Maritime History Quiz

F-14 Ace · **on:** October 26, 2009, 11:53:04 PM

Ok, the rules are simple. Your question can be about anything pertaining to civilian or military maritime history. Obviously, whoever answers the question gets the next turn.

I'll start us off with a couple of questions.

1. Can anyone name this famous British warship?

And here is one I just wanted to ask more for trivia purposes. This one is optional.

Yesterday, (October 25th) marked the 65th anniversary of What WWII naval battle in the Pacific Ocean? Also, who won the battle?

Malte279 · **Reply #1 on:** October 27, 2009, 05:41:05 AM

I may be mistaken and I did not check out anywhere to prevent a possible wrong guess, but I think the picture shows the HMS Hood, doesn't it?
The anniversary would be of the battle in the Leyte Gulf, though that one stretched over several days and several "meetings". It was possibly the largest naval battle ever. The battle of the Leyte Gulf was a serious defeat for the Japanese who lost among other the Zuikaku (last survivng fleet career that had participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor) and the Musashi (sistership of the battleship Yamato). The battle also saw the first deliberate Kamikaze attack which sank the escort carrier USS St. Lo.

(PS: I like this thread, it could be really interesting

)

F-14 Ace · **Reply #2 on:** October 27, 2009, 01:16:36 PM

Yes, that is the HMS Hood. I think they were going to add more deck armor to the ship in 1939 but decided not to. I forgot the exact reason why. It may have saved the ship had they done it though.

And you're correct about the second question too. The exact event I was refering to was the Battle off Samar.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_off_Samar
It was a prety incredible battle. With just three destroyers, four destroyer escorts, and six light carriers, Tafy 3 was able to fend off the most powerful ships in the Japanese Navy, including the battleship Yamato, and even sunk three of their heavy cruisers. They lost about half their own force but against all odds, they actually won the battle.

Malte279 · **Reply #3 on:** October 27, 2009, 02:18:31 PM

Here is the next question.
The sinking of three battleships was filmed. Which were these three battleships and when and where were they sunk?
Note that the emphasis is on both, "battleship" (no cruisers of any sort) and filmed (there are photos of many ship sinkings including battleships but I'm talking of actual films only).

f-22 "raptor" ace · **Reply #4 on:** October 27, 2009, 04:34:19 PM

HMS Barham which was sunk on November 25 1941 in the med while steaming to attack Ittalian conveys. The Szent Istvan sunk June 10 1918 off Premuda Island, and The USS Arizona sunk on Dec 7th 1941 during the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Malte279 · **Reply #5 on:** October 27, 2009, 04:49:49 PM

That's right F-22 (I would add the nodding smiley here but feel it may be inappropriate to be too smiley when we are talking about events in which quite a few people died).
Your turn.

f-22 "raptor" ace · **Reply #6 on:** October 27, 2009, 04:52:54 PM

Ever since the year 1775 this name has always been the name of an active warship.

Malte279 · **Reply #7 on:** October 27, 2009, 05:49:16 PM

My initial thought was USS Enterprise as I thought that this name had at least been around repeatedly. But checking out on this I found that the name was not continuous since 1775.
I still though 1775 suggested this to be a US nave ship name. But the list of ships in the US navy in that time was rather short. Other than the Enterprise I found just two hands full of ships of which Franklin and Washington seemed most promising but neither fulfilled the continuous requirement of continuity as an active warship. The repeatedly used insects Wasp and Hornet failed me as well. The next thought was that Lee was a name of interest not just to the US but also to the British nave as well as to the (short term) CS Navy, but even though ships of that name were in all three navies there is no constant continuity since 1775.
Not all ships of the respective names were warships either.
Does the ship include only ships that were actually launched in 1775 or is decommission in that year, or the renaming of a ship built earlier sufficient? Does "active" service include representative duties?
Any hint you can give?

f-22 "raptor" ace · **Reply #8 on:** October 27, 2009, 05:51:50 PM

Well Enterprise is the answer I was looking for. Your turn again malte.

Malte279 · **Reply #9 on:** October 27, 2009, 06:05:04 PM

Quote

Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!

Who is quoted to have said this under which circumstances?

F-14 Ace · **Reply #10 on:** October 27, 2009, 11:30:04 PM

That would be David Farragut during the Battle of Mobile Bay.

Malte279 · **Reply #11 on:** October 28, 2009, 04:38:52 AM

Aye that's correct. To fully understand the context it is important to note that "torpedo" at that time described something more like a naval mine and Farragut at that time ordered full steam ahead after one of his ships had been sunk by such a mine while he was passing through the mined waters at the fortified entrance of Mobile Bay.
Your turn F14.

Malte279 · **Reply #12 on:** October 31, 2009, 07:13:29 PM

F-14? It's your turn. I like the game you started and would love to see it continued

F-14 Ace · **Reply #13 on:** November 02, 2009, 07:38:22 PM

Oops. Sorry.
While the CSS Hunley was the first submarine to actually sink a ship, what was the first attempt to use a submarine to sink a ship and why did it not succeed?

Malte279 · **Reply #14 on:** November 02, 2009, 07:59:27 PM

I think that would have been the "Turtle" during the American Revolution. I think it was 1776 or 1777 that she tried to sink a British ship on (I think it was) the Hudson River near New York. Unless memory fails me the Turtle did not get past some obstructions set up by the British not so much against submersibles but against maritime attacks (like burning rafts to torch their ships) in general. Unlike the Hunley the Turtle failed, but also survived the attempt.

Malte279 · **Reply #15 on:** November 02, 2009, 08:05:00 PM

I checked out one book which mentions another problem about the attempted attack, namely that the target ship had metal planking along the hull (to prevent shells and worms from damaging the wooden hull). The metal plating did not allow the turtle to drill a hole in the hull to plant an explosive charge there. I am relatively sure I had read about the obstructions in the water elsewhere but seeing that the book I checked out now also suggests the whole attack took place not really inside the mouth of the Hudson river but nearby what is today liberty's island I probably confused things.

Malte279 · **Reply #16 on:** November 02, 2009, 08:10:46 PM

Wikipedia names the part about the metal plating preventing the drilling and placing of the explosive charges a "common misconception" and instead points out the difficulty of keeping the turtle "in place" during the drilling when current would push her away.
The article there even refers to a book that suggests the attack never happened (at least not with the Turtle but rather with a covered rowing boat) but was actually a propaganda story to give a boost to morale.

F-14 Ace · **Reply #17 on:** November 03, 2009, 02:18:48 PM

Yes, that is correct. Your turn Malte.

Malte279 · **Reply #18 on:** November 03, 2009, 03:34:02 PM

Nearly everybody knows the names of the three ships Colon set out with on his expedition that ultimately made the existence of America common knowledge. But what were the names of the five ship Magellan set out with to sail around the world and which of the five was the only one to return (without Magellan who never made it round the way so special points if you can name the one who actually commanded the last ship)?

Mirumoto_Kenjiro · **Reply #19 on:** January 24, 2010, 04:22:48 AM

Magellan's ships include the Trinidad, the San Antonio, the Concepcion, the Santiago, and the Victoria. And it was the Victoria that returned to Spain under command of Juan Sebastian Elcano.