Famous Ships II Trivia Quiz

Answer: Passenger Liner

The Germans suspected the luxurious passenger liner 'RMS Lusitania' was also carrying war munitions and torpedoed it in 1915. Approximately 1,200 civilians died when the 'Lusitania' went down.

Answer: Sailing Ship

They landed at Plymouth Rock, Massachusetts in 1620. The Separatist Puritans (later called Pilgrims) originally set sail on two boats, the Speedwell and the Mayflower, but the Speedwell leaked so badly that the expedition had to return to England and only the Mayflower made the trip.

She carried 102 passengers and the voyage took 65 days, during which time two persons died. One boy was born at sea and another was born as the ship lay at anchor off Cape Cod. The Mayflower was about 12 years old and was a sizable cargo ship of 180-ton capacity that had served many years in the wine trade between England and France.

Answer: Battleship

The 'USS Missouri' has been refurbished and is on permanent public display in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii.

Answer: Research Ship

French oceanographer Jacques Costeau operated from the research ship 'Calypso' before it was struck by a barge and sank in 1996. It was replaced by a ship named 'Calypso II.' Costeau died in 1997.

Answer: Paddle Wheel Steam Ship

A huge shipment of gold bullion, nuggets and coins from the California gold rush sank to the ocean floor in 1857 when the 'SS Central America' was battered by a fierce hurricane off the coast of the Carolinas. The complete pictorial chronicle of the recovery of the 'Central America' and its gold treasures in 1988 is described in the book 'America's Lost Treasure.'

Answer: 16th Century Sailing Warship

The 'Mary Rose' was a 16th century sail warship (one of the first ships built with gun ports) that was a favorite of English king Henry VIII. After a long and successful career, she sank accidentally during an engagement with the French fleet in 1545.

She was finally located and raised in 1982, along with thousands of items on board when she sank. She is the only preserved 16th century warship in the world.

Answer: Battleship

The 'USS Arizona' is one of the battleships that were sunk in the Japanese sneak attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii on December 7, 1941.

Answer: Submarine

The "Turtle" was both the first American submarine and the first submarine used in warfare. It was successfully launched in 1776 during the American Revolutionary War against the British flagship "HMS Eagle," a 64-gun Ship-of-the-Line moored in New York harbor.

However, it was not until the U.S. Civil War that a submarine would sink an enemy warship in battle. The first practical submarine is generally credited to Dr. Cornelius Van Drebbel in England in 1620. His submarine was powered by oarsmen, with the oars protruding through flexible leather seals. Snorkel air tubes were held above the surface by floats.

The Korean turtle ships (called Kobukson) are believed to be the first ironclad warships in the world. Korea used them in a successful 1597 defense against an invasion by Japan.

Answer: Battleship

This gigantic Japanese battleship (nine 18-inch guns) was the biggest class of battleship ever built in the history of naval warfare. She was finally sunk in 1945 during the invasion of Okinawa during World War II. Her sister ship "Musashi" (approximately the same size) was sunk on October 22, 1944 in the Battle of Leyte Gulf by American carrier-based aircraft.

Answer: Sailing Ship

Christopher Columbus commanded a fleet of three ships when he discovered America in 1492: 'Nina,' 'Pinta,' and 'Santa Maria.'