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WWII Pacific Theatre Trivia Quiz

Just some questions on the Pacific Theatre of WWII.

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

Author
DanielYHM

Time
6 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
385,888

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Difficult

Avg Score
4 / 10

Plays
258

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. The Emperor of Japan during the war is known to the West primarily as Emperor Hirohito. However, what was the actual title and name of the reign of this Japanese Emperor? Note (The title only became Hirohito's legal name after his death). Hint

Showa

Meiji

Taisho

Komei

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Question 2 of 10

2. Japanese Admiral Chuichi Nagumo directed the attack on Pearl Harbor and lost the Battle of Midway. After later failures and defeats, he was transferred to command the Air Fleet in the Marianas. He was trapped on Saipan when the United States landed on it. What happened to Nagumo? Hint

He tried to make a run for American lines to surrender, but was shot dead by his fanatical adjutant

He committed Hara Kiri and disembowled himself alongside IJA garrison commander Saito at their HQ on Mt. Tapacho

He shot himself in the temple to prevent capture in the cave that was his final headquarters

He held out with around 300 soldiers and surrendered in 1949 aftern being convinced the war was over

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Question 3 of 10

3. While the USA had an incredible stroke of luck as all of their aircraft carriers where not in Hawaii when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, which aircraft carrier was actually spotted, but ignored by the Japanese? Hint

USS Enterprise

USS Ranger

USS Langley

USS Lexington

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Question 4 of 10

4. Who was the first, short term successor of Admiral Yamamoto? He did not die battle, but ended up drowning during a storm. Hint

Jisaaburo Ozawa

Osami Nagano

Kiyoshi Hasegawa

Mineichi Koga

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Question 5 of 10

5. Suicide tactics, such as the Banzai Charge, were under what form of Japanese military tactics? Hint

Gyokusai

Kaido Butai

Bushido

Tenno Heika

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Question 6 of 10

6. What is agreed as the primary reason the United States (or Allies in general) won the war (all fronts)? Hint

The Axis had extremely obsolete technology and outdated tactics

The allied soldiers were much more braver and less afraid to die than their enemy counterparts

They had a overwhelming economic and technological advantage

The Axis lacked a population that could sustain war and soon ran out of soldiers

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Question 7 of 10

7. Other than the USS Enterprise, two other pre-war US carriers survived the entire war intact. Which of the following is one of them? Hint

USS Hornet

USS Wasp

USS Langley

USS Ranger

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Question 8 of 10

8. Who was highest ranking American officer killed in action in the Pacific? Hint

Franklin Van Valkenburgh

George S Patton

Simon Buckner

Issac C Kidd Sr.

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Question 9 of 10

9. Which Japanese Rear Admiral was credited as the first kamikaze pilot (posthumously, obviously). Hint

Masafumi Arima

Tomeo Kakuta

Tamon Yamaguchi

Osami Nagano

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Question 10 of 10

10. Which of the following modern day companies did NOT produce engines for Japanese war vehicles during WWII? Hint

Honda

Mitsubishi

Kawasaki

Toyota

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

Answer: Showa

As mentioned above, Hirohito legally reigned as the Showa Emperor. However, according to tradition, Showa became his posthumous name upon death. The other three options were the names of Hirohito's three most recent predecessors.

Answer: He shot himself in the temple to prevent capture in the cave that was his final headquarters

Nagumo was one of the few Japanese officers to oddly choose the standard European form of military suicide over the traditional ritual used by the Japanese. His body was recovered by the United States later and buried around the same time as his army counterpart, Saito, who had chosen the Japanese ritual of Hara Kiri instead.

Answer: USS Enterprise

USS Enterprise had been on her way back to Pearl on the 7th. She missed the attack by less than 6 hours, which would prove to be a decisive factor in the future.

4. Who was the first, short term successor of Admiral Yamamoto? He did not die battle, but ended up drowning during a storm.

Answer: Mineichi Koga

Koga was made temporary commander of the Combined Fleet after Yamamoto was killed. He drowned after his plane was caught in a storm.

5. Suicide tactics, such as the Banzai Charge, were under what form of Japanese military tactics?

Answer: Gyokusai

Gyokusai translated to a million pieces of shattered jade, derived from an ancient Chinese saying.

6. What is agreed as the primary reason the United States (or Allies in general) won the war (all fronts)?

Answer: They had a overwhelming economic and technological advantage

While the other three were somewhat true under some conditions, the main reason agreed on by most people was technology and supplies. While the Germans had a reasonable arsenal of jets and other bizarre weapons, (including UFO style planes), they lacked enough supplies to sustain the program.

The Japanese outnumbered the Allies in nearly every battle, but lacked the technology to win. Unlike the United States, the Japanese did not consider their lives theirs upon entering a battlefield and surrendered only on rare occasions.

7. Other than the USS Enterprise, two other pre-war US carriers survived the entire war intact. Which of the following is one of them?

Answer: USS Ranger

The USS Enterprise, Ranger, and Saratoga were the only carriers to be built before the war to survive it. Wasp was sunk by a Japanese submarine, and Hornet was sunk during the Battle of Santa Cruz. Langley, was also sunk early in the war, less than three months after Pearl Harbor (by Japanese bombers).

8. Who was highest ranking American officer killed in action in the Pacific?

Answer: Simon Buckner

While all of them were killed in action during WWII, Buckner ranked the highest among them, a Lt. General. Patton was of lower rank, and died after a freak accident (or perhaps planned assassination) on Europe. The other two were the highest officers aboard the USS Arizona when she was sunk at Pearl Harbor, Rear Admiral Issac C Kidd, and Captain Franklin van Valkenburgh.

9. Which Japanese Rear Admiral was credited as the first kamikaze pilot (posthumously, obviously).

Answer: Masafumi Arima

Arima led a 100 plane attack on the American Fleet at Leyte Gulf. He reportedly dove his plane into the USS Franklin, though this was not confirmed. However, as it was good propaganda, the Japanese quickly showered him with posthumous promotions and recognition and named him the first kamikaze pilot of the war (though many others have previously performed this action earlier in many different countries (China, USA, Britain, France, Germany, Russia).

10. Which of the following modern day companies did NOT produce engines for Japanese war vehicles during WWII?

Answer: Honda

Kawasaki and Mitsubishi both produced warplanes for the Army and Navy. Toyota built many trucks for infantry transportation. Honda could not have helped with any war effort as it was founded years after the war had ended.

Source: Author DanielYHM

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