Famous Ships I Trivia Quiz

Answer: Battleship

The powerful German battleship 'KMS Bismarck' was sunk in 1941 on its maiden cruise (but not before it sank the British battlecruiser 'HMS Hood,' with only three survivors out of the ship's crew of 1,418). This battle was immortalized in the song 'Sink the Bismarck' by Johnny Horton.

The sunken remains of the 'Bismarck' were discovered in 1989 by underwater explorer Bob Ballard three miles below the Atlantic Ocean.

Answer: Sailing Ship

The story of mutiny of the crew on "HMS Bounty" has been told in at least three movies: in 1935 with Clark Gable as Fletcher Christian and Charles Laughton as Captain Bligh, in 1962 with Marlon Brando and Trevor Howard, and in 1984 with Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins.

Answer: Submarine

The "CSS Hunley" was a submarine used by the Confederate Navy in the U.S. Civil War to sink a Union warship (the "USS Housatonic") in 1864. It was the first submarine to sink an enemy ship in battle. The "Hunley" then sank itself (perhaps from the percussive shock of the explosion its own torpedo).

It was discovered in 1995 and was successfully raised. The "Turtle" was the first American submarine, successfully launched in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War against the British flagship "HMS Eagle," a 64-gun frigate moored in New York harbor.

However, it was unable to sink the "Eagle." It was not until the U.S. Civil War that a submarine would sink an enemy warship in battle.

Answer: Battleship

The battleship 'USS Maine' blew up in Havana Harbor, Cuba, in 1898, killing 266 Americans. It never was determined if this was caused by spontaneous combustion, sabotage, mines, or some other cause. This explosion gave rise to the rallying slogan 'Remember the 'Maine!' and led to the Spanish-American War. Teddy Roosevelt's charge up San Juan Hill was a memorable event from that war.

Answer: Nuclear-Powered Submarine

The submarine 'USS Nautilus' was the world's first nuclear-powered ship when it was launched in 1954 with U.S. First Lady Mamie Eisenhower breaking the traditional bottle of champagne across the 'Nautilus' bow.

Answer: Sailing War Ship

Pirates located on the Barbary Coast on the northern coast of Africa caused considerable interference with U.S. shipping in the early 1800's. During the term of U.S. President Thomas Jefferson, the warship 'USS Constitution' (known as 'Old Iron Sides' because its oak plank sides deflected many cannon balls), was commissioned to help defeat these pirates.

The 'Constitution' has been continuously refurbished and is the oldest active ship in the U.S. Navy.

Answer: Aircraft Carrier

This Japanese aircraft carrier was one of six carriers that took part in the sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941. It was later one of four Japanese carriers sunk in the Battle of Midway in 1942.

Answer: Passenger Liner

Italy's majestic passenger liner 'Andrea Doria' collided with the Swedish passenger liner 'Stockholm' in 1956 and sank fifty miles southeast of Nantucket, with 51 lives lost.

Answer: Sailing Ship

The British sailing ship 'HMS Beagle' carried Charles Darwin on his voyage of discovery. He later published the book 'The Origin of Species' cataloguing his findings, in which he outlined his theory of evolution.

Answer: Union Ironclad Warship

This Union ironclad turreted armored warship was designed by John Ericsson during the U.S. Civil War. It was derisively referred to as 'a cheese box on a raft' at the time, but it fought the Confederate ironclad 'CSS Virginia' (formerly called the 'USS Merrimac') to a draw in 1862.