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Submarines at War - WWII Trivia Quiz

This is a test of your knowledge of submarines (actually, they should be called submersibles) during World War Two. It includes questions about various nations' submarine activities.

A multiple-choice quiz by malomente. Estimated time: 6 mins.

Author
malomente

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
62,064

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
25

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
13 / 25

Plays
914

Last 3 plays: Guest 66 (1/25), Guest 1 (12/25), Guest 99 (12/25).

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 25

1. Which U.S. submarine was commanded by 'Sam' Dealy and was lost in combat in 1944? Hint

USS Harder

USS Gato

USS Tang

USS Seawolf

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Question 2 of 25

2. What happened to Captain-Lieutenant Gunther Prien's U-47 during March 1941? Hint

went into Scapa Flow Scotland to sink the Ark Royal

was captured on the high seas

sunk the aircraft carrier HMS Eagle

sunk by the British

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Question 3 of 25

3. Which of the following U.S. officers won the Congressional Medal of Honor? Hint

C. W. Coe

Howard Gilmore

Charles Lockwood

Mush Morton

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Question 4 of 25

4. Approximately how many German submarines were lost in combat during World War Two? Hint

781

1203

125

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Question 5 of 25

5. How was the USS Tang sunk in October 1944? Hint

by its own torpedo

bombed by Japanese planes

depth charged by a Siamese destroyer

friendly fire from a U.S. destroyer

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Question 6 of 25

6. Which U.S. submarine fired a torpedo at the Japanese aircraft carrier 'Soryu' during the Battle of Midway? Hint

USS Nautilus

USS Harder

USS Tang

USS Archerfish

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Question 7 of 25

7. Approximately how much tonnage in Allied ships were sunk by German U-Boats during World War Two? Hint

1,000,000

28,000,000

256,000

14,000,000

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Question 8 of 25

8. Which of the following U.S. ships were sunk by a Japanese submarine? Hint

USS Langley

USS Missouri

USS Nevada

USS Wasp

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Question 9 of 25

9. Approximately how many U.S. submarines were lost during World War Two? Hint

125

237

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Question 10 of 25

10. Which nation produced the highly effective Oxygen Torpedo for use in submarines? Hint

United States

Japan

Germany

United Kingdom

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Question 11 of 25

11. What kind of radar was the U.S. S-J type radar? Hint

mine detection

air search

surface search

underwater search

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Question 12 of 25

12. In what body of water was the German U-Boat U-372 sunk? Hint

North Atlantic Ocean

Mediterranean Sea

North Sea

Baltic Sea

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Question 13 of 25

13. In which U.S. state was the submarine manufacturing facility Manitowoc? Hint

Rhode Island

California

Virginia

Wisconsin

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Question 14 of 25

14. How was the submarine the USS Jack made famous? Hint

sinking Japanese warships

the only U.S. warship to surrender on the high seas during World War Two

sinking a US submarine

destroying Japanese oil tankers

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Question 15 of 25

15. How many torpedo tubes were on a typical U.S. Fleet type submarine? Hint

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Question 16 of 25

16. Which U.S. submarine commander named his boat's four engines Matthew, Mark, Luke and John? Hint

Sam Dealy

Roy Davenport

Hiram Walker

Richard O'Kane

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Question 17 of 25

17. Which of the following U.S. submarine commanders did NOT win the Congressional Medal of Honor? Hint

Howard Gilmore

Richard O'Kane

Walter T. Griffith

Red Ramage

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Question 18 of 25

18. What size deck gun did the USS Argonaut have? Hint

18 inch

40 mm

4 inch

6 inch

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Question 19 of 25

19. What was the first U.S. submarine to be sunk during World War Two? Hint

USS Skate

USS Seadragon

USS Sea Lion

USS Snapper

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Question 20 of 25

20. Which German U-Boat commander was captured by the British on the high seas when his submarine was sunk? Hint

Prien

Endrass

Schepke

Kretschmer

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Question 21 of 25

21. What kind of U-Boat was the U-460? Hint

refueling boat

snorkel type U-Boat

coastal U-Boat

electric drive type U-Boat

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Question 22 of 25

22. Which of the following torpedo problems was NOT experienced by U.S. commanders of submarines during World War Two? Hint

Incorrect depth control

Too large an explosion

Crushed firing pin

Premature explosion

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Question 23 of 25

23. What type of vessel was the USS Canopus? Hint

Electric submarine

Fleet Oiler

Destroyer

Submarine tender

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Question 24 of 25

24. How many U.S. airmen did the USS Tang rescue of the shores of the island of Truk during US bombing missions there in August 1944? Hint

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Question 25 of 25

25. Which U.S. submarine sank the most ships during World War Two? Hint

USS Flasher

USS Tang

USS Archerfish

USS Bowfin

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Which U.S. submarine was commanded by 'Sam' Dealy and was lost in combat in 1944?

Answer: USS Harder

This submarine was responsible for the destruction of 5 Japanese destroyers before being sunk with all hands.

2. What happened to Captain-Lieutenant Gunther Prien's U-47 during March 1941?

Answer: sunk by the British

Prien's U-boat was sunk with all hands on the same day as 2 other U-Boats and in the same vicinity.

3. Which of the following U.S. officers won the Congressional Medal of Honor?

Answer: Howard Gilmore

Gilmore was captain of the USS Growler when it was attacked by a Japanese ship. He ordered the bridge cleared and, unable to make it to the hatch himself due to gunshot wounds, ordered the sub to submerge without him.

4. Approximately how many German submarines were lost in combat during World War Two?

Answer: 781

Out of approximately 40,000 German U-Boat men who served during World War Two, about 30,000 died in combat.

5. How was the USS Tang sunk in October 1944?

Answer: by its own torpedo

Tang had sunk more than 10 enemy ships near Formosa during her fifth and last cruise. She fired her last two torpedoes at an enemy merchant ship. One struck the enemy ship and the last circled around and sank the Tang. About 13 people including her captain survived and became prisoners. They were freed after the war.

6. Which U.S. submarine fired a torpedo at the Japanese aircraft carrier 'Soryu' during the Battle of Midway?

Answer: USS Nautilus

The aircraft carrier had been bombed and put on fire by carrier aircraft from the Enterprise. Nautilus just finished the job.

7. Approximately how much tonnage in Allied ships were sunk by German U-Boats during World War Two?

Answer: 14,000,000

8. Which of the following U.S. ships were sunk by a Japanese submarine?

Answer: USS Wasp

9. Approximately how many U.S. submarines were lost during World War Two?

Answer: 52

52 U.S. submarines were lost in WW2, 49 in the Pacific and 3 in the Atlantic.

10. Which nation produced the highly effective Oxygen Torpedo for use in submarines?

Answer: Japan

Called the Long Lance, this torpedo was far more efficient and effective than equivalent Allied or German torpedoes.

11. What kind of radar was the U.S. S-J type radar?

Answer: surface search

12. In what body of water was the German U-Boat U-372 sunk?

Answer: Mediterranean Sea

Sunk 4 Aug, 1942 in the Mediterranean south-west of Haifa, in position 32.28N, 34.37E, by depth charges from the British destroyers HMS Sikh and HMS Zulu and the escort destroyers HMS Croome and HMS Tetcott and by depth charges from a British Wellington aircraft (221 Sqdn.). 48 survivors (No casualties).

13. In which U.S. state was the submarine manufacturing facility Manitowoc?

Answer: Wisconsin

14. How was the submarine the USS Jack made famous?

Answer: destroying Japanese oil tankers

15. How many torpedo tubes were on a typical U.S. Fleet type submarine?

Answer: 10

16. Which U.S. submarine commander named his boat's four engines Matthew, Mark, Luke and John?

Answer: Roy Davenport

17. Which of the following U.S. submarine commanders did NOT win the Congressional Medal of Honor?

Answer: Walter T. Griffith

18. What size deck gun did the USS Argonaut have?

Answer: 6 inch

19. What was the first U.S. submarine to be sunk during World War Two?

Answer: USS Sea Lion

20. Which German U-Boat commander was captured by the British on the high seas when his submarine was sunk?

Answer: Kretschmer

Otto Kretchsmer was the leading U-Boat 'Ace' at the time with more than 200,000 tons of Allied shipping sunk to his credit. He spent the rest of the war as a prisoner.

21. What kind of U-Boat was the U-460?

Answer: refueling boat

There were about a dozen refueling U-Boats produced to refuel U-Boats at sea. These were large, slow and noisy boats. All of them were sunk in combat. They were known as "milk cows" by German sailors.

22. Which of the following torpedo problems was NOT experienced by U.S. commanders of submarines during World War Two?

Answer: Too large an explosion

23. What type of vessel was the USS Canopus?

Answer: Submarine tender

24. How many U.S. airmen did the USS Tang rescue of the shores of the island of Truk during US bombing missions there in August 1944?

Answer: 22

25. Which U.S. submarine sank the most ships during World War Two?

Answer: USS Flasher

Source: Author malomente

This quiz was reviewed by FunTrivia editor bloomsby before going online.
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