Everyone knows a little something about World War II, since it was the largest extended conflict that has ever taken place on the face of the Earth.
But there are lots of weird facts about the war, some of them hard to believe. Test your knowledge against these.
Germany Built a Cannon to Shoot Across the English Channel
The V-3 Cannon, also known as the Vergeltungswaffe 3 (Vengeance Weapon 3) was a large caliber gun (so large, in fact, that it was built in a series of tunnels and had a fixed point of aim, at London) which was planned to be used in a bombardment of the city.
Prior to its planned use, it was damaged so badly by Allied air raids that it could not be deployed. But it is an interesting footnote in the history of World War II, not unlike the Paris Gun that the Germans built in the First World War, and did (technically) use to some degree of success.
Japan Had Holdouts Till the 70s
The tenacity of Imperial Japanese soldiers and sailors was a point of note, and there were many holdouts on remote islands long after the war ended.
But there was at least one holdout, Teruo Nakamura, who remained in hiding and still believed the war was going on until he was finally discovered in 1974, nearly 30 years after the war reached its conclusion. Other notable holdouts include Hiroo Onoda (also found in 1974) and Kinshichi Kozuka and Shoichi Yokoi, both found in 1972.
There Was a Planned (and Scrapped) Invasion of the Japanese Home Islands
Operation Overlord, better known in colloquy as the D-Day Landings, came to fruition on the other side of the world and was responsible for the eventual defeat of the Axis powers in Europe.
But Operation Downfall, the planned invasion of the Japanese home islands, was scrapped after two atomic bombs were dropped on Japan and the empire surrendered.
Operation Downfall was slated to capture Kyushu, which would then be used as a staging point for the capture of Honshu. The plan would have involved over a million personnel, was projected to inflict Allied casualties in the hundreds of thousands (if not higher) and would have been the largest amphibious assault in history.
There Was a Battle in Which Americans and Germans Fought Side by Side
In the Battle of Castle Itter, American and German soldiers joined forces against an assaulting party of Waffen-SS soldiers, in order to defend the lives of several prominent prisoners of war, of whom two were former French prime ministers.
Native American Languages Were One of the Keys to Allied Encryption
Native American code talkers, who spoke codes based on their native languages, such as Hopi, Navajo and Choctaw, were instrumental in keeping American operations clandestine during the Second World War. The development of the code was so closely guarded that the project was not declassified until 1968, and the code was so closely guarded, complex and cryptic that it was never broken.
Original Items Are Not the Only Way to Own a Piece of History
For those that are interested in owning a piece of history, authentic, original World War II memorabilia is not the only way to do so. High quality historical reenactment clothing and field gear represents another viable avenue.
Historical reenactment clothing, uniforms, field gear, and other reproduction items such as those produced by At The Front are often more affordable than originals, nearly indistinguishable, and built to a high level of authenticity and quality.
If you’re put off by intimidatingly high prices of originals, look into a reproduction supplier and see what they offer. You may be able to enrich your collection with a high quality reproduction that’s a fraction of the cost of the original and looks newer anyway.
For more information about Wwii Equipment and Ww2 Roughout Boots Please visit: At the Front, LLC.