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World War II in Alaska Trivia Quiz

General knowledge quiz of the little known World War II campaign in the Aleutians.

A multiple-choice quiz by webnut. Estimated time: 5 mins.

Author
webnut

Time
5 mins

Type
Multiple Choice

Quiz #
347,929

Updated
Dec 03 21

# Qns
10

Difficulty
Tough

Avg Score
6 / 10

Plays
300

One at a Time - Single Page - Timed Game

Question 1 of 10

1. What was the intent of the Imperial Japanese High Command in the campaign? Hint

Access to natural resouses

Invasion of North America

Establisment of foward operating bases

Diversion / Feint

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Question 2 of 10

2. What were the names of the two Japanese aircraft carriers that were the vanguard of the Japanese Mobile Task Force attacking the Aleutians?
Hint

Shoho / Akagi

Junyo / Hiryo

Ryujo / Kaga

Ryujo / Junyo

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Question 3 of 10

3. What Japanese aircraft was found by an American patrol plane virtually intact on Akutan Island? Hint

Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 Model 21 "Zeke"

Mitsubishi A5M Type 96 "Claude"

Nakajima B5N Type 97 "Kate"

Aichi D3A "Val"

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Question 4 of 10

4. On what date was Dutch Harbor (Unalaska Island) first attacked by the Japanese? Hint

December 8, 1941

October 5.1943

March 10, 1942

June 3, 1942

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Question 5 of 10

5. What were the names of the two American carriers that were the vanguard of Task Force 16 ordered to intercept the Japanese Mobile Task Force in the Aleutians? Hint

Enterprise / Hornet

Essex / Lexington

Lexington / Hornet

Enterprise / Yorktown

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Question 6 of 10

6. Admiral Yamamoto, thinking the Americans might counter attack after the fall of Kiska and Attu, reinforced the Japanese Mobile Task Force with what two additional aircraft carriers? Hint

Shinano / Hiryo

Zuiho / Zuikaku

Zuikaku / Kaga

Zuiho / Agagi

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Question 7 of 10

7. On what date did Japanese Naval Landing Forces land on Kiska and Attu? Hint

June 7, 1942

June 3, 1942

December 8, 1941

May 10, 1942

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Question 8 of 10

8. What U.S. Army General was in command of the Alaska defense force? Hint

George S. Patton

Simon B. Buckner Jr.

Omar Bradley

J. Lawton Collins

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Question 9 of 10

9. What U.S. Navy Admiral was in command of Northern Pacific Force (Task Force 8) in the Aleutian theater. Hint

Ernest J. King

Raymond A. Spruance

William F. Halsey

Robert A. Theobald

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Question 10 of 10

10. What U.S. Admiral replaced the previous Commander of (Task Force 8)? Hint

Thomas C. Kinkaid

John L. Hall Jr.

Harold A. Stark

Husband E. Kimmel

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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. What was the intent of the Imperial Japanese High Command in the campaign?

Answer: Diversion / Feint

The Imperial Japanese Naval High Command, knowing their assets to be limited, prosecuted the campaign in the Aleutians as a feint in order to draw
American naval forces from the mid and south Pacific areas of operations, namely Midway Island.

2. What were the names of the two Japanese aircraft carriers that were the vanguard of the Japanese Mobile Task Force attacking the Aleutians?

Answer: Ryujo / Junyo

Six weeks prior to the attack of Dutch Harbor by the planes from the Ryujo and Junyo, the Ryujo's flight deck had been holed by one of Colonel Jimmy Doolittle's bombers during the raid on Tokyo.

3. What Japanese aircraft was found by an American patrol plane virtually intact on Akutan Island?

Answer: Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 Model 21 "Zeke"

Petty Officer Tadayoshi Koga crash landed his crippled aircraft, a Mitsubishi A6M Type 0 Model 21 "Zeke", after reportedly shooting down an American PBY Catalina.
The find gave the Americans invaluable information on the technically advanced fighter.

4. On what date was Dutch Harbor (Unalaska Island) first attacked by the Japanese?

Answer: June 3, 1942

Just by chance or fate, the eye of a storm was just passing over Dutch Harbor
when 15 of Ryujo's attack planes broke from the clouds unchecked.

5. What were the names of the two American carriers that were the vanguard of Task Force 16 ordered to intercept the Japanese Mobile Task Force in the Aleutians?

Answer: Enterprise / Hornet

Admiral Nimitz regretfully recalled Task Force 16 on June 11, 1942 and it never
made contact with the Japanese Mobile Task Force.

6. Admiral Yamamoto, thinking the Americans might counter attack after the fall of Kiska and Attu, reinforced the Japanese Mobile Task Force with what two additional aircraft carriers?

Answer: Zuiho / Zuikaku

Japanese Intelligence was just guessing when it suggested the American fleet might be coming north.

7. On what date did Japanese Naval Landing Forces land on Kiska and Attu?

Answer: June 7, 1942

Japanese Landing Forces at Kiska and Attu were virtually unopposed, due to lack
of manpower, material and poor communications.

8. What U.S. Army General was in command of the Alaska defense force?

Answer: Simon B. Buckner Jr.

Lt.Gen. Simon Bolivar Buckner Jr. went on to head the 10th Army and was killed in action on Okinawa 18 June 1945, the highest ranking U.S. officer to fall.

9. What U.S. Navy Admiral was in command of Northern Pacific Force (Task Force 8) in the Aleutian theater.

Answer: Robert A. Theobald

Rear Admiral Theobald was aboard his temporary flagship USS Dobbin (AD-3)
moored at Pearl Harbor on December 7,1941.

10. What U.S. Admiral replaced the previous Commander of (Task Force 8)?

Answer: Thomas C. Kinkaid

In 1937 Captain Kinkaid was given his second seagoing command, the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis (CA-35). This famous ship delivered components for the first atomic bomb to the Island of Tinian.
The USS Indianapolis (CA-35) was then sunk on July 30, 1945 by the Japanese submarine I-58 causing the greatest loss of life in a single sinking in the history of the U. S. Navy.

Source: Author webnut

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