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The Pacific War-Part I Trivia Quiz

This quiz covers some of the major players and early events of the Pacific War. Lots more to follow. Have fun!

A multiple-choice quiz by Sportcon. Estimated time: 7 mins.

Author
Sportcon

Time
7 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
12,941

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
20

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
8 / 20

Plays
2634

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 20

1. Pearl Harbor was the headquarters of the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet. On December 7, 1941 who held that post? Hint

Husband E. Kimmel

Chester W. Nimitz

William F. Halsey

Richmond Kelly Turner

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Question 2 of 20

2. Who were the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, respectively, at the outbreak of the war with Japan? Hint

Henry L. Stimson and Cordell Hull

Frank Knox and Henry L. Stimson

Henry L. Stimson and Frank Knox

Cordell Hull and Frank Knox

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Question 3 of 20

3. Who was the Commanding General, U.S. Army Hawaiian Department on December 7, 1941? Hint

Sherman Miles

Leonard T. Gerow

Charles D. Herron

Walter C. Short

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Question 4 of 20

4. Who was United States Ambassador to Japan on December 7, 1941? Hint

Joseph C. Grew

Harold L. Ickes

Bertrand W. Gerhart

Frank B. Keefe

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Question 5 of 20

5. Who was Chief of Naval Operations on December 7, 1941? Hint

Ernest J. King

Harold R. Starke

William S. Pye

H. Kent Hewitt

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Question 6 of 20

6. Who was Chief of the Japanese Naval General Staff at the outbreak of the war? Hint

Shigeru Fukudome

Osami Nagano

Chuichi Nagumo

Mitsumi Shimizu

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Question 7 of 20

7. Who was the Japanese Ambassador to the United States on December 7, 1941? Hint

Ryunosuke Kusaka

Saburo Kurusu

Kichisaburo Nomura

Takeo Yoshikawa

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Question 8 of 20

8. What was 'Rainbow 5'? Hint

Call sign for Japanese scout plane

Name of Japanese midget submarine

Basic U.S. Army War Plan

Basic U.S. Navy War Plan

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Question 9 of 20

9. Who was the Japanese tactical mastermind of the attack on Pearl Harbor? Hint

Minoru Genda

Shigeru Fukudome

Kyunosuke Kusaka

Shigekazu Shimada

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Question 10 of 20

10. What two U.S. aircraft carriers sortied from Pearl Harbor prior to the Japanese attack? Hint

Hornet and Lexington

Lexington and Enterprise

Saratoga and Enterprise

Hornet and Saratoga

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Question 11 of 20

11. Who was Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet Intelligence Officer at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941? Hint

Edwin T. Layton

James E. Stafford

Joseph J. Rochefort

Rufus C. Bratton

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Question 12 of 20

12. The Combat Intelligence Unit in Hawaii was called? Hint

Station Hula

Station Cast

Station Hypo

Station Sugar

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Question 13 of 20

13. What did the U.S. Navy call the Japanese Navy's operational code? Hint

JN15

JN19

JN25

JN12

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Question 14 of 20

14. What was the name given to the Japanese diplomatic cipher?

Answer: (Three Words)

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Question 15 of 20

15. What was the name of Admiral Nagumo's flagship for the Pearl Harbor attack? Hint

Soryu

Kaga

Hiryu

Akagi

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Question 16 of 20

16. The message sent from the Japanese Imperial General Staff to the Combined Fleet on December 8, 1941 (Japan time) which signaled for the attack to go forward was:

Answer: (Hint: Three Words. Third word has two i's.)

17. On September 24, 1941 the Japanese Foreign Ministry sent a message to the Japanese consulate in Honolulu requesting reports on ships at anchor in Pearl Harbor. What was this message called? Hint

Ship Location Message

Pearl Harbor Grid Message

Pearl Harbor Plot Message

Bomb Plot Message

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Question 18 of 20

18. The Japanese diplomatic message which severed diplomatic relations with the U.S. contained how many parts? Hint

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Question 19 of 20

19. After having read the latest decoded Japanese diplomatic message on the evening of December 6, 1941, President Roosevelt reportedly uttered the following three words to Harry Hopkins:

Answer: (Three Words)

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Question 20 of 20

20. There were a number of investigations conducted into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. What was the very first of these investigations called? Hint

The Roberts Commission

The Hewitt Investigation

The Hart Inquiry

The Army Pearl Harbor Board

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. Pearl Harbor was the headquarters of the Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet. On December 7, 1941 who held that post?

Answer: Husband E. Kimmel

Kimmel was found guilty of dereliction of duty. He published his side of the controversy in his book 'Admiral Kimmel's Story' in 1955.

2. Who were the Secretary of War and the Secretary of the Navy, respectively, at the outbreak of the war with Japan?

Answer: Henry L. Stimson and Frank Knox

Stimson served as Secretary of War throughout WWII. He had also held that post in the Taft administration (1911-1913). Like Stimson, Knox was also a republican. Knox was a newspaperman by trade and rode with Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders in Cuba.

3. Who was the Commanding General, U.S. Army Hawaiian Department on December 7, 1941?

Answer: Walter C. Short

Short was relieved of command after Pearl Harbor. He retired in 1942.

4. Who was United States Ambassador to Japan on December 7, 1941?

Answer: Joseph C. Grew

Grew began his diplomatic career in 1905. He was sponsored by Teddy Roosevelt because he had shot a Chinese tiger.

5. Who was Chief of Naval Operations on December 7, 1941?

Answer: Harold R. Starke

Starke was relieved as CNO in 1942 and became Commander, U.S. Naval Forces, Europe.

6. Who was Chief of the Japanese Naval General Staff at the outbreak of the war?

Answer: Osami Nagano

Nagano studied law at Harvard. He died while on trial for war crimes in 1947.

7. Who was the Japanese Ambassador to the United States on December 7, 1941?

Answer: Kichisaburo Nomura

Nomura was a retired admiral. Saburo Kurusu had been the ambassador to Nazi Germany. Prior to the outbreak of hostilties, Kurusu was sent to Washington as a special envoy.

8. What was 'Rainbow 5'?

Answer: Basic U.S. Navy War Plan

There were five 'Rainbow' plans. Each assumed different alliances and strategies. 'Rainbow 5' assumed alliances with Great Britain and France, a 'Europe First' strategy, and a strategic defensive in the Pacific until the defeat of Germany.

9. Who was the Japanese tactical mastermind of the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Answer: Minoru Genda

10. What two U.S. aircraft carriers sortied from Pearl Harbor prior to the Japanese attack?

Answer: Lexington and Enterprise

Saratoga was on the west coast for repairs. Lexington was ferrying aircraft to Midway and Enterprise was conducting search operations west of Hawaii.

11. Who was Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet Intelligence Officer at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941?

Answer: Edwin T. Layton

Rochefort was commander of the Combat Intelligence Unit at Pearl Harbor. Layton remained at this post for the entire war. He was the only one of Kimmel's staff officers retained by Nimitz.

12. The Combat Intelligence Unit in Hawaii was called?

Answer: Station Hypo

Station Cast was at Corregidor in the Phillipines. The 'H' in Hypo stood for Hawaii.

13. What did the U.S. Navy call the Japanese Navy's operational code?

Answer: JN25

This code was broken repeatedly by cryptanalysts at OP-20-G.

14. What was the name given to the Japanese diplomatic cipher?

Answer: The Purple Code

This code was broken by Army Signal Intelligence in 1940.

15. What was the name of Admiral Nagumo's flagship for the Pearl Harbor attack?

Answer: Akagi

All four of these aircraft carriers were later sunk at the Battle of Midway.

16. The message sent from the Japanese Imperial General Staff to the Combined Fleet on December 8, 1941 (Japan time) which signaled for the attack to go forward was:

Answer: Climb Mount Niitaka

The full text was Climb Mount Niitaka, 1208. Mount Niitaka, in Formosa, was the highest peak in the Japanese Empire.

17. On September 24, 1941 the Japanese Foreign Ministry sent a message to the Japanese consulate in Honolulu requesting reports on ships at anchor in Pearl Harbor. What was this message called?

Answer: Bomb Plot Message

Officials never appreciated the significance of this message.

18. The Japanese diplomatic message which severed diplomatic relations with the U.S. contained how many parts?

Answer: 14

This message was being translated from Japanese to English at the Japanese Embassy while bombs were dropping on Pearl Harbor.

19. After having read the latest decoded Japanese diplomatic message on the evening of December 6, 1941, President Roosevelt reportedly uttered the following three words to Harry Hopkins:

Answer: This means war

20. There were a number of investigations conducted into the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. What was the very first of these investigations called?

Answer: The Roberts Commission

The Roberts Commission was convened on December 18, 1941, less than two weeks after the attack. Owen J. Roberts was an associate justice of the Supreme Court.

Source: Author Sportcon

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