World Warships in History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Theodore Roosevelt

Sent around the world by President Theodore Roosevelt from 16 December 1907 to 22 February 1909, it consisted of sixteen new battleships of the Atlantic Fleet. The battleships were painted white except for gilded scrollwork on their bows. Manned by over 14,000 seamen and officers, they covered 43,000 miles and made 26 ports of call on six continents. Only later was it to become known as the 'Great White Fleet'.

Answer: Austria-Hungary

The Jean Bart was hit in the bow and damaged by a torpedo from Austrian submarine U-12 on Dec 14 1914. She managed to stay afloat and make it to Malta. The ship was not screened by destroyers, a major error. If nothing else it showed the navy the power of the submarine to influence surface ship strategy and tactics.

Answer: All main gun turrets were missing

Resting fully upright on the bottom, the Bismarck was in remarkably good condition after suffering over two hours of pounding by British Battleships and Cruisers. Robert D. Ballard also found the remains of SS Titanic. If you would like to see a picture of Bismarck showing the missing turrets please e-mail me and I will send address.

Answer: Dec 10, 1941

With HMS Hood, HMS Prince of Wales had fought the German battleship Bismarck and heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in May 1941. Hood was lost and Prince of Wales damaged. Shortly after the Pearl Harbour attack, HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse became the first battleship and battlecruiser sunk in action by airplanes at sea in WWII.

Answer: IJN Shinano

Shinano, a 68059-ton aircraft carrier, was converted from a battleship while under construction at Yokosuka, Japan. She was the largest aircraft carrier built. Hastily completed because of the severe losses of Japanese carriers in previous battles, it was sunk on Nov 29 1944 by the U.S. submarine Archerfish.

Answer: Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd

The battleship USS Arizona, 31,400 tons, was hit by two torpedoes and several bombs, one bomb penetrated her forecastle and detonated her forward ammunition magazines. The resulting massive explosion totally wrecked the ship's forward hull, collapsing her forward superstructure and causing her to sink, with the loss of over 1100 of her crewmen including Rear Admiral Isaac C. Kidd.

A complete loss, the ship remains as a tomb for those lost and is now a national memorial.

Answer: USS Lexington

Planes from heavy Japanese carriers Shokaku and Zuikaku hit Lexington with two torpedoes on the port side and several bombs within minutes of each other producing a seven degree list to port and several raging fires. Damage crews managed to stablize her but shortly after, a huge explosion caused by gasoline vapors igniting, doomed the ship. Abandoned, she was sunk by destroyers of the U.S. Navy during the Battle of the Java Sea.

Answer: First ship hit by a guided missile

The ship was actually attacked with two FX bombs.

The one which caused the sinking struck the ship, penetrating a magazine, which then detonated. The second FX landed in the sea off the Roma's starboard bow.

Answer: Great Britain

Great Britain was concerned that the French Navy, being controlled by the Vichy French sympathetic to Germany constituted a threat. On July 3 1940, British battleships HMS Valiant and HMS Resolution and battlecruiser HMS Hood attacked French battleships and battlecruisers in port to prevent their capture by the Germans. Provence and Dunkerque were damaged, Bretagne sunk. Strasbourg escaped.

Answer: 12

British losses included the battlecruisers Indefatigable, Queen Mary and Invincible, the heavy cruisers Black Prince, Defence and Warrior. Germany lost the battlecruiser Lützow, the battleship Pommern, and light cruisers Elbing, Frauenlob, Rostock and Wiesbaden. Jutland was the largest modern engagement between two nations and but for chance and miscommunications could have resulted in much greater losses by both sides.