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Davids and Goliath Trivia Quiz

13th December 1939 saw one of the last naval engagements fought before radar and aviation revolutionized war at sea.

A multiple-choice quiz by mortifer. Estimated time: 4 mins.

Author
mortifer

Time
4 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
136,506

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Average

Avg Score
7 / 10

Plays
1320

Last 3 plays: Guest 82 (8/10), Guest 80 (9/10), Guest 98 (6/10).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What name is given to this battle between a German pocket battleship, two British light cruisers and one British heavy cruiser? Hint

The Battle of Coronel

The Battle of San Jacinto

The Battle of the Denmark Straits

The Battle off the River Plate

NEXT>

Question 2 of 10

2. What was the name of the pocket battleship that faced three smaller adversaries in 1939? Hint

KMS Prinz Eugen

KMS Admiral Scheer

KMS Admiral Graf Spee

KMS Tirpitz

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Question 3 of 10

3. Name the three Royal navy ships involved in an uneven action at the start of WWII? Hint

HMS Achilles, HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter

HMS Exeter, HMS Audacity, HMS Enterprise

HMS Achilles, HMS Cumberland, HMS Cossack

HMS Tartar, HMS Renown, HMS London

NEXT>

Question 4 of 10

4. Germany's pocket battleships could pass themselves off as one another, which of her sisters did Graf Spee try to be? Hint

Bl�cher

Deutschland

Admiral Scheer

Admiral Hipper

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Question 5 of 10

5. What was the top speed of Germany's pocket battleships? Hint

27.5kts

28kts

29.5kts

26kts

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Question 6 of 10

6. What calibre were the main armaments (in inches) of the four combatants who fought off the coast of South America in 1939? Hint

5in, 9in, 15in

6in, 8in, 11in

4in, 7in, 12in

6in, 9in, 11in

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Question 7 of 10

7. Which port did Graf Spee make for after her defeat? Hint

Buenos Aires

Montevideo

Narvik

San Carlos

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Question 8 of 10

8. What fate befell Langsdorff's ship? Hint

Fought her way back to Germany

Used as targetship after the war

Sunk in further action

Scuttled

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Question 9 of 10

9. Did Graf Spee's Captain die in action?

Yes

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which tanker acted as supply ship/prison ship for the pocket battleship Graf Spee? Hint

Ostmark

Altmark

Reichsmark

Ostland

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What name is given to this battle between a German pocket battleship, two British light cruisers and one British heavy cruiser?

Answer: The Battle off the River Plate

The River Plate estuary stretches for 120 miles between Argentina and Uruguay. During WWII most South American countries were neutral.

2. What was the name of the pocket battleship that faced three smaller adversaries in 1939?

Answer: KMS Admiral Graf Spee

The Admiral Graf Spee was one of Germany's three "Panzerschiffe", the others being the Admiral Scheer and Deutschland. Britain may have underestimated these ships.

3. Name the three Royal navy ships involved in an uneven action at the start of WWII?

Answer: HMS Achilles, HMS Ajax, HMS Exeter

HMS Ajax and HMS Achilles were both Leander Class cruisers, while HMS Exeter was a smaller version of the County Class cruiser. HMS Achilles was a 'Kiwi' cruiser belonging to the Royal Navy's New Zealand branch, but at the time of the action there was no New Zealand navy.

4. Germany's pocket battleships could pass themselves off as one another, which of her sisters did Graf Spee try to be?

Answer: Admiral Scheer

The Germans built many of their ships to very similar lines, with the added benefit that recognition was not always easy for an enemy or inquisitive neutral. (The Deutschland was built before the Nazis came to power).

5. What was the top speed of Germany's pocket battleships?

Answer: 29.5kts

The Deutschland class's eight diesel engines were coupled to two shafts which gave great flexibility and economy. Although designed for 26kts, they could reach 29.5kts. This speed meant that very few of the Royal Navy's heavy ships could force them to action, while the pocket battleship could avoid any other units.

6. What calibre were the main armaments (in inches) of the four combatants who fought off the coast of South America in 1939?

Answer: 6in, 8in, 11in

When the action started Captain Langsdorff believed he was facing HMS Exeter and 2 destroyers. Graf Spee's main armament could outreach all of her opponents, and her secondary armament of 5.9in guns was only just below the main armamnet of the light cruisers. Yet victory lay with the smaller ships.

7. Which port did Graf Spee make for after her defeat?

Answer: Montevideo

Langsdorff headed for Montevideo because his engineers were worried that the pumps that cooled Graf Spee's engines would drag up mud in the shallower water heading towards Buenos Aires. The German Embassy believed he should have headed for Argentina since Uruguay was pro- British. There are still unanswered questions about this and other decisions made.

8. What fate befell Langsdorff's ship?

Answer: Scuttled

After receiving instructions from Berlin, Langsdorff decided to scuttle the Graf Spee. The water within three miles of Montevideo was not sufficient for the ship to sink (and was Urugayan territorial water, anyway) so Langsdorff destroyed all secret equipment aboard. This was so the British could not discover anything that could be used against Germany if they searched the wreck.

9. Did Graf Spee's Captain die in action?

Answer: No

Although Langsdorff survived the action off the River Plate and was not aboard when the Graf Spee was scuttled his personal sense of honour could not allow his fate to be separate from that of his ship. He shot himself after making sure that all possible help had been given to his crew. His body was found on 20 December 1939.

10. Which tanker acted as supply ship/prison ship for the pocket battleship Graf Spee?

Answer: Altmark

The Altmark fulfilled these roles. Her Captain, Dau, was a Nazi who hated the British. Langsdorff sent an officer and several men from Graf Spee to make sure that nothing happened to the prisoners while aboard Altmark. These prisoners were freed by boarding parties of HMS Cossack on 15 February 1940 in Norway, with the cry 'The Navy's here!'

Source: Author mortifer

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