatively small, so one may guess the right answer by simply listing its ships one by one Nevertheless, I'll make more rational try. So, is this ship NMS Regele Ferdinand? Quote:
"The destroyer NMS Regele Ferdinand, after being lightly damaged by a 76.2 mm shell during the night, was the target of no less than 33 air attacks between 0600 and 1030 hours. The low altitude attacks were repelled using the 120 mm main guns, while the AA artillery shot down several enemy aircraft. At 0930 hours, a Soviet 152 mm battery targeted the destroyer. Lt. cmdr. Titus Samson, the ship's captain, ordered immediately to put the engines in full reverse, avoiding the next salvo, which would have undoubtedly hit the vessel. The 120 mm guns returned fire and their shells fell close to the positions of the enemy battery, silencing it. Eventually the Regele Ferdinand was hit beneath the waterline by a bomb that didn't go off, but made a hole in one of the fuel tanks. With 11 members of the crew killed and 28 wounded, plus 10 dead passengers and many more wounded, loosing fuel, the destroyer set out for Constanta at 1030 hours, being continuously attacked by aircraft. En route it picked up 6 Germans and two Romanians on a raft. They were survivors from the Teja. NMS Regele Ferdinand arrived in the vicinity of Constanta. Because it ran out of fuel, it had to be towed to port." (http://www.worldwar2.ro/operatii/?article=776)

Best regards, Aleks

[dragos03]

That is correct Your turn now.

I would add that the destroyer was kept an additional day at Sevastopol on purpose, since it attracted most enemy air attacks. That allowed the more vulnerable small warships and merchantmen to continue the evacuation.

[AVV]

Thanks, Dragos03!

So, my question is: what is the connection between this order and one of the minor Axis nations?

Best regards, Aleks

[AVV]

Well, no one willing to participate?

Still, I'll give a hint: a high statesman of one Axis minor nation was awarded with this order.

Best regards, Aleks

[dragos03]

I'll answer again, to keep it alive...

It's the Pobeda Order and King Michael I of Romania was one of the few foreigners to receive it. (and also the only recipient of the order that is still alive)