Anyone know the answer to this?

[PiNs_Da_Smoka 0]

I think people are over analyzing the answer. I think Red Oct should just tell us the answer, or else we are all going to sit here and make idiots of ourselves trying to figure it out.

[theavonlady 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Red Oct @ Jan. 12 2003,01:54)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">both the elderly English and French man had a disability, but under this unique circimstances it was really a very BIG advantange.<span id='postcolor'>

They were deaf and didn't here the hundreds of machine gun bullets wizzing past their ears.

Seriously, does it have something to do with color blindness?

Or were they blind and the light wasn't on but they heard the clinking of the signal lights?

[HK (HunterKiller) 0]

They both had Photophobia, caused by detached retinas that were caused by all the exploding shells they came across in the trenches during the great war. *COUGH*

[Assault (CAN) 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Did they shine the light in the air and bounce it off the low level of clouds?<span id='postcolor'>

I stand by my argument.

How else would a low level overcast sky be an advantage in this situation?

Or maybe their eyesight is so bad that they have to be next to eachother to see the light?

[FSPilot 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Assault (CAN) @ Jan. 12 2003,13:28)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">How else would a low level overcast sky be an advantage in this situation?<span id='postcolor'>

Covers up the moon.

The moon is a huge source of light.  I remember flying once at night with a full moon, looking out the window on the wing you could see the shadow of the fuselage from the moon.  Kind of surprised me, I never thought the moon was so bright.

*howls*

[Assault (CAN) 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Covers up the moon.<span id='postcolor'>

From the story:</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">There's no moon this night<span id='postcolor'>

It was a moonless night. Or maybe it isn't?

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">and the thick overcast is an unexpected yet welcome measure of security.

<span id='postcolor'>

[PiNs_Da_Smoka 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Jan. 12 2003,08:06)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Or were they deaf and the light wasn't on but they heard the clinking of the signal lights? <span id='postcolor'>

They were deaf....but they heard the clinking of the lights.......riiiiight......

[Tex -USMC- 0]

The old men both have glaucoma. One of the symptoms of glaucoma is that colored rings form around lights, allowing them to see and zero in on much fainter lights that people with normal vision couldn't see as well.

EDIT: Or the German shore patrol was taking the night off. Or both.

[theavonlady 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (PiNs_Da_Smoka @ Jan. 12 2003,09:50)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Jan. 12 2003,08)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Or were they deaf and the light wasn't on but they heard the clinking of the signal lights? <!--emo&<span id='postcolor'>

They were deaf....but they heard the clinking of the lights.......riiiiight......  <span id='postcolor'>

Oops. I meant blind. How dumb!

[PiNs_Da_Smoka 0]

Silly lady.......

But, i still stand by my answer. I have not yet been clarified if it really meant German occupied or not. Personally, i think that Red Oct was misleading us on purpose, and that the answer was already in the riddle, as most are.

[red oct 2]

tex seems to have to closest anwer

this is click and clacks answer to their puzzle:

Both the old men had cateracts in their eyes. and both had surgery to have it treated. the lights both the old men used were infrared lights. because they had cateract surgery, only the old men were able to see the infrared light and not any of the young germans.

[red oct 2]

heres another WWII puzzler from the Tappet brothers:

Why did the Japanese develope a .31 caliber rifle right after hostilities broke out between Japan and the U.S.?

[theavonlady 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Red Oct @ Jan. 12 2003,19:37)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">heres another WWII puzzler from the Tappet brothers:

Why did the Japanese develope a .31 caliber rifle right after hostilities broke out between Japan and the U.S.?<span id='postcolor'>

That's easy!

To shoot at the Americans.

[red oct 2]

heh, well the reason did have to do american soldiers. its a pretty simple answer.

[ralphwiggum 6]

cause we were a lot stronger in terms of physical strength?

[Albert Schweitzer 10]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Assault (CAN) @ Jan. 12 2003,08:50)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">Covers up the moon.<span id='postcolor'>

From the story:</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">There's no moon this night<span id='postcolor'>

It was a moonless night. Or maybe it isn't?

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">and the thick overcast is an unexpected yet welcome measure of security.

<span id='postcolor'><span id='postcolor'>

The moon moves from west to east so the man could only cover the moon early during the evening when it appears to come out of the sea.(if travelling from UK to France). But have you ever seen a boat that is more than 200 metres away and still covers the moon?

My first assumption would have been that thermic-fluctuations would have steered the light into a different direction (just like a phatamorgana).

My second assumption would have to do with the eyes. If you stand inside a house with good light, or looking into the light of the moon then your eyes can still see colors, but see less light. But if there is little light around you, then your eyes turn off color-sight but your eyes become more sensitive. This is simply due to the reason that the little black&white sensors in your eyes work better than those for colors. So without yoking I would say that the guards inside a guard tower with certain light would see less than those in the dark.  

3rd assumption. As you know are fisherman fishing at night with light. Maybe the germans thought someone would be fishing and maybe they even thought the old man had Parkinson and so he had problems to keep the finger on the light-switch, therefore the flashing

[red oct 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (RalphWiggum @ Jan. 12 2003,19:01)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">cause we were a lot stronger in terms of physical strength? <span id='postcolor'>

no it didn't have to do w/ that, it had to do w/ a rather simple stradegy. out of all the calibers the Japanese could have could have built for their infintry, why did they choose a .31?

[ralphwiggum 6]

cause we were using .308 winchester?

[theavonlady 2]

I know the answer!

I cheated.

[ralphwiggum 6]

hey i got it first!

but on serious note NEVER EVER use different calibers. i posted my scaring expereience when some idiot used .40S&W for his .45

BAAAAAAAADDD idea..

[ran 0]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (Red Oct @ Jan. 12 2003,19:17)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE"></span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (RalphWiggum @ Jan. 12 2003,19)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">cause we were a lot stronger in terms of physical strength? <!--emo&<span id='postcolor'>

no it didn't have to do w/ that, it had to do w/ a rather simple stradegy. out of all the calibers the Japanese could have could have built for their infintry, why did they choose a .31?<span id='postcolor'>

the cartridges were too big for US weapons and the US cartridges for US weapons could be fired with some adaptation . dunno

oops didn't see the avon's link

[red oct 2]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote (theavonlady @ Jan. 12 2003,19:27)</td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">I know the answer!

I cheated.  <span id='postcolor'>

HEEEEEEEEEEEY! NO FAIR!

[Tex -USMC- 0]

My favorite Car-Talk puzzler was this one:

During World War I, the British were suffering an enormous amount of deaths, and a disproportionally high percentage were caused by head wounds. To that effect, they started introducing the steel helmet. Several months after the helmet's introduction, the British were surprised to see the number of soldiers with head wounds in hospitals shoot up over 100%!

So, what the hell? Why did this happen? (If you listened to this particular Car Talk, let the other guys have a chance)

[red oct 2]

no hints? was it because the helmets reflected any light source giving away their location?

[Assault (CAN) 1]

</span><table border="0" align="center" width="95%" cellpadding="3" cellspacing="1"><tr><td>Quote </td></tr><tr><td id="QUOTE">cause we were using .308 winchester? <span id='postcolor'>

That didn't exist back then, the U.S. used .30-06