Heavy Cruisers of the World Quiz | Military Matters

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1. The Washington Naval Treaty of 1922 was the first time that the world's leading naval powers agreed to limit the size and armament of warships, including cruisers. A class of British cruisers, built between 1916 and 1925, was the standard used for the designation of "heavy cruiser". What was the name of this class?

Answer: Hawkins class

The Hawkins class heavy cruisers, displacing 10,000 tons and armed with seven 7.5- inch guns, were Britain's newest class of cruisers at the time of the Washington Naval Treaty negotiations. They became the standard for cruisers in the treaty, which specified ships of no more than 10,000 tons, with guns of 6-inch calibre for light cruisers and 8-inch guns for heavy cruisers.

The ships in the class were the Hawkins, Frobisher, Raleigh and Effingham.

2. What was the class name for the largest group of heavy cruisers built by Great Britain? Eleven were completed for the Royal Navy, and two for the Royal Australian Navy.

Answer: County class

The County class, built between 1924 and 1930, displaced 10,000 tons and carried eight 8-inch guns. All units served in World War II, with Cornwall and Dorsetshire of the Royal Navy sunk by Japanese forces in 1942. Two units, Australia and Canberra, were completed for the Royal Australian Navy, with Canberra also sunk by the Japanese.

3. What was the name of the first heavy cruiser built for the U.S. Navy?

Answer: Pensacola

The Pensacola and her sister ship, Salt Lake City, were built between 1926 and 1930. Both ships served in World War II and survived the war. The Pensacola class ships were unique in that they had ten 8-inch guns in two triple and two double turrets. Both ships were sunk as targets in 1948.

4. Though not a party to either the Washington or London Naval Treaties, the Soviet Union built a class of six ships between 1938 and 1944 that were considered heavy cruisers. What was the class name of these vessels?

Answer: Kirov class

The only heavy cruisers ever built for the Soviet Union, the six ships of the Kirov class displaced 9,500 tons and were armed with nine 7.1-inch guns, which placed them within treaty limits. All ships served in World War II and were all scrapped by the early 1970s.

5. The second class of American heavy cruisers numbered six ships, three of which survived World War II. Can you name the lead ship of this class?

Answer: Northampton

The Northampton class, built between 1928 and 1931, introduced what would become the standard main armament for all subsequent U.S. heavy cruisers, with nine 8-inch guns in three triple turrets. Northampton, Chicago, and Houston were lost in the Pacific during World War II, while Chester, Augusta, and Louisville were scrapped in 1959.

6. What was the name of the only heavy cruiser class built for a South American navy?

Answer: Venticinco de Mayo

The Argentine ships Venticinco de Mayo and Almirante Brown were built in Italy between 1927 and 1931. Displacing 9000 tons and armed with six 7.5-inch guns, these ships conformed to the treaty limits, even though Argentina was not bound by either the Washington or London agreements. A third unnamed unit was proposed, but not built. Both ships were scrapped in 1962.

7. The French and Italian navies were rivals in the Mediterranean, and were constantly trying to out-build one another in the interwar years. What was the name of the first class of French heavy cruisers?

Answer: Duquesne

The French ships Duquesne and Tourville were built between 1924 and 1928. They were larger than the first British or American heavy cruisers, displacing 10,600 tons. They were armed with eight 8-inch guns in four twin turrets. Both ships served in World War II and were scrapped in the early 1960s.

8. The second class of French heavy cruisers were the Suffren class, comprising the Suffren, Colbert, Foch, and Dupleix. How many of these ships survived World War II?

Answer: One

The Suffren class, built between 1925 and 1932, were a bit smaller than the Duquesne class at 10,100 tons, but carried the same armament of eight 8-inch guns. Three of the ships were scuttled by their crews at the French naval base of Toulon in 1942 when the Germans occupied Vichy France. Suffren served until 1972.

9. What was the name of the first class of Italian heavy cruisers?

Answer: Trento class

The first heavy cruisers built by the Italian navy were the Trento class, consisting of the Trento and Trieste. These ships were larger, at over 13,000 tons, than the treaty limits allowed, but Italy claimed that they were within the limits. Armament was eight 8-inch guns. Both ships were sunk during World War II.

10. The second class of heavy cruisers built by Italy, the Zara class, had the unfortunate distinction of having three of the four ships in the class sunk in the same battle. What was the name of the battle in which the Zara, Pola, and Fiume all went down?

Answer: Battle of Cape Matapan 1941

The four ships of the Zara class, built between 1929 and 1932, displaced 11,300 tons and were armed with eight 8-inch guns. In an encounter with British forces off Cape Matapan, the Zara, Pola, and Fiume were all sunk. The fourth ship, Gorizia, survived the war and was scrapped in 1947.

11. Germany, like the Soviet Union, was not party to the Washington or London Naval Treaties. The Germans built a class of heavy cruisers that were some of the largest of the type ever built. What was the name of this class?

Answer: Admiral Hipper class

The German Hipper class ships, Admiral Hipper, Prinz Eugen, and Blucher, were well-constructed ships that were hard to sink. Displacing 16,200 tons and armed with eight 8-inch guns, they were better armored than most of their contemporaries. Hipper and Blucher were lost during the war, while Prinz Eugen was given to the Americans and sunk in a nuclear test. Seydlitz and Lutzow were never completed, Lutzow being sold to the Soviet Union in 1940.

12. Japan's first two classes of heavy cruisers, the Furutaka and Aoba classes, displaced 7,100 tons and were armed with six 7.9-inch guns, though these were later replaced with nine 8 inch guns in the Furutakas and six 8-inchers in the Aobas. Of the four ships completed, how many survived World War II?

Answer: None

The Furutaka class, with her sister ship Kako, and the Aoba class, consisting of the Aoba and Kinugasa, were relatively small vessels with light armor. Built between 1922 and 1927, theses ships were designed to have their armament upgraded during refitting. All four vessels were sunk during the war.

13. The next class of heavy cruisers built for Japan, the Myoko class, were the first Japanese ships to exceed the treaty limits on weight. Armed with ten 7.9-inch guns, what was the displacement for the Myokos?

Answer: 11,200 tons

The Myoko class ships were larger and carried more guns than the previous Japanese heavy cruisers, which increased their displacement. The Myoko, Nachi, Haguro, and Ashigara were all lost during World War II.

14. The third and fourth classes of American heavy cruisers, the Portland and New Orleans classes, were close copies of each other and were built at almost the same time, 1930-1932 for the Portlands and 1930-1934 for the New Orleans class. Which class lost three ships in the same battle?

Answer: New Orleans class

Three of the New Orleans class ships, Astoria, Quincy, and Vincennes, were sunk at the 1942 Battle of Savo Island against the Japanese. The New Orleans, Minneapolis, Tuscaloosa, and San Francisco all survived the war and were scrapped in 1959. Portland's sister ship, Indianapolis, was sunk in 1945 after delivering components for the atomic bomb to a U.S. air base in the Pacific, with great loss of life.

15. What was the name of the last U. S. heavy cruiser designed to conform to the London Naval Treaty limits? This ship was the only vessel in her class.

Answer: Wichita

The USS Wichita, built between 1935 and 1939, was supposed to be the eighth New Orleans class ship, but was modified during construction to serve as a flagship. Wichita displaced 10,500 tons and was armed with nine 8-inch guns. She survived the war and was scrapped in 1959.

16. What was the name of the first class of US heavy cruisers built after World War II began, which were also the most numerous class built for any navy?

Answer: Baltimore class

The Baltimore class of ships, of which 14 units were built between 1941 and 1945, displaced 13,600 tons and carried nine 8-inch guns. None of the ships were lost during the war, and four units, Boston, Canberra, Columbus, and Chicago, were converted to guided missile cruisers. All units served into the 1970s, with the last one, Chicago, scrapped by 1991.

17. After the Baltimores, the next class of US heavy cruisers were modified to improve their fire control. Three units were built, but were too late to see service in World War II. What was the class name of these vessels?

Answer: Oregon City class

The three ships of the Oregon City class, Oregon City, Rochester, and Albany, were built between 1944 and 1946. Their displacement was 13,260 tons and they were armed with nine 8-inch guns. Albany was converted to a guided missile cruiser in 1949 and was scrapped in 1990; Oregon City and Rochester served into the 1970s.

18. The fourth class of Japanese heavy cruisers were virtual repeats of the Myoko class, displacing 11,350 tons and armed with ten 7.9-inch guns. Name the lead ship.

Answer: Takao

The Takao class ships, consisting of the Takao, Atago, Maya, and Chokai, were built between 1937 and 1941. Takao was the only unit to survive the war, being captured by the US Navy and sunk as a target in 1946.

19. Which class of Japanese cruisers were completed as light cruisers, armed with 6-inch guns, but were later converted to heavy cruisers?

Answer: Mogami class

The Mogami class of four ships, Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya, and Kumano, were built between 1931 and 1937. They were completed with a main battery of fifteen 6-inch guns, but were modified during a 1939 refit to carry ten 8-inch guns. Displacement was 8500 tons. All four ships were sunk during the war.

20. Spain, another country not bound by either the Washington or London treaties, built two heavy cruisers, the Canarias and Baleares, which were nominally within treaty limits. Which other naval power assisted the Spanish Navy with their construction?

Answer: Great Britain

The Spanish ships Canarias and Baleares, built between 1928 and 1935, were based on the British County class design, with a displacement of 10,700 tons and a main armament of eight 8-inch guns. Baleares was sunk in 1938 during the Spanish Civil War, while Canarias served until scrapped in 1975. A third ship of the class was planned, but never laid down.

21. What was the name of the last heavy cruiser class built for the British Royal Navy?

Answer: York class

The York class, comprising the York and the Exeter, were a downsized version of the previous County class ships, attempting to build more ships with the tonnage allotted under the Washington Treaty limits. A total of seven ships were planned. Displacement was 9,250 tons, and armament was six 8-inch guns. York was sunk off Crete in 1941, while Exeter was sunk in the Pacific in 1942.

22. What was the name of the last heavy cruiser built for the French Navy?

Answer: Algerie

The Algerie was a single ship, built between 1931 and 1934. She displaced 10,160 tons and carried a main battery of eight 8-inch guns in four turrets. She was scuttled by her crew at Toulon in 1942 when the Germans occupied Vichy France in response to the Allied landings in North Africa.

23. What was the last heavy cruiser completed by the Italian navy?

Answer: Bolzano

Laid down in 1930 and completed in 1933, the Bolzano was very close in design to the Trento class ships, while incorporating improvements first used in the Zara class, including a new model of 8-inch gun. Bolzano displaced 10,800 tons and carried eight 8-inch guns. She was sunk in port in 1944, and raised and scrapped in 1949.

24. What is the class name of the last heavy cruisers built by the Japanese navy?

Answer: Tone class

The ships of the Tone class, Tone and Chikuma, were built between 1934 and 1938. They were armed with eight 8-inch guns and displaced 11,200 tons. They were regarded in the Japanese navy as fine ships, well-balanced and fast. Both vessels were sunk during the war.

25. The Des Moines class were the last heavy cruisers built by the U.S. Navy, as well as the last such ships built by any navy in the world. How many ships in the class were completed?

Answer: Three

The Des Moines class ships, built between 1945 and 1949, were the ultimate expression of the heavy cruiser, being the largest of the type ever built. They were well-armored for their type, as cruisers had always sacrificed armored protection for speed.

The ships displaced 17,250 tons and were armed with nine 8-inch guns. Des Moines was scrapped in 2007, Newport News in 1993, while Salem was preserved as a museum ship, the last heavy cruiser in the world.

Source: Author Reamar42

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor stedman before going online.
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Heavy Cruisers of the World Trivia Quiz

The warship class known as the Heavy Cruiser was created by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922, and further modified and regulated by the 1930 London Treaty. How much do you know about these vessels?

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