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Maritime Disasters Quizzes, Trivia and Puzzles
Maritime Disasters Quizzes, Trivia

Maritime Disasters Trivia

Maritime Disasters Trivia Quizzes

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Test your knowledge on the events that shook the maritime world, the heroic efforts of crews and rescuers, and the lessons learned from these tragic moments at sea. Let's set sail on this unforgettable journey through history's troubled waters!
35 Maritime Disasters quizzes and 365 Maritime Disasters trivia questions.
1.
  Maritime Accidents: Going Down in History   great trivia quiz  
Ordering Quiz
 10 Qns
In this quiz, we will recall 10 maritime accidents that had a great impact, either due to the number of victims, environmental impacts, or due to other tragic historical consequences. This quiz requires you to rank these accidents in chronological order.
Easier, 10 Qns, masfon, Jan 11 24
Easier
masfon gold member
Jan 11 24
327 plays
2.
  Shocking Maritime Disasters    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Match the name of the maritime disaster with the date and location it occurred.
Easier, 10 Qns, nmerr, Jun 19 23
Easier
nmerr gold member
Jun 19 23
213 plays
3.
  The Cause of the Problem   best quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Disasters at sea are not new, and unfortunately are not a thing of the past, either. Titanic struck an iceberg and sank, but was the iceberg the cause? We won't go into that here, but we will look at what caused a number of other maritime tragedies.
Average, 10 Qns, spanishliz, Mar 29 21
Average
spanishliz editor
Mar 29 21
3054 plays
4.
This is Your Captain Speaking
  This is Your Captain Speaking editor best quiz   popular trivia quiz  
Photo Quiz
 10 Qns
Shipwrecks are some of the most deadly disasters in history. Listen... This is your captain speaking.
Average, 10 Qns, Verne47, Nov 03 22
Average
Verne47
Nov 03 22
911 plays
5.
  Let's Talk About Wrecks   great trivia quiz  
Ordering Quiz
 10 Qns
Here are some famous shipwrecks throughout history. I've included the years they sank to help you. Can you place them in the correct order from earliest to most recent?
Easier, 10 Qns, rossian, Feb 26 22
Easier
rossian editor
Feb 26 22
353 plays
6.
  They Came to Grief    
Ordering Quiz
 10 Qns
Dates of Famous Shipwrecks
These vessels and/or their passengers all came to grief. Can you put the disasters in the right order?
Easier, 10 Qns, dellastreet, May 28 23
Easier
dellastreet gold member
May 28 23
188 plays
7.
  The Tragedy of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald   top quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Immortalised in song, the loss of the "SS Edmund Fitzgerald" was an absolute tragedy when it sank in 1975. We retrace the last voyage of this ship in an effort to understand what happened. (Just don't rely on the song lyrics to give you correct answers).
Average, 10 Qns, 1nn1, Jul 23 23
Average
1nn1 gold member
Jul 23 23
241 plays
8.
  Your Ship Is Slowing! editor best quiz   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Just picture the scene! Chaos all around, the ship's leaning dangerously to port in a force 20 gale rounding The Horn and some bright little spark decides it's his job to say this to the Captain! Here's a 'broadsides' look at some old Naval disasters.
Average, 10 Qns, skumma, Feb 27 19
Average
skumma
Feb 27 19
2253 plays
9.
  Famous Shipwrecks   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Over the years there have been thousands of shipwrecks, some of which have become famous. I will tell you of some well-known shipwrecks and you have to name the ship. Clues will be provided in most cases.
Easier, 10 Qns, Spontini, Mar 11 22
Easier
Spontini
Mar 11 22
716 plays
10.
  Down Under   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Let's investigate some ships that went down under Down Under - shipwrecks along the coast of Australia.
Average, 10 Qns, looney_tunes, Jun 17 21
Average
looney_tunes editor
Jun 17 21
1028 plays
trivia question Quick Question
The sinking of which ship was responsible for the largest loss of life to shark attack ever recorded?

From Quiz "Shipwrecks, Ghostships & Maritime Mishaps"




11.
  Luxury Cruise of Doom!   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Not all rides on ships are pleasure cruises, even if they started out that way. Here are some questions about some ships that now reside in Davy Jones Locker.
Average, 10 Qns, dcpddc478, Oct 30 13
Average
dcpddc478
1165 plays
12.
  Resting on the Bottom    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz deals with maritime disasters that have occurred in peacetime and not as a direct result of military action. Have fun and remember, "red sky at night-sailor's delight, red sky in morning-sailor take warning."
Average, 10 Qns, ncterp, May 09 23
Average
ncterp gold member
May 09 23
144 plays
13.
  Shipwrecks, Ghostships & Maritime Mishaps   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 15 Qns
Water covers the majority of the earth. Ships afloat in these waters wreck, sink and/or go missing frequently. Sometimes the reasons are known and sometimes they are not. This quiz is on some of the more bizarre and infamous of these events.
Average, 15 Qns, dcpddc478, Jan 28 24
Average
dcpddc478
Jan 28 24
887 plays
14.
  The Whydah Wreck-Slaves, Pirates, Ghosts, Gold   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Whydah Gally history abounds with legend and fact. The shipwreck was salvaged in the 1980s and helped us learn more about the slave trade, pirate life, and 18th-century ocean voyages.
Average, 10 Qns, stephgm67, Aug 04 16
Average
stephgm67 gold member
165 plays
15.
  Maritime Disasters    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
I will give clues describing the disaster, you name the ship.
Average, 10 Qns, Pick61, Jan 26 18
Average
Pick61
596 plays
16.
  Tip the Boat Over   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Hundreds of ships have sunk over the years. I'll give you the date and place of the sinking. Can you tell me which ship sank?
Average, 10 Qns, ElusiveDream, Jan 28 15
Average
ElusiveDream
340 plays
17.
  Famous Passenger Ship Disasters    
Match Quiz
 10 Qns
Match the passenger ship with the date and place where it sunk.
Average, 10 Qns, bernie73, Aug 12 24
Average
bernie73 gold member
Aug 12 24
318 plays
18.
  Ships Are People Too   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Forget the same old questions about Titanic and Andrea Doria! This quiz asks about the the unusual lives (and some deaths) of less famous ships. Bring your life jacket.
Tough, 10 Qns, goatlockerjoe, Jan 25 15
Tough
goatlockerjoe
318 plays
19.
  Famous Sunken Ships of the 20th Century   great trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is all about sunken ships of the 20th century. Many you have heard of before, but there are others that may be of interest to you. Enjoy!
Average, 10 Qns, titanic97, Oct 20 10
Average
titanic97
873 plays
20.
  Lost At Sea III: The Great Lakes    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
It is estimated that the hulks of over 6,000 ships litter the bottom of the Great Lakes. From La Salle's Le Griffon in 1679 to the Edmund Fitzgerald in 1975. The lakes have taken an enormous toll in ships--and lives. This quiz is about ten of them. Enjoy
Tough, 10 Qns, FearlessFreep, Aug 21 12
Tough
FearlessFreep
216 plays
21.
  SS Sultana - Tragedy on the River   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz is on the steamship Sultana. It was a riverboat that exploded and sank with many people losing their lives. It became a question of sabotage because it was carrying Union soldiers from the war.
Average, 10 Qns, titanic97, Dec 27 16
Average
titanic97
411 plays
22.
  Lost At Sea   popular trivia quiz  
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Disasters and mysteries of the seven seas.
Difficult, 10 Qns, darksplash, Jan 02 08
Difficult
darksplash
657 plays
23.
  That Sinking Feeling    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
A quiz about some of the world's most notable vessels that have sunk.
Average, 10 Qns, emmco, Jan 26 24
Average
emmco
Jan 26 24
391 plays
24.
  Lost At Sea II: More Fateful Voyages    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
In this sequel to the original 'Lost At Sea' quiz, we look at more mysteries and disasters from around the Seven Seas.
Difficult, 10 Qns, darksplash, Jan 30 15
Difficult
darksplash
425 plays
25.
  Disasters at Sea    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
This quiz covers a little of the 'who and what' of some famous and less famous maritime disasters.
Tough, 10 Qns, Jayman0755, Aug 02 06
Tough
Jayman0755
617 plays
26.
  Quick Tips Sunk Ships    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Instead of some lengthy dialogue, I'll say a few words, and you can decide which famous ship sinking best fits the description.
Average, 10 Qns, Marcuspug, Jan 02 12
Average
Marcuspug
480 plays
27.
  Disaster at Sea    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
You may have heard of some of these but do you really remember?
Tough, 10 Qns, blakey, Jul 24 19
Tough
blakey
Jul 24 19
1224 plays
28.
  Atlantic Shipwrecks    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
The North Atlantic, or "The Pond" is one of the most travelled and most dangerous waterways in the world. From bad navigation to collisions, many ships have met an untimely end. "Iceberg right ahead" and let's go!
Average, 10 Qns, Marcuspug, Mar 22 19
Average
Marcuspug
Mar 22 19
325 plays
29.
  Lost At Sea: Famous Maritime Disasters    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
As long as humans have sailed the seas, shipwrecks have been a immense source of tragedy, hardship, survival, and in a few cases, a small victory over the forces of nature and man. This quiz is about ten of those shipwrecks. Enjoy.
Difficult, 10 Qns, FearlessFreep, Jun 10 22
Difficult
FearlessFreep
Jun 10 22
353 plays
30.
  20th Century Ships #1    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
So You Know Your 20th Century Ships? Mainly 20th century stuff here folks, especially WW2 and Ocean Disasters. Get into it if you think you know your ships.
Tough, 10 Qns, Chargerboy, Oct 02 12
Tough
Chargerboy
1271 plays
31.
  Shipwreck!    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Major shipwrecks of the 19th and 20th centuries.
Tough, 10 Qns, thorin4th, Apr 05 22
Tough
thorin4th
Apr 05 22
1327 plays
32.
  Lost At Sea II: More Maritime Disasters    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Originally when I planned to create this quiz, it was going to focus on the USS Indianapolis, but since there was one already done about that vessel, I decided to do a sequel to my first quiz. Enjoy.
Difficult, 10 Qns, FearlessFreep, Dec 09 11
Difficult
FearlessFreep
340 plays
33.
  Ship Disasters    
Multiple Choice
 25 Qns
The first twenty questions are about ten actual ship disasters and consists of two questions on each ship. The last five are about fictitious ships and their captains. Remember, the captain isn't always right, but he's always the captain!
Difficult, 25 Qns, coastie54, Aug 02 06
Difficult
coastie54
690 plays
34.
  Shipwrecks Throughout History    
Multiple Choice
 5 Qns
Here was some questions on some of history's famous shipwrecks. This quiz is for my brother for all his encouragement. Thanks!
Tough, 5 Qns, LindaC007, May 08 23
Tough
LindaC007
May 08 23
853 plays
35.
  20th Century Ships #2    
Multiple Choice
 10 Qns
Again, famous ships of the past - with a WWII flavor.
Difficult, 10 Qns, chargerboy, Feb 20 23
Difficult
chargerboy
Feb 20 23
906 plays
Related Topics
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  Weather Disasters [History] (33 quizzes)


Maritime Disasters Trivia Questions

1. When the SS Edmund Fitzgerald was built in 1958, it was the biggest Great Lakes freighter ever built, a record thought unlikely to be broken. Why?

From Quiz
The Tragedy of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald

Answer: Maximum size to fit through the St Lawrence Seaway

The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, were heavily invested in iron and minerals industries but not shipbuilding. Nevertheless, in 1957, they commissioned the building of the "SS Edmund Fitzgerald" with a brief describing the desired length to be "within a foot of the maximum length allowed for passage through the soon-to-be completed Saint Lawrence Seaway" which was 730 feet. The ship had a deadweight of 13632 tons with a 729-foot hull making it the longest vessel on the Great Lakes and it earned the title "Queen of the Lakes" when launched in 1958. (On September 17, 1959, when the SS Murray Bay was launched, it was a foot longer at 730 feet. However, the Queen of the Seas moniker was not transferred to the marginally longer, newer ship). The ship carried raw materials from the railhead of Duluth, Minnesota, and adjacent Superior, Wisconsin, to the industrial cities on the Lakes further east such as Detroit, Toledo, Cleveland and Gary, Indiana. Loading took four hours, unloading 14. The ship was fast, capable of 14 knots or 16mph. The ship created many speed records and by November 1975 it had made 748 round trips on the Great Lakes.

2. Purchased from England, fired upon by the Russians, exploded and sunk in port after the war ended, repainted in 2009 by sailors of the USS Nimitz - she is the only surviving example of a pre-dreadnought battleship. Can you name her?

From Quiz Ships Are People Too

Answer: IJN Mikasa

Mikasa was a "pre-dreadnought" - a battleship built before the revolutionary HMS Dreadnought prototype of 1906. She was completed for the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) in England, and was Admiral Togo's flagship through the entire Russo-Japanese War of 1904-05. She took part in several battles, including Tsushima Strait. Within a week of the wars' end, Mikasa exploded and sank at her Sasebo moorings. Raised, repaired, and upgraded, she served until 1923, when she was retired in accordance with the Washington Naval Treaty. Saved from the scrapper's torch, the vessel became a national historical ship in 1926. She fell into disrepair after WWII, but was again restored and reopened in Yokosuka in 1961. As a goodwill gesture, sailors from USS Nimitz repainted the ship in 2009. This grand old warrior has a street named in her honor (Mikasa Street) on Walney Island, Barrow-on-Furness, where she was built in 1902.

3. Which passenger ferry sank off the coast of Gambia on September 26th, 2002?

From Quiz Tip the Boat Over

Answer: Le Joola

Launched in 1990, Le Joola was a Senegalese passenger coastal ferry. She provided a vital link between Dakar, capital of Senegal, and the country's isolated southern regions, by transporting agricultural produce to market. She was licensed to carry 536 passengers, but when she left the southern region of Casamance on Friday, September 26th, 2002, she was overloaded with more than 1,900 people. Off the coast of Gambia, the ferry hit a bad storm and sank. 64 survivors were rescued. 1,863 died.

4. This German battleship sank HMS Hood in the Battle of the Denmark Strait. Then was in turn disabled by HMS Dorsetshire on 27 May, 1941, 500 miles off the French coast. What was this pride of the German fleet called?

From Quiz Maritime Disasters

Answer: Bismarck

Bismarck had a short but eventful career. Attempting to evade British pursuers, she made for the French coast. Torpedo planes disabled her steering gear and she was trapped and sunk the next day, either by fire from the Dorsetshire or by scuttling, taking 2100 sailors with her.

5. I'll say the words, you tell me the ship: "Torpedo, passenger ship, Old Head of Kinsale, Roman Portugal."

From Quiz Quick Tips Sunk Ships

Answer: Lusitania

The sinking of the Lusitania was only one factor in the American decision to enter World War I.

6. Discovered in June 2008, this warship created much excitement in the maritime archaeological community. She was known by what name?

From Quiz Lost At Sea III: The Great Lakes

Answer: HMS Ontario

The Ontario was an 80 foot Sloop-of-War built on Carleton Island on the St. Lawrence River. She had a displacement of 226 tons, and was armed with 22 cannon. On October 31, 1780, the Ontario left Fort Niagara bound for Carleton Island. It was last leg of a trip to the fort that had begun in late September, and she was bringing back 130 British troops, about 40 civilians, and what many believe was about 30 American Prisoners of War taken during the War of Independence. Later that night, the sloop was beset by a sudden and violent gale which sank the ship. There were no survivors. Two hundred and twenty-eight years later, Jim Kennard (who had frutlessly searched for the Ontario off and on for 35 years) and Dan Scoville, using side-scan sonar and a Remotely Operated Vehicle discovered the wreck of the Ontario sitting upright in over 500 feet of water in an area between Rochester, New York and the sloop's intended destination--Fort Niagara. It is now a war grave protected by the British Admiralty.

7. Built in Ireland, brand-new and on its maiden voyage, this famous White Star line passenger liner collided with an iceberg and sank in 1912. What is its name?

From Quiz Atlantic Shipwrecks

Answer: RMS Titanic

Over 2,200 people (passengers and crew) were on the Titanic when it struck the iceberg. Of these, around 1500 are known to have died (over 800 passengers and just under 700 crew).

8. Sunk in 1854, this iron-hulled ship was chartered by the White Star Line and had an unfortunate similarity with that company's most famous vessel, the ill-fated Titanic. What was her name?

From Quiz Lost At Sea II: More Maritime Disasters

Answer: Tayleur

Owned by Charles Moore & Company of Liverpool, the 1,750 ton RMS Tayleur was launched on October 4, 1853, and set out from Liverpool on January 19, 1854 with 652 passengers and crew on what was to be her maiden voyage. Her destination was Australia, currently in the grip of a gold rush (this is how White Star made its debut). Just two days later (January 21), the Tayleur, fighting through poor visibility and a storm, collided with a reef near the island of Lambay in the Irish sea. She went to the bottom in about half an hour, taking the lives of 380 people. Though brand new at the time of her loss, the Tayleur had many flaws that soon became apparent. There was for instance, the loose rigging, undersized rudder, a compass rendered inaccurate by the ship's iron construction, and the substandard training of her crew, many of whom could not speak English.

9. The sinking of which British Cunard passenger ship in 1940, caused a greater loss of life than the sinking of the Titanic and the Lusitania combined?

From Quiz Luxury Cruise of Doom!

Answer: RMS Lancastria

When the Lancastria was sunk off the coast of France, it was participating in the evacuation of British troops and civilians from that country. Over 4,000 lives were lost when this ship was sunk by a German air attack on June 17, 1940. The sinking of the ship was to cause the greatest loss of life in British maritime history. It is estimated that about 2,000 lives were saved by passing ships, who stopped to help despite the fact that they themselves were under fire. The story was suppressed in British newspapers for over a month. It was not until the American press reported on it that the British found out about the incident.

10. Arguably the most famous ship in history that sank is the RMS Titanic. Which city was supposed to be the final destination of the ship on its maiden voyage?

From Quiz That Sinking Feeling

Answer: New York

The RMS Titanic began its maiden voyage from the port of Southampton in England on 10th April 1912. In the late hours of April 14th the ship hit an iceberg and sank less than three hours later. The sinking caused the death of more than half of the passengers who were onboard the Titanic.

11. Considered the pride of Sweden in the late 1600's, this massive ship of the line capsized and exploded during an engagement with a combined Danish-Dutch fleet in 1676. What was the vessel's name?

From Quiz Lost At Sea: Famous Maritime Disasters

Answer: Kronan

Designed by English shipwright Francis Sheldon, The Kronan (Crown) was launched in 1668. She was a three decked ship of the line 197 feet in length, with a 43 and a half foot beam, a height of over 200 feet from the keel to masts, and a displacement of approximately 2,200 tons. Whereas the ill fated Vasa was fitted with 64 cannon, the much bigger Kronan had somewhere between 110 to 126 cannon arranged along three gun decks. Since she was to be the epitome of Sweden's naval strength, the Kronan was fitted with arguably some the finest gilding and carvings yet seen on ship of her design. On June 1, 1676, in the waters of the Swedish island of Öland, the Kronan led a fleet of Swedish warships into battle against a combined Dutch-Norwegian-Danish fleet during the Scanian War. In the opening moments of battle, the massive Kronan was turned to port in order to bring her cannon on that side to bear. However, the turn was executed badly, causing the massive ship to roll over onto her port beam ends and flood through her open gun ports. Suddenly, a massive explosion originating in the forward powder magazines tore the once proud Kronan apart. (To this day, what ignited the magazines is still debated). The shattered hull swiftly sank to the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Of the over 800 officers, sailors, and soldiers aboard Kronan, only 40 survived the disaster. The wreck of the Kronan was found in 1980 by Anders Franzén (he found and helped salvage the Vasa in the 1950's and 60's). And has since become an important archaeological site over the past three decades.

12. On June 15, 1904, the SS General Slocum, an opulent paddle steamer, caught fire and burned killing over 1000 people. What American river was this ship navigating when it went down?

From Quiz Shipwrecks, Ghostships & Maritime Mishaps

Answer: East River

The burning and subsequent sinking of the SS General Slocum in New York's East River was that state's greatest disaster until the 911 attacks on the World Trade Center. The Slocum was a side-wheeled paddleboat that was being used for excursion trips around New York City. When the fire started in a storage compartment it quickly became evident that safety precautions had been ignored. Fire hoses were rotted; life jackets were reported to fall apart when touched. All lifeboats were inaccessible and the crew had never even had a fire drill. The captain also refused to run the ship aground which would have saved many, but instead kept sailing into prevailing winds which caused the fire to strengthen. Only 321 people survived. The captain only served 4 years in prison.

13. Barely more than two years after the 'Titanic' sank, a tragedy of almost equally huge scale occurred when another passenger ship on the North Atlantic route sank with the loss of more than 1,000 lives. What was her name?

From Quiz Lost At Sea II: More Fateful Voyages

Answer: Empress of Ireland

The 'Empress of Ireland' and her sister ship the 'Empress of Britain' were built by the Canadian Pacific Railway Company and were designed to cross the Atlantic in six days. On May 28, 1914, the 'Empress of Ireland' collapsed and sank within reach of shore after colliding in fog with a coalship. In all, 1,012 people died, of these 840 were passengers - a greater number than that of passengers who died on the Titanic. Ironically, the coalship, the Norwegian vessel Sorstad, was torpedoed and sunk in 1917.

14. It's perhaps the most famous maritime mystery of all. Theories abound about what became of the crew of the 'Mary Celeste' before she was discovered abandoned in the North Atlantic in 1872, however what eventually became of the vessel?

From Quiz Lost At Sea

Answer: She ran aground on a reef off Haiti.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the Mary Celeste had a chequered career after 1872, changing hands some 17 times. In January 1885, she ran aground on Rosekell's Reef. No one was hurt, but her cargo was found to be grossly over-insured and the master and shippers were indicted on a charge of barratry.

15. In what state was the Sultana constructed?

From Quiz SS Sultana - Tragedy on the River

Answer: Ohio

The Sultana was constructed of wood and was constructed at the John Lithoberry Shipyards of Cincinnati,Ohio. It was built in 1862 and was constructed for the Mississippi River travelers.

16. The Yarmouth Castle was a cruise ship that caught fire and sank. What year did the Yarmouth Castle sink?

From Quiz Famous Sunken Ships of the 20th Century

Answer: 1965

On November 13, 1965, the Yarmouth Castle caught fire when a mattress was stored too close to a lit light bulb in an unused stateroom. She went down at around 6 AM with 90 people lost.

17. The passenger liner Volturno sank in October 1913 at what location?

From Quiz Ship Disasters

Answer: North Atlantic between Rotterdam and Halifax.

The Volturno caught fire during a raging gale. Rescue ships pumped oil on the water to calm the seas, and it worked! 135 were lost and 521 were saved by the ten ships that responded to the SOS. The ship remained afloat and burned for almost a week after being abandoned.

18. This ship sank on April 15th, 1912, traveling from Southampton, England to New York.

From Quiz Disaster at Sea

Answer: Titanic & RMS Titanic

This accident led to stricter regulations for passenger ships.

19. Off the coast of Ireland in 1942, the RMS Queen Mary rammed and sank which ship?

From Quiz 20th Century Ships #2

Answer: HMS Curacoa

On the 2nd of October 1942, the "Grey Ghost" sliced through her escort, the light cruiser HMS Curacoa off the Irish coast near Donegal. The Queen Mary had 15,000 G.I.'s on board and it was deemed too risky to stop and pick up survivors of the Curacoa. HMS Curlew was her sister ship, and HMS Kelly was a famous destroyer under the command of Lord Mountbatten.

20. Which British cruiser was responsible for the final salvo of torpedoes that sank the battered and (by then) defenceless German battleship Bismark in May 1941?

From Quiz 20th Century Ships #1

Answer: Dorsetshire

HMS Sheffield shadowed the Bismark for some time early in the chase, Belfast helped hunt down the German battlecruiser Scharnhorst. Exeter was involved in The Battle of the River Plate with the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee and the Dorsetshire joined her victim when she was sunk in 1942 by Japanese air power off Singapore.

21. When did the 'Mary Rose' sink?

From Quiz Shipwrecks Throughout History

Answer: July 19, 1545

'Mary Rose' was the pride of King Henry VIII. It sank whilst he was watching. The hull was raised intact on Oct.11,1982.

22. Sister ship to the Titanic, she was sunk in the Aegean during World War I.

From Quiz Shipwreck!

Answer: Britannic

Originally to have been named Gigantic, she was renamed after the Titanic disaster -- and we all know what bad luck follows a renamed ship...

23. Place: Tabias Strait, Philippines. Date: December 20th, 1987. The sinking of which passenger ferry is regarded as the worst peacetime shipping disaster?

From Quiz Tip the Boat Over

Answer: Dona Paz

The islands of the Philippines are served by hundreds of old passenger ferries and it's not uncommon for these ferries to be severely overloaded. On December 20th, 1987, a local ferry, Dona Paz, was making a regular crossing of the Strait of Tabias, when she collided with a small oil tanker. The tanker and the overloaded ferry both sank within minutes, with an estimated 4,341 deaths. Only 24 survived.

24. Collision with the collier Storstad was the immediate cause of the sinking, in 14 minutes, of the liner Empress of Ireland, en route from Canada to Liverpool, on 29 May 1914. What weather phenomenon contributed to the collision?

From Quiz The Cause of the Problem

Answer: Thick fog

The two ships had seen each other before the fog thickened, and it is uncertain why the collier was not able to avoid striking the Empress and sinking her in the St Lawrence River. The rapidity of the sinking made launching lifeboats almost impossible, and over 1000 perished.

25. Perhaps the most famous shipping disaster of all time. You need only a few clues. 15 April, 1912. Iceberg. What ship was she?

From Quiz Maritime Disasters

Answer: Titanic

Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York. She was considered unsinkable, but there is some evidence that faulty rivets may have contributed to her demise. Of the 2200 on board, 710 were saved. Only some 300 bodies were recovered.

26. I'll say the words, you tell me the ship: "Torpedoes, atom bomb parts, 1945, shark attacks, Colts."

From Quiz Quick Tips Sunk Ships

Answer: USS Indianapolis

Due to miscommunication the USS Indianapolis was not reported lost for days. Of the 880 sailors who entered the water, only 316 survived.

27. Lost on Lake Erie, the wreck of this ferry has been the subject of many ghost stories that have since sprung up in Great Lakes lore. What is the name of this vessel?

From Quiz Lost At Sea III: The Great Lakes

Answer: Marquette and Bessemer No. 2

Owned and operated by the Marquette and Bessemer Dock & Navigation Company, The 2,584 ton, 338 foot long Marquette and Bessemer No. 2 left Conneaut, Ohio on December 7, 1909 carrying a crew of 33, one passenger, and a deck load of hopper cars loaded with coal and/or iron ore destined for Port Stanley, Ontario. She steamed out into a gale bringing 70 MPH winds and heavy seas which assaulted the burdened ferry as it tried to steam for shelter. In the early morning hours of December 8, residents of Conneaut and Port Stanley purportedly heard a ship's whistle--possibly the M&B No. 2's-- shrieking out a distress signal not far from the shores of those towns. A few days later, the crew of a fishing boat, the Commodore Perry, discovered one of the M&B No. 2's lifeboats--with the frozen bodies of nine men huddled inside it--and the clothing of a tenth man scattered with them. A year later, the body of the M&B No. 2's captain, Robert McLeod, was recovered on the Canadian side of the Niagara River. It is believed by some that the ferry's lack of a sea gate or an enclosed stern to protect her main deck allowed her to be overwhelmed by the storm's waves. The M&B No. 2's distinction as a "ghost ship" stems from the following legend: It is said that on clear nights in December, the doomed ferry's call's for help can still be heard off Conneaut's shores.

28. Even modern technology can go wrong. A passenger ship for the Italian Line, she was fast, radar-equipped, fog-bound and doomed. After colliding with the Motor Vessel Stockholm, she capsized and sank off Nantucket in 1956. Which ship was this?

From Quiz Atlantic Shipwrecks

Answer: Andrea Doria

Technology can blind. Even the most modern radar is only as good as the mariner interpreting it.

29. The loss of this steamer in 1852 had such a profound impact on British Empire that it spawned the notion of "Women and Children First" and was immortalized by Rudyard Kipling. She was the...

From Quiz Lost At Sea II: More Maritime Disasters

Answer: HMS Birkenhead

Laid down originally as a six gun side-wheel frigate (quickly re-classified as a troopship) Birkenhead steamed out of Portsmouth harbor in January 1852 to take part in the Eighth war against the Xhosa people in South Africa (it was also known as the Frontier War). After taking on 643 soldiers and civilians (as well as a shipment of horses and 300,000 pounds in gold coin), the Birkenhead steamed out of Simon's Bay (near Cape Town) on to her next destination: Algoa Bay, some 425 miles east of the Cape of Good Hope. Just before 2 'o clock, on the morning of February 26, 1852, the Birkenhead blundered into rocks close to the aptly named Danger Point, near the town of Gansbaai. The ship was badly holed and was soon breaking up. The 480 or so soldiers and marines aboard were placed under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Seton from the 74th Highlanders and maintained their discipline throughout the disaster, helping the crew to man the ship's pumps as well as obeying Colonel Seton's orders to stand fast and allow the civilian passengers to leave in the ship's boats. Eventually, with the masts and the funnel crashing around them, and the ship's hull completely separated into two halves and sank only 25 minutes after striking the rocks, about 50 men clung to the masts (which still remained above water) while many of the ship's crew and the soldiers were cast into the waters of the South Atlantic where they drowned or were killed by sharks. In the end Colonel Seton and many of the troops under him were lost with the Birkenhead, as was the troopship's captain, Robert Salmond. 193 others survived the disaster and were rescued, including all of the women and children aboard. The sacrifice of the Birkenhead's troops was honored with a plaque erected on the Danger Point lighthouse in 1936, and a more modern plaque in 1995. The most famous memorial to the Birkenhead however was its mention in a verse of Rudyard Kipling's poem "Soldier an' Sailor too" (you can find the poem here at: http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_soldiersailor.htm).

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