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Pacific Shipwrecks Trivia Quiz

The Pacific is the largest ocean and has seen untold losses and tales of tragedy. Sail into the Deep Blue Sea and see what you know about Pacific shipwrecks.

A multiple-choice quiz by Marcuspug. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
Marcuspug

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
344,656

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
214

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. We'll start in the "Heart of the Sea". Sunk by an enraged whale in 1820, this Nantucket Whaleship was the basis for Herman Melville's "Moby Dick". The crew endured three months in whaleboats and resorted to cannibalism before rescue. Hint

Bounty

Pequod

Essex

Nantucket Sleigh

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Question 2 of 10

2. Let's head west toward land and a long voyage across the Pacific. Built in Scotland and one of New Zealand's inter-island ferries, this ship grounded and rolled on her side near Wellington in April of 1968. 53 passengers died trying to reach the nearby shore. Hint

Wahine

Pakeha

Sydney

Dresden

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Question 3 of 10

3. Back to sea and heading north. This freightship named after an English county disappeared in 1980 during a typhoon. Lost with all hands and the wives of two crew-members, she was later found and determined to have sunk because of improperly closed deck hatches. Hint

HMS Norfolk

MV Derbyshire

HMS Belfast

MV Edinburgh

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Question 4 of 10

4. While we're in the mid-pacific, let's look at a submarine disaster. The Soviet K-129 sank in 1968 with all hands. A top secret CIA operation attempted to raise her. What cover was given for the work of the salvage ship "Hughes Glomar Explorer?" Hint

The U. S. Navy was searching for Nemo.

An American submarine was lost and they were trying to recover the remains of the crew.

She was to find and mine manganese nodules from the ocean floor.

The salvage operation was supported and paid for by the Soviet Union

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Question 5 of 10

5. Heading towards land, we're at Bikini Atoll and the site of the atomic bomb tests on naval vessels in 1946. This battle-scarred, veteran aircraft carrier of WWII was sunk by the explosion. Named after a famous event in the American Revolutionary War she was the... Hint

USS Hornet

USS Antietam

USS Saratoga

USS Gettysburg

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Question 6 of 10

6. Cross the Pacific to another small island. In 1915 at Robinson Crusoe Island, out of ammunition and broken down, this German light cruiser scuttled herself to avoid capture by the Royal Navy. Hint

Graf Spee

Bismarck

Admiral Canaris

Dresden

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Question 7 of 10

7. Back to the high seas. Typhoon Cobra was responsible for sinking several U. S. Naval vessels in 1944. The event was in part basis for Herman Wouk's "The Caine Mutiny". What U.S. Navy Admiral was branded with the typhoon that marred an otherwise brilliant career? Hint

Admiral John Jellicoe

Admiral Husband Kimmel

Admiral Sir Joseph Porter KCB

Admiral William Halsey

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Question 8 of 10

8. Now to the American Coast. The "Brother Jonathan" was lost near Crescent City, California in 1865. Along with the tragic loss of 225 passengers and crew was millions of dollars in gold. Most of the gold has still not been recovered due to difficult currents and heavy seas. What famous American Lighthouse now protects the area? Hint

St. George Reef

Eddystone Light

Alcatraz Light

Bell Rock

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Question 9 of 10

9. Travelling down the California coast we come to Honda Point near Santa Barbara. What ships were lost there in 1923? Hint

The French supersubmarine "Surcouf" and an American S-Class submarine

Two oil tankers were involved in a collision.

Seven U. S. Navy destroyers ran aground at high speed.

The U. S. Navy ship "Benevolence" ran into the local fishing fleet sinking several craft.

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Question 10 of 10

10. Finally back across the Pacific to near where we started. She was built in England and famous for breadfruit, a tyrannical Captain, and a mutiny. This vessel was burned and sunk off Pitcairn Island. What was her name? Hint

The Bounty

The Hesperus

The Pinafore

The Essex

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Essex

An horrific tale of a whale attack and being cast adrift thousands of miles from land, "In the Heart of the Sea; The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex" by Nathanial Philbrick is an amazing read!

Answer: Wahine

The storm was so severe across most of New Zealand that it is still termed the "Wahine Storm". The author remembers it vividly from the age of six.

Answer: MV Derbyshire

She started taking water on in the bow, then each cargo hold. When too much water had come aboard, she broke apart and rapidly sank.

Answer: She was to find and mine manganese nodules from the ocean floor.

Millions of dollars was spent and only the bow was retrieved. Much of the information on the salvage of K-129 is still classified.

Answer: USS Saratoga

An ignoble end to a beautiful ship. She was tough and took some time to finally sink.

6. Cross the Pacific to another small island. In 1915 at Robinson Crusoe Island, out of ammunition and broken down, this German light cruiser scuttled herself to avoid capture by the Royal Navy.

Answer: Dresden

The Dresden was the only cruiser to escape the Royal Navy at the Battle of the Falkland Islands. Before that she participated in the destruction of the British ships at the Battle of Coronel. Lt Canaris was an officer assigned to the Dresden. He later became head of the German Military Intelligence Service, and a plotter against Hitler.

Answer: Admiral William Halsey

Admiral Jellicoe commanded the Royal Navy High Seas Fleet at the Battle of Jutland.
Admiral Kimmel commanded the U. S. Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor.
And Admiral Porter was of course the Monarch of the Sea from "HMS Pinafore."

Answer: St. George Reef

Alcatraz Lighthouse is in San Francisco Bay. The Eddystone Light is one of England's most famous lighthouses, and the Bell Rock is off Scotland.

9. Travelling down the California coast we come to Honda Point near Santa Barbara. What ships were lost there in 1923?

Answer: Seven U. S. Navy destroyers ran aground at high speed.

The course of the destroyers could have been offset in part by the Great Tokyo Earthquake occuring a few days before.

Answer: The Bounty

Captain Bligh was not as bad a tyrant as made out by Hollywood. He was also an expert mariner who, after being cast adrift by the mutineers, navigated a small boat of loyal crew-members over a thousand miles to safety.

Source: Author Marcuspug

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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