Equipment & Weaponry Trivia

1. In the 13th century, armies in China, Mongolia, and Arabia made projectiles of gunpowder, which have been called what historically?

From Quiz It's Launch Time!

Answer: fire arrows

Typically, normal arrows were shot by bows by various cultures' warriors, but "fire arrows" were arrows that were tweaked to carry a source of fire at the head of the arrow, some type of a combustible material, a flammable liquid, or tar, or cloth soaked in oil, that was then lit up and then shot with the bow at their target. They would sail through the air on fire and then often explode on impact, sort of like a Molotov cocktail if it was constructed that way. They were effective as one can imagine against wooden ships with their sails.

From Quiz Weaponry Through the Ages Part 2

Answer: sword-breaker

Left-handed daggers were often used in addition to a rapier or sword which usually occupied the right hand. The weapon measured 20 inches in length and weighed about 1 3/4 lbs. The sword-breaker consisted of a pommel, wire grip, ring guard, ricasso, and a barbed head which was used to trap the opponent's sword blade. Whether or not this weapon could actually break a blade is debatable since steel blades were made to withstand quite a bit of pressure.

From Quiz They Lived and Died by the Sword

Answer: Berserkers

The phrase "to go berserk" comes from the name for these warriors. Most Vikings used their shields as the first line of defense, using the sword to block an enemy's blows only as a last resort. In creating the blade of the Viking sword, the swordsmith was a superb welder. He took iron strips of different compositions then twisted them together in order to forge the strips into the core of the blade. This allowed the swordsmith to control the blade's hardness and flexibility.

From Quiz Firearms from Different Countries 2

Answer: Israel

The Galil is the Israeli version of the Russian AK-47. Israel wanted and made a firearm similar to the AK-47.

From Quiz The Grand Slam Bomb

Answer: Barnes Wallis

Sir Barnes Wallis was born in Derbyshire, England in 1887. He would go on to become one of the most important British scientists, specifically in the field of engineering, throughout the inter-war years and during World War II. Despite being better known for the bouncing bomb, Barnes Wallis is remembered by many for another group of bombs that he developed which included the Tallboy bomb and the Grand Slam, the latter being made to a larger scale than the former.

From Quiz More About Equipment and Weaponry

Answer: The Dreyse Needle Rifle.

The German Manufacturer, Johann Nikolaus Von Dreyse, developed the needle rifle in 1836. It was adapted for use by the Prussian army in 1841. In the 1866 Austro-Prussian War, the rifle proved impressive against the Austrian troops equipped with muzzle loading rifles. The Needle Rifle was so named because of the unique ignition system. The breech end of the bolt had a 13MM long firing pin which, when fired, drove through a paper cartridge loaded in the breech end of the rifle. The "needle" then struck a percussion cap in the base of the bullet. Although it was a single shot it had a firing rate 3 to 4 time that of a muzzle loading rifle.

From Quiz History of the Grenade

Answer: The Byzantine Empire

Greek fire was also created by the Byzantines. Greek fire was a flammable liquid that was ignited, and fired at enemy ships. This was a closely guarded war secret of the civilization, so the exact composition isn't known. However, scientists have learned that sulfer mixed with several flammable liquids were used. The Byzantines soon figured that the mixture could be put into clay containers, and thrown instead of fired.

From Quiz All About Equipment & Weaponry

Answer: It had two different caliber barrels on the same frame.

The cap & ball Le Mat Revolver was invented in in 1856 by a New Orleans doctor, Jean Le Mat. It featured the unique arrangement of a nine chamber cylinder surrounding a larger central smooth bore barrel, located under the pistol barrel. The cylinder was originally chambered for a .42 cal. ball with the central barrel of .60 cal (modern 16 Ga.) which would be loaded with buckshot. The favorite side arm of Confederate General P.T.G. Beauregard, who helped develop the revolver, about 5000-10000 were produced between 1856 and 1865, mostly in Europe. It was popularly known as the "grape-shot" pistol.

From Quiz Artillery Science: The Sequel

Answer: Lanyard

The lanyard allows a gunner to be at a safe distance from the gun.

From Quiz Artillery Science

Answer: Coriolis Effect

You can see the Coriolis Effect in action when water swirls down a drain.

From Quiz The Modern Infantryman's Arsenal

Answer: M9

The M9 is the military version of Beretta's M92FS 9mm semi-automatic pistol, which replaced the Colt M1911A1 as the US standard issue sidearm in 1985. The Mk23 is a .45 caliber pistol designed for US Special Forces, but is not standard issue to the military at large. The M11, depending on who you ask, is either a submachinegun from Ingram/MAC, or the military version of the SIG-Sauer P228, neither of which is standard issue.

From Quiz Modern NATO Aircraft Ordnance

Answer: Harpoon

The AGM-84D Harpoon is an all-weather, over-the-horizon, anti-ship missile.

From Quiz Artillery of the World

Answer: Rockets

Rockets weren't very effective when it came to accuracy but they were cheap and easy to make. The German Nebelwerfer was 15cm in diameter and so if it landed near you, you were toasted. The Russian Kaytuska Rockets were smaller and varied in size from anywhere to 3cm to 10cm. They were produced in huge numbers and more advanced variants are still in use in China today.

From Quiz Historical Armor ID

Answer: KwK L-2F42 50mm

The Ausf F was the first major production variant of the PzKpfw III. This particular model was a main-stay of Rommel's Deutche Afrika Korps.

From Quiz It's Launch Time!

Answer: Mysore, India

These crude early versions of rockets seen in the 18th century were launched from a tube and carried a combustible warhead, typically made of gunpowder, aka black powder that would explode with greater force upon impact. They were employed in long-range attacks against forts or ships. Tipu Sultan ruled the kingdom of Mysore in southern India from 1782 to 1799. In territorial conflicts and trade disputes with the British East India Company, he used these early rockets to fire upon British ships. Earlier in the 18th century, German field artillery colonel Christoph Friedrich von Geissler built rockets in 1730, that weighed 55 to 120 pounds. He even published a book about rockets in 1718, described experiments with rockets back in 1688.

From Quiz More World War II Equipment - What am I?

Answer: PzKpfw IV

I can only really be the Panzerkampfwagen IV (Panzer IV) - a medium tank weighing initially weighing in at 28 tons. The Panzer IV saw action in both Western and Eastern Europe and was the only German Tank to stay in production throughout the war. With just over 8,500 built there were multiple modifications throughout its lifetime all of which were intended to counter new advances and extend its operational service life. These enhancements included increasing the the armour protection and upgrading its main gun. Early models at the beginning of the war had a 37 mm gun but this was upgraded to a long 75 mm/48 gun. The addition of armour skirts also increased the tanks combat effectiveness and its ability to survive against infantry antitank weapons. The Panzer II was an early German tank that was reduced to a training role and armoured support vehicles such as the Self Propelled Artillery - Wespe which housed a 105mm gun. The Panzer III chassis did continue to be used for tank production until 1943 when it was switched to the focus on the manufacture of the self-propelled artillery (Sturmgeschütz III). The Panzer V (Panther) didn't appear until early 1943 and was initially deployed at the Battle of Kursk in mid-1943.

From Quiz Weaponry Through the Ages Part 2

Answer: kastane

The dagger's use as a weapon of self-defense continued into the 16th and 17th centuries. The kastane itself measured a little over 36 inches and weighed 1 1/4 lbs. The hilt of these daggers often resembled mythical-looking creatures. The weapon consisted of a pommel, knuckle guard, wooden grip, soft iron blade, and brass inlay for decoration.

From Quiz U.S. Military Weapons

Answer: Mk 17 Mod 0

The MK17 Mod 0 (Scar 17s) is a DMR (designated marksman rifle) replacing the MK11 Mod 0 as a U.S. "semi-auto sniper rifle". The SR-25 is the group of rifles that the MK11 Mod 0 belongs to, and the MK 12 is a pre-cursor to the SR-25.

From Quiz Weaponry Through the Ages

Answer: Sling

In the Bible, David used a sling and a rock to bring down Goliath. There are two basic slinging techniques: over one's head, or an underhanded motion near the wrist. Whichever way one chose to use this weapon, the sling had to be swung hard enough to keep the straps tight. The range of a sling rock could exceed that of a bow's arrow. That's pretty amazing for such a simple weapon.

From Quiz They Lived and Died by the Sword

Answer: Samurai

Japanese swordsmiths were highly skilled at designing swords. The blades of the swords were light, sharp, and strong. They were also removable, attached to the handle by a wooden or bamboo peg. When not in use, the sword was placed in a wooden scabbard. The samurai used swords with different types of blades depending upon the job that needed to be done. For example, there was the Hachiwara, or helmet breaker, and Kubikiri, or head cutter. Cavalry and infantry had their own swords.

From Quiz Firearms from Different Countries 2

Answer: Czechoslovakia

Made in 1937 and has a 7.92mm Mauser round. In the first half of the twentieth century there were many guns like this one.

From Quiz Medieval Weaponry, from Swords to Daggers

Answer: Obsidian

Primarily used in early Mesoamerica, the macuahuitl resembled a modern-day paddle with shards of obsidian laid along the perimeter of the striking edge. Less efficient than the European counterparts, strikes made with the macuahuitl were more likely to rend and tear than to slice cleanly. However, the obsidian shards often would be dislodged and remain in the flesh of the victim, festering and ultimately leading to death.

From Quiz The Grand Slam Bomb

Answer: Earthquake bomb

The earthquake bombs are also remembered by another name, the seismic bombs, and the two most well-known examples of this bomb classification are the Tallboy and the Grand Slam. The bomb was not designed to kill civilians in built-up areas but instead was used to disrupt the infrastructure of the opposition. Perhaps one of the most memorably successful uses of the earthquake bomb was when the German battleship, Tirpitz, was sunk by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) in November, 1944. The bombs used on this occasion were Tallboys, it was only in 1945 that widespread use of the Grand Slam was seen.

From Quiz More About Equipment and Weaponry

Answer: Hiram Maxim.

Sir Hiram Maxim was an American inventor who emigrated to England. In the 1880s Maxim patented a method for using recoil and gas pressure to operate firearms in a semi-automatic and/or automatic mode. In 1884 he developed the first "modern" self-powered, machine gun. By the First World War several types of machine guns had been developed all of which operated on the same general principals of the original Maxim Gun.

From Quiz History of the Grenade

Answer: Collection of the Most Important Military Techniques

The book describes many other things as well, including information on naval ships and catapults. The book was created in order to extend the knowledge in the Chinese military.

From Quiz Nuclear Weapons 1

Answer: In a ship hold

At the time it was felt the finished weapon would be to large and heavy to fit aboard an airplane.

From Quiz Artillery Science: The Sequel

Answer: It will have a lower than normal velocity.

In a worn gun, more expanding gas seeps past the projectile, making the acceleration less efficient.

From Quiz Artillery of the World

Answer: M7

The Allies weren't as big on self propelled guns as the Germans or Russians were. The Allies could fall back on massive command of the air as well as domination of the seas.

From Quiz Historical Armor ID

Answer: Alvis Scorpion

The Scimitar is the assault version of the Alvis Scorpion. The main difference is in the replacement of the 76 mm low velocity cannon of the Scorpion with a hyper velocity 30mm Rarden Cannon.

From Quiz It's Launch Time!

Answer: William Congreve

Drake, Raleigh, and Hawkins were all 16th-century British officers, and none shared a name with a Restoration playwright. Congreve's rockets, most likely modified from rockets fired upon the British in early conflicts with Mysore, were used in Royal Navy attacks against French ships at Boulogne in 1805 and 1806. In 1807, Congreve and sixteen civilian munitions suppliers witnessed 300 of Congreve's metal-cased rockets fired upon Danish territory in the Bombardment of Copenhagen, igniting houses and other buildings. By The War of 1812, Great Britain had introduced rocketry to the New World.

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Last Updated Jul 19 2025 5:52 AM

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