Unnatural Disaster Trivia Quiz

The quiet of a Sunday morning was shattered, on December 7, 1941, when carrier-launched Japanese aircraft mounted a surprise attack on the US fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. Other military and naval installations on the island were also attacked. US losses in both ships and personnel were high on what was dubbed a "day of infamy" by President Roosevelt, and the USA was drawn into World War Two as a result.

George Armstrong Custer had a number of nicknames, including Autie (from childhood), the Boy General (from the Civil War), and Long Hair, descriptive of his longer than average blond locks. On the 25th and 26th of June, 1876, in what became known as Custer's Last Stand, he led elements of the US 7th Cavalry into battle with the combined forces of several native nations along the Little Bighorn River, in what became Montana. Mistakes were made, and over 250 cavalrymen died alongside Custer, whilst their opponents losses were under 100.

From 23 February until 6 March 1836, during the Texas Revolution against Mexico, a small force of "Texians" and volunteers from elsewhere, were besieged in the former mission known as the Alamo, in San Antonio, Texas. The defenders included such personages as Jim Bowie and Davy Crockett, and the Mexican attackers were under the command of General Santa Anna. During the final battle on March 6, all of the defenders perished.

The defeat became a rallying point for the Texian army thereafter, with "Remember the Alamo!" the cry.

The harbour of Halifax, Nova Scotia Canada, has played an important role in both World Wars, as a staging point for convoys crossing the Atlantic. On December 6, 1917, during the First World War, the French ammunition ship Mont Blanc was entering the harbour just as the Norwegian Imo was leaving. Mistakes were made, and the explosion that resulted from the collision of these two vessels destroyed a large section of the city, and killed over 1700 people, many of them civilians. To make matters worse, a blizzard rolled in that night, hampering rescue operations.

Despite the devastation, the harbour was operational again before Christmas.

During the Falklands War of 1982, it became necessary to transport elements of the Welsh Guards and other units from Fitz Roy to Bluff Cove. The choices were an overland march of twelve miles, or ferrying the soldiers aboard RFA Sir Galahad and RFA Sir Tristram, which were amphibious vehicles.

The latter course was taken, and on 8 June 1982 both vessels were attacked by aircraft of the Argentine Air Force, resulting in over 50 deaths and 150 wounded amongst the British forces. This accounted for the greatest loss of life by British forces in a single action since the Second World War.

SS Mendi was a former passenger ship, turned troopship during the First World War. On 21 February 1917, she was transporting members of the South African Native Labour Corps when she was accidentally rammed by another ship, in fog, near the Isle of Wight. The other ship survived, but Mendi sank, along with over 600 South African soldiers, and members of her crew.

When Lord Kitchener called for volunteers in 1914, many young men answered the call in groups, from the same workplaces, same streets, same schools. The resulting battalions, sometimes called New Army battalions, were colloquially dubbed "Pals" battalions, because of this.

Many of these battalions saw their first real action on 1 July 1916, the first day of the Somme offensive. British casualties that day were close to 60000, with over 19000 of those fatal. The make up of the Pals battalions meant that some parts of the country were dealt huge blows when those casualties were reported.

The then-colony of Newfoundland should not be forgotten, as her volunteer unit also suffered heavily on that day.

An impi is a unit of Zulu warriors, known to be efficient, disciplined and somewhat terrifying. One such unit attacked the British encampment at Isandhlwana on 22 January 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War, and quite simply, wiped it out. British casualties were over 1300, and the invasion attempt was defeated.

In October 1941, the British garrison at Hong Kong was augmented by the arrival of two Canadian battalions, from the Royal Rifles of Canada and the Winnipeg Grenadiers. Just two months later, on December 8th, the crown colony was attacked by Japanese forces.

The defenders held out for most of the month, finally having to surrender on Christmas Day. Garrison casualties totalled over 4000, with at least 2000 killed, including over 250 Canadians. More would perish in captivity due to the harsh conditions.

The Battle of Tsushima, in the Sea of Japan, took place on the 27-28 May 1905, and was the final naval battle of the Russo-Japanese War. The Japanese fleet secured a decisive victory over the stronger (battleship-wise) Russian fleet, which had sailed from the Baltic over the previous seven months, in the hope of establishing dominance in the Far East. Russian casualties in both ships and men were high, with all battleships either sunk or captured, and over 5000 fatalities.

In fact, the losses were great enough to cause Russia to sue for peace.