FREE! Click here to Join FunTrivia. Thousands of games, quizzes, and lots more!

Quiz about World War Two Aces of the Deep Germany

World War Two - Aces of the Deep: Germany Quiz

It takes a special kind of soldier to serve on a submarine, especially so in the German U-boats of World War Two. Once you put to sea, you had a 80% change of staying there - forever.

A multiple-choice quiz by MrRadt. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
MrRadt

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
367,183

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
5 / 10

Plays
206

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. On 25 November 1941, the HMS Barham was sunk in the Mediterranean sea, north of Sidi Barrani, Egypt. The U-boat and commander responsible were? Hint

U-331 (Hans Dieter Freiherr von Tiesenhausen)

U-47 (Gunther Prien)

U-57 (Claus Korth)

U-142 (Joachim Otto Krieg)

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. Who was the youngest U-boat commander on combat patrol during World War Two? Hint

G�nther Ney

Ludwig von Friedeburg

Gerhard Conrad

Hermann Hofmann

NEXT>

Question 3 of 10

3. In 16 patrols with U-23 and U-99 I sank 46 ships, totalling 273,043 tons. My motto was "one ship, one torpedo". I am the "Tonnage King". Who am I? Hint

Erich Topp

Ernst Kals

Werner Hartmann

Otto Kretschmer

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. On the night of 14 October 1939 the British Admiralty was rocked by a shocking blow. U-47, commanded by G�nther Prien, sneaked in close and achieved the unimaginable. What was this feat? Hint

He crippled HMS Rodney with machine gun fire near Alexandria

He sank HMS Ark Royal in Tobruk harbour

He sank HMS Hood in the Atlantic

He sank HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow

5. The City of Cairo, Swiftsure, Fremaire, Surrey, L.J. Drake, together with over twenty other ships, with a total of 170,151 tons, was sunk by the same U-boat under the same command. It was? Hint

Werner Henke in U-515

Karl Friedrich Merten in U-68

Georg Lassen in U-29

Joachim Schepke in U-100

NEXT>

Question 6 of 10

6. Which one of these commanders was NOT one of the oldest serving commanders on the U-boat service? Hint

Rudolf Arendt

Walther Burghagen

Bruno Mann

Hermann Rigele

NEXT>

Question 7 of 10

7. Which U-boat commander became the captain of a nuclear freighter in 1964? Hint

Heinrich Lehmann- Willenbrock

Herbert Kuppisch

Gunther Krech

Erwin Rosten

NEXT>

Question 8 of 10

8. One of the last "Aces of the Deep" died in Spain in January 2012. Who was he? Hint

Carl Emmermann

Georg Lassen

Fritz Julius Lemp

Helmut Witte

NEXT>

Question 9 of 10

9. Which twice decorated U-boat commander who was extremely successful in sinking Allied shipping along the east coast of north America during Operation Drumbeat (1942), was honored militarily in 2012 at age of 99? Hint

Horst von Schroter

Reinhard Hardegen

Karl Heinz Mohle

Sigmund Budzyn

NEXT>

Question 10 of 10

10. By the end of the war, U-boats in the "Battle for the Atlantic" had sunk 2,900 ships, with over 14 million tons sent to the bottom. How many U-boats were lost achieving this? Hint

More than 1,300

Around 1,200

Around 800

Around 500

(Optional) Create a Free FunTrivia ID to save the points you are about to earn:

Select a User ID:

Choose a Password:

Your Email:

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. On 25 November 1941, the HMS Barham was sunk in the Mediterranean sea, north of Sidi Barrani, Egypt. The U-boat and commander responsible were?

Answer: U-331 (Hans Dieter Freiherr von Tiesenhausen)

The HMS Barham was on route to engage an Italian convoy when she was attacked by U-331 and struck in quick succession by three torpedos fired at less than 800 yards. While rolling over her magazines exploded and the ship sank rapidly beneath the waves with 860 of her crew.

2. Who was the youngest U-boat commander on combat patrol during World War Two?

Answer: Ludwig von Friedeburg

Ludwig Ferdinand von Friedeburg, born in 1924, son of Admiral Hans Georg von Friedeburg, was given command of U-155. When he put to sea in Lorient, France on 9 September 1944, he was 20 years and 111 days old.

3. In 16 patrols with U-23 and U-99 I sank 46 ships, totalling 273,043 tons. My motto was "one ship, one torpedo". I am the "Tonnage King". Who am I?

Answer: Otto Kretschmer

Otto Kretschmer was the most successful U-boat commander in terms of tonnage sunk. The sinking of HMS Darling in February 1940 and the three armed merchant cruisers - Laurentic, Patroclus and Forfar - eight months later are amongst his most notable successes.

In December 1941 he was decorated with the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords". In March 1941 his ship was badly damaged by HMS Walker and he was forced to surface. Kretschmer and 40 of his crew went into captivity.

4. On the night of 14 October 1939 the British Admiralty was rocked by a shocking blow. U-47, commanded by G�nther Prien, sneaked in close and achieved the unimaginable. What was this feat?

Answer: He sank HMS Royal Oak in Scapa Flow

After entering the heavily defended British naval base at Scapa Flow without being detected or entangled in anti-submarine netting, U-47 fired three torpedos at HMS Royal Oak lying at anchor in the middle of the Flow. A second volley of three torpedos caused her magazines to explode.

The battleship rolled over and was gone with 833 of her crew. U-47 made her escape to a hero's welcome in Germany. Prien was decorated with "Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves" before being lost at sea in March 1941.

5. The City of Cairo, Swiftsure, Fremaire, Surrey, L.J. Drake, together with over twenty other ships, with a total of 170,151 tons, was sunk by the same U-boat under the same command. It was?

Answer: Karl Friedrich Merten in U-68

Kapit�n zur See Merten commanded U-68 for the duration of the war. During September/October 1942 he sank over 100,000 tons of shipping of the coast of South Africa. Merten passed away in 1993.

6. Which one of these commanders was NOT one of the oldest serving commanders on the U-boat service?

Answer: Rudolf Arendt

Mann (54), Burghagen (52) and Rigele (51) were the three oldest U-boat commanders on active patrol duty during the war. Arendt was in fact one of the youngest at 21 years old.

7. Which U-boat commander became the captain of a nuclear freighter in 1964?

Answer: Heinrich Lehmann- Willenbrock

Lehmann-Willenbrock received the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves and was one of the top ten U-boat aces, credited with the sinking of 24 ships (170,237 tons). In 1982 he also served as an advisor on the set of the movie "Das Boot".

8. One of the last "Aces of the Deep" died in Spain in January 2012. Who was he?

Answer: Georg Lassen

Georg Lassen is generally accepted as the tenth greatest U-boat ace after G�nther Prien. He sank 156,082 tons of shipping in four patrols.

Answer: Reinhard Hardegen

Hardegen is credited with the sinking of 22 ships totaling 115,656 tons, the bulk of these being American.

10. By the end of the war, U-boats in the "Battle for the Atlantic" had sunk 2,900 ships, with over 14 million tons sent to the bottom. How many U-boats were lost achieving this?

Answer: Around 800

Nearly 800 U-boats were lost. This translate to more than 30,000 of the 39,000 German sailors that went to sea, never returned, making the U-boat arm the most dangerous of all in the German Armed Forces of World War Two.

Source: Author MrRadt

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
Any errors found in FunTrivia content are routinely corrected through our feedback system.