World War 2 Trivia

120+ Best World War 2 Trivia Questions & Answers

Mike Oberman

Updated: July 4th, 2023

Discover fascinating facts and little-known details about World War 2 with over 148 trivia questions that will challenge your historical knowledge and keep you entertained for hours!

General World War 2 Trivia

Question: Which country suffered the largest number of civilian deaths?

Answer: Soviet Union

Question: Which town in the British midlands was destroyed during a German air raid in November 1940?

Answer: Coventry

Question: Germany launched the first V1 Flying Rockets at Britain in what year?

Answer: 1944

Question: The town of Flanders, one of the key battle areas in World War II, is in which country?

Answer: Belgium

Question: At which World War II Conference did the Allies set the terms of the Japanese surrender?

Answer: Potsdam

Question: In what year, Winston Churchill became UK Prime Minister upon Neville Chamberlain's resignation?

Answer: 1940

Question: In May 1941, Vidkund Quisling became Head of State in which country?

Answer: Norway

Question: What was the name originally given to what became Britain's 'Home Guard'?

Answer: Local Defence Volunteers

World War 2 Events Trivia

Question: In what year was the famous Dambuster Raid carried out?

Answer: 1943

Question: What was the number of John F Kennedy's PT Boat that was rammed and sunk by a Japanese Destroyer in 1943?

Answer: 109

Question: In World War II Operation Sea Lion was Adolf Hitler's plan to invade which country?

Answer: Britain

Question: In World War II, what were the V1 and V2?

Answer: German Missiles

Question: How long did World War II last for?

Answer: 6 years 1 day

Question: In what year did Italy invade Greece?

Answer: 1940

Question: Britain declared war on Nazi Germany In what year?

Answer: 1939

Question: The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour took place in December of which year?

Answer: 1941

Question: The Potsdam Conference began in which month in 1945?

Answer: July

Question: Which action by Germany in 1939 prompted Britain and France to declare war?

Answer: German attack on Poland

Question: In 1944, what was the July 20 Plot?

Answer: Assassinate Hitler

Question: Italy declared war on Germany In what year?

Answer: 1943

Question: During World War II, what did British Prime Minister Winston Churchill's 'V' sign symbolize?

Answer: Victory

Question: In February 1942, SS Normandie caught fire and capsized in which harbor?

Answer: New York

Question: Franklin D Roosevelt died suddenly in which month of 1945?

Answer: April

Question: In what year did Winston Churchill make his 'Never was so much owed by so many to so few' speech?

Answer: 1940

Question: What was the name given by the British to the period in World War II between declaration of war and outbreak of major military operations?

Answer: Phoney War

Question: Mussolini was arrested and relieved from office In what year?

Answer: 1943

Question: In what year did World War II begin?

Answer: 1939

Question: In what year did Japan conquer Singapore?

Answer: 1942

Question: Which RAF squadron carried out the Dambuster raid?

Answer: 617

Question: How many Sullivan Brothers were killed when the USS Juneau was sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal?

Answer: 5

Question: Which was the only part of the British Isles to be occupied by Germany during World War II?

Answer: Channel Islands

Question: On which country did the USA drop two atomic bombs at the end of World War II?

Answer: Japan

Question: The Japanese surrender was signed on a ship in which city?

Answer: Tokyo

Question: In what year did Germany annex Austria, one of the key events leading to World War II?

Answer: 1938

Question: What was the name of the German air force during World War II?

Answer: Luftwaffe

Question: What was the name of the dictator who led Italy during World War II?

Answer: Benito Mussolini

Question: What was the family name of the group of brothers killed during the sinking of the USS Juneau at the Battle of Guadalcanal?

Answer: Sullivan

Question: In what year did the Battle of Kursk take place?

Answer: 1943

Question: The Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact was a peace deal signed with which nation in 1939?

Answer: Germany

Question: The Battle of Britain began In what year?

Answer: 1940

Atomic Bombs Trivia

Question: What was the name of the aircraft that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?

Answer: Enola Gay

Question: What is the name of the project that built the first nuclear weapon?

Answer: Manhattan Project

Question: What was the codename for the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki in 1945?

Answer: Fat Man

Question: What was the codename for the atomic bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima?

Answer: Little Boy

Question: After the end of World War II, Germany was divided into how many zones of occupation?

Answer: 4

Key Figures in World War 2 Trivia

Question: Which heavyweight boxer famously fought in the US Army during World War II?

Answer: Joe Louis

Question: Who attacked Russia in the Battle of Lake Khasan?

Answer: Japan

Question: What title did Adolf Hitler bestow on himself after gaining power in Nazi Germany?

Answer: Fuhrer

Question: Who became Reich President when Hitler committed suicide?

Answer: Karl Donitz

Question: Admiral Yamamoto died following what?

Answer: His plane was shot down

Question: Who was the US Ambassador to the UK at the outbreak of World War II?

Answer: Joseph P Kennedy

Question: Which Prime Minister informed the British public that the country was at war with Germany, in a radio announcement?

Answer: Neville Chamberlain

Question: Who was the controversial leader of Italy during World War II?

Answer: Benito Mussolini

Question: How did Adolf Hitler die?

Answer: Suicide

Question: The Japanese Instrument of Surrender was signed aboard which ship?

Answer: USS Missouri

Question: Where did the signing of the Japanese surrender take place, bringing the close of World War II?

Answer: U.S.S. Missouri

Question: Winston Churchill first became UK Prime Minister in what year?

Answer: 1940

Question: What was the name of the British establishment where German codes were broken?

Answer: Bletchley Park

Question: Which Soviet general led the West Front counterattack against Germany?

Answer: Georgi Zhukov

Question: Which US President authorized the atomic bombing of Japan?

Answer: Truman

Question: In which country were the majority of the Nazi extermination camps during World War II?

Answer: Poland

Question: Neville Chamberlain resigned as UK Prime Minister in what year?

Answer: 1940

Question: In February 1942, President Roosevelt ordered General Douglas MacArthur to invade which country?

Answer: Philippines

World War 2 Equipment Trivia

Question: Which American aircraft had the nickname Stratofortress?

Answer: B-52

Question: U-boat was the code name for a type of what?

Answer: German submarine

Question: What was the codename for the first atomic bomb test in New Mexico?

Answer: Trinity

Question: What was the code name for the first atomic bomb ever detonated?

Answer: Trinity

Question: What was the name of the B-29 bomber that dropped the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima?

Answer: Enola Gay

Question: Which Japanese city was the atomic bomb first dropped on?

Answer: Hiroshima

Question: What was the name of the aircraft that dropped an atomic bomb on Nagasaki?

Answer: Bockscar

Question: What were the V1 and V2?

Answer: German rockets

Question: What was the codename for the Japanese fighter aircraft used during World War II?

Answer: Zero

Question: Which American aircraft had the nickname Flying Fortress?

Answer: B-17

Allies and Axis Powers Trivia

Question: Which of the following countries was not invaded by the Axis Powers during the war?

Answer: United States

Question: After the Japanese surrender, who took command of the Japanese Government?

Answer: General MacArthur

Question: Which two countries were the first to declare war on Germany in 1939?

Answer: Britain and France

Question: How did the U.S. officially enter World War II and specifically with Germany?

Answer: Germany declared war

Question: Which officer headed the American occupation of Japan at the conclusion of the war?

Answer: Douglas MacArthur

Question: In what year was US General Eisenhower appointed Supreme Allied Commander in Europe?

Answer: 1943

Question: After the Japanese surrender, on which date was there a worldwide celebration of V-J Day?

Answer: August 15th

Question: Which of the following countries surrendered last to the Allies?

Answer: Japan

Question: In October 1941, US President Roosevelt approved a $1 billion Lend-Lease loan to which country?

Answer: Russia

Question: Because Churchill lost the British General Election in July 1945, who replaced him at Potsdam?

Answer: Clement Attlee

Military Strategies Trivia

Question: What was Germany's main strategy for trying to conquer Britain in World War II?

Answer: Aerial attack

Question: What was the name of an atomic bomb that was dropped over Japan?

Answer: Fat Man

Question: The Battle of Kursk is best described as which of these?

Answer: Tank battle

Question: What name was given to the 1943 Operation intended to break the siege of Leningrad?

Answer: Spark

Question: What was the codename for the Allied Invasion of Normandy in 1944?

Answer: Operation Overlord

Question: What was the codename for Germany's plan to invade Russia?

Answer: Operation Barbarossa

Question: America's top-secret Manhattan Project actually began in what year?

Answer: 1942

Question: What was the codename given to Germany's plan to invade Russia?

Answer: Operation Barbarossa

Question: Operation Typhoon was the codename for Germany's all-out offense against which city?

Answer: Moscow

World War 2 Leaders Trivia

Question: During World War II, The Duke of Windsor (formerly King Edward VIII) was made Governor of where?

Answer: Bahamas

Question: In June 1945, where was the United Nations Charter signed?

Answer: San Francisco

Question: The Yalta Conference in Crimea took place in which month in 1945?

Answer: February

Question: In which city was the formal surrender of all German forces accepted by the Allies?

Answer: Rheims

Question: In which country was Rudolf Hess captured by Allied Forces in May 1941?

Answer: Scotland

Question: In which country was the formal surrender of all German forces accepted by the Allies?

Answer: France

Question: In August 1941, Winston Churchill and US President Franklin D. Roosevelt secretly met - where?

Answer: Newfoundland

Question: In WW II, what was the main discussion point at the Tehran Conference?

Answer: Allied invasion of France

Question: The Tehran Conference between Roosevelt, Churchill, and Stalin started in which month of 1943?

Answer: November

Question: In World War II, what type of ships were Germany's Gneisenau and Scharnhorst?

Answer: Battleships

Question: Which ship was sunk by the Japanese shortly after delivering nuclear material to Tinian?

Answer: USS Indianapolis

Question: What was the name of the Japanese destroyer that rammed and sank John F Kennedy's PT boat in 1943?

Answer: Amagiri

Question: In World War II, what type of ship was Germany's Admiral Graf Spee?

Answer: Cruiser

Miscellaneous World War 2 Trivia

Question: The people of which island were awarded the George Cross by King George VI?

Answer: Malta

Question: Which of these countries was not a combatant during World War II?

Answer: Portugal

Question: Which of these countries was not a combatant during World War II?

Answer: Ireland

Question: In the 1950s, there was a huge rise in the production of what following World War II?

Answer: Babies

Question: On which date in 1945 was the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki?

Answer: August 9th

Question: Greenland was occupied by which country in April 1941?

Answer: USA

Question: Paris was liberated in which month in 1944?

Answer: August

Question: Who was Pope at the outbreak of World War II in 1939?

Answer: Pius XII

Question: In April 1945, Benito Mussolini was executed in which city?

Answer: Milan

Question: In 1940, Germany's Jews were ordered to wear what color stars for identification?

Answer: Yellow

Question: On the day Winston Churchill became Prime Minister, Britain invaded which country?

Answer: Iceland