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Submarine - Quiz
Contributed by: Cameron
  • 1. What was the primary role of the submarine before and during World War II?
A) Anti-surface ship warfare
B) Deep sea exploration
C) Anti-aircraft defense
D) Civilian transport
  • 2. How did submarines attack surface ships during the World Wars?
A) Using aerial bombardment
B) Using land-based missiles
C) Using boarding parties
D) Using deck guns or submerged torpedoes
  • 3. When were mine-laying submarines first developed?
A) 19th century
B) The Cold War era
C) Post-World War II
D) Early 20th century
  • 4. Which specific submarine sank U-864 while both were submerged?
A) HMS Conqueror
B) HMS Venturer
C) The R class
D) U-boat 864
  • 5. What is the primary defense of a submarine?
A) Remaining concealed in the depths
B) Active sonar jamming
C) Heavy armor plating
D) High-speed evasion
  • 6. Why is water an advantage for submarine detection?
A) It is an excellent conductor of sound
B) It amplifies radar signals
C) It reflects light perfectly
D) It creates magnetic interference
  • 7. What was the result of HMS Conqueror sinking the General Belgrano?
A) The Argentine surface fleet withdrew to port
B) The war ended immediately
C) Argentina sank a British submarine
D) The British Navy retreated
  • 8. What disadvantage does active sonar have?
A) It reveals the emitter's position
B) It consumes too much fuel
C) It cannot detect submarines at all
D) It only works on land
  • 9. What technologies made submarines effective at hunting each other after WWII?
A) Steam engines and visual spotting
B) Homing torpedoes, better sonar, and nuclear propulsion
C) Radio telegraphy and mines
D) Deck guns and manual navigation
  • 10. What was the purpose of the British R class submarine in WWI?
A) Cargo transport
B) Diplomatic transport
C) Specialized anti-submarine warfare
D) Mine clearing
  • 11. Besides combat, what special operations were submarines used for?
A) Deep sea oil drilling
B) Building underwater cables
C) Commercial whale watching
D) Inserting and removing covert agents
  • 12. How do modern submarines achieve stealth?
A) Using camouflage paint
B) Shutting down all electrical systems
C) Advanced propellers and sound-reducing insulation
D) Moving only during the night
  • 13. What is a major threat posed by a concealed submarine to an enemy navy?
A) Forcing the navy to waste resources searching large areas
B) Capturing enemy sailors for interrogation
C) Reducing the need for naval base security
D) Broadcasting propaganda
  • 14. What types of weapons can be launched by modern submarine-launched ballistic missiles?
A) Only non-lethal deterrents
B) Only traditional deck-mounted shells
C) Everything from cluster bombs to nuclear weapons
D) Only chemical weapons
  • 15. How did submarines assist airmen during air attacks on islands?
A) By refueling their planes mid-air
B) By providing aerial cover
C) By rescuing them from safe crash-land sites
D) By repairing their aircraft at sea
  • 16. What was the name of the first submarine to launch a cruise missile in July 1953?
A) USS Barbero
B) USS Scorpion
C) USS Tunny
D) USS Thresher
  • 17. Which class of submarine was the first to be put into service by the US as a ballistic missile sub in 1959–1960?
A) Tunny class
B) George Washington class
C) Tench class
D) Golf class
  • 18. Which Soviet submarine class was the first to be put into service as a ballistic missile sub in 1959–1960?
A) Komsomolets class
B) K-19 class
C) George Washington class
D) Golf class
  • 19. Which ship was used by the CIA to retrieve part of the sunken K-129 submarine?
A) INS Khukri
B) USS Scorpion
C) Glomar Explorer
D) USS Thresher
  • 20. Which Soviet submarine held the depth record for military submarines at 1,000 meters?
A) K-129
B) Komsomolets
C) K-8
D) K-19
  • 21. Which Soviet submarine was the first to reach the North Pole?
A) K-8
B) Komsomolets
C) K-129
D) K-19
  • 22. Why was the USS Thresher lost?
A) Fire on board
B) Radiation leak
C) Sunk by enemy fire
D) Equipment failure during a test dive
  • 23. During the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971, which submarine sank the Indian frigate INS Khukri?
A) General Belgrano
B) Transit
C) Hangor
D) Ghazi
  • 24. What class of submarine was the Ghazi, which was sunk by the Indian Navy?
A) Tench-class
B) Golf class
C) Tunny class
D) George Washington class
  • 25. In the incident involving the ship Transit in 1982, what did the Israeli submarine believe the vessel was carrying?
A) Naval mines
B) Anti-Israeli militias
C) Troops for an invasion
D) Nuclear weapons
  • 26. When did the Israeli Navy disclose the sinking of the coaster Transit?
A) 1971
B) June 1982
C) November 2018
D) July 1953
  • 27. Which ship's sinking is cited as a reason for the United States' entry into World War I?
A) HMS Venturer
B) U-19
C) RMS Lusitania
D) K-class
  • 28. How many submarines did Germany have at the outbreak of World War I?
A) Seventy-four
B) Ten
C) Five thousand
D) Twenty
  • 29. What was the range of the U-19 class submarines in World War I?
A) 8,000 miles
B) 10,000 miles
C) 2,000 miles
D) 5,000 miles
  • 30. What primary power system did U-boats use during World War I?
A) Coal-fired engines
B) Nuclear power
C) Diesel–electric
D) Steam turbine
  • 31. Which class of submarines did the British create to respond to German developments in WWI?
A) K-class
B) Balao-class
C) I-400-class
D) Gato-class
  • 32. What machine was used to encrypt U-boat communications in World War II?
A) Rudeltaktik
B) Enigma
C) Type 95
D) Kaiten
  • 33. What was the casualty rate of German submariners during World War II?
A) 90%
B) 30%
C) 50%
D) 70%
  • 34. Which Japanese submarine class could carry multiple aircraft?
A) Type A Ko-hyoteki
B) Kairyu-class
C) I-400-class
D) I-201-class
  • 35. Approximately what percentage of the Japanese Navy was destroyed by US submarines?
A) Under 2 percent
B) Over 60 percent
C) Over 30 percent
D) Over 90 percent
  • 36. How many US submarines were lost due to hostilities during World War II?
A) 260
B) 52
C) 48
D) 314
  • 37. Where were the majority of British submarines lost during World War II?
A) Far East
B) Norway
C) Mediterranean
D) North Sea
  • 38. What were Japanese midget submarines called?
A) Kaiten
B) Type A Ko-hyoteki
C) I-400
D) Gato
  • 39. In what year was the Nautilus submarine built by France?
A) 1863
B) 1850
C) 1800
D) 1804
  • 40. Who designed the Nautilus submarine?
A) Karl Flach
B) John Philip Holland
C) Robert Fulton
D) Wilhelm Bauer
  • 41. What is the oldest known surviving submarine in the world?
A) Brandtaucher
B) Nautilus
C) Holland I
D) Plongeur
  • 42. In what country was the Brandtaucher built?
A) Spain
B) France
C) Germany
D) United States
  • 43. Which submarine was the first military submarine to sink an enemy vessel?
A) H. L. Hunley
B) Brandtaucher
C) Nautilus
D) Plongeur
  • 44. What device was used by the H. L. Hunley to sink its target?
A) Whitehead torpedo
B) Compressed air missile
C) Gun-powder-filled keg on a spar
D) Self-propelled explosive
  • 45. Which designer created the Sub Marine Explorer?
A) Narcís Monturiol
B) Wilhelm Bauer
C) Robert Fulton
D) Julius H. Kroehl
  • 46. Who built the Flach submarine at the request of the Chilean government?
A) Karl Flach
B) Isaac Peral y Caballero
C) George Garrett
D) John Philip Holland
  • 47. What was the first submarine not relying on human power for propulsion?
A) Plongeur
B) Nautilus
C) Ictíneo II
D) Holland I
  • 48. What power source did the Plongeur use?
A) Compressed air
B) Diesel
C) Steam
D) Electric batteries
  • 49. Who designed the Ictíneo II?
A) Thorsten Nordenfelt
B) Narcís Monturiol
C) Robert Whitehead
D) John Philip Holland
  • 50. Who designed the first practical self-propelled torpedo?
A) Robert Fulton
B) George Garrett
C) Robert Whitehead
D) Karl Flach
  • 51. What was the name of the steam-powered submarine built by George Garrett and Thorsten Nordenfelt?
A) Sirène
B) Resurgam
C) Porpoise
D) Nordenfelt I
  • 52. Who built the Peral, an early electrically powered boat?
A) Dupuy de Lôme
B) Isaac Peral y Caballero
C) Gustave Zédé
D) James Franklin Waddington
  • 53. Which French submarine was the first to use a diesel engine for surface power?
A) Gymnote
B) Plongeur
C) Aigrette
D) Narval
  • 54. What was the name of the Russian submarine that was fired upon by Japanese torpedo boats?
A) Holland
B) Som
C) Nautilus
D) Peral
  • 55. In what year was the report in Opusculum Taisnieri published?
A) 1620
B) 1578
C) 1562
D) 1596
  • 56. Which Holy Roman Emperor witnessed two Greeks submerging in the river Tagus?
A) Charles V
B) James I
C) John Napier
D) William Bourne
  • 57. Who recorded one of the first plans for an underwater navigation vehicle in 1578?
A) David Bushnell
B) William Bourne
C) Cornelis Drebbel
D) Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont
  • 58. What was the title of the book written by John Napier in 1596?
A) Gentlemen's Magazine
B) Secret Inventions
C) Inventions or Devises
D) Opusculum Taisnieri
  • 59. How did Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont plan to renovate the air in his submersible vehicles?
A) Compressed oxygen tanks
B) Electric fans
C) Manual bellows
D) Autonomous floating snorkels
  • 60. What feature did Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont include for the crew to manipulate underwater objects?
A) Gloves
B) Robot arms
C) Harpoons
D) Claw hooks
  • 61. Who built the first submersible of which there exists reliable construction information?
A) Giovanni Borelli
B) Nathaniel Symons
C) David Bushnell
D) Cornelis Drebbel
  • 62. In what year was the first reliable submersible built by Cornelis Drebbel?
A) 1620
B) 1775
C) 1680
D) 1747
  • 63. What means of propulsion was used by Cornelis Drebbel's 1620 submersible?
A) Oars
B) Screws
C) Manual pedals
D) Steam engine
  • 64. Who patented and built the first known working example of a ballast tank for submersion?
A) Nathaniel Symons
B) Giovanni Borelli
C) David Bushnell
D) Cornelis Drebbel
  • 65. What material was used for the ballast bags in Nathaniel Symons' design?
A) Canvas
B) Rubber
C) Metal
D) Leather
  • 66. Who was credited by the Gentlemen's Magazine for initially proposing a design similar to Symons' ballast tank in 1680?
A) Giovanni Borelli
B) Jerónimo de Ayanz y Beaumont
C) William Bourne
D) John Napier
  • 67. What was the name of the first military submersible?
A) Device
B) Secret
C) Turtle
D) Tagus
  • 68. Who designed the Turtle?
A) William Bourne
B) David Bushnell
C) Nathaniel Symons
D) Cornelis Drebbel
  • 69. What shape was the Turtle submersible?
A) Acorn-shaped
B) Spherical
C) Cylindrical
D) Box-shaped
  • 70. How many people could the Turtle accommodate?
A) Three
B) Two
C) One
D) Four
  • 71. In what year was the Turtle developed?
A) 1578
B) 1775
C) 1747
D) 1620
  • 72. What is a key difference between a submarine and a submersible?
A) Submersibles are always larger than submarines
B) Submarines have greater independent underwater capability
C) Submersibles are never used for science
D) Submarines cannot operate underwater
  • 73. Regardless of their actual size, how are submarines referred to in naval tradition?
A) Vessels
B) Ships
C) Boats
D) Crafts
  • 74. What term is used in American usage for the vertical structure housing periscopes?
A) Conning tower
B) Fin
C) Sail
D) Bridge
  • 75. What is the European term for the vertical structure on a submarine?
A) Hull
B) Diving plane
C) Fin
D) Sail
  • 76. What feature of earlier submarine designs allowed for the use of shorter periscopes?
A) Pump jet
B) Hydrodynamic fins
C) Conning tower
D) Ballast tanks
  • 77. Which country is currently leading the construction surge of submarines?
A) United States
B) Russia
C) China
D) Germany
  • 78. Modern deep-diving submarines evolved from which vessel?
A) Torpedo boat
B) Bathyscaphe
C) Diving bell
D) Frigate
  • 79. Which of these is a civilian use for submarines?
A) Undersea archaeology
B) Nuclear deterrence
C) Covert insertion of special forces
D) Blockade running
  • 80. Which activity is NOT mentioned as a civilian use for submarines?
A) Tourism
B) Pipeline surveys
C) Military combat training
D) Oil platform inspections
  • 81. What was the name of the first tourist submarine?
A) Krasnogvardeyets
B) Auguste Piccard
C) USS Protector
D) USS Nautilus
  • 82. What are 'narco-submarines' mostly comprised of?
A) Remotely operated underwater vehicles
B) Civilian tourism submarines
C) Fully submersible military vessels
D) Self-propelled semi-submersibles
  • 83. How much cargo of drugs could the FARC submersible seized in 2011 carry?
A) At least 15 tonnes
B) At least 7 tonnes
C) At least 50 tonnes
D) At least 2 tonnes
  • 84. In what year did the USS Nautilus reach 87 degrees north?
A) 1952
B) 1957
C) 1960
D) 1959
  • 85. What was the first year that three submarines surfaced together at the Geographic North Pole?
A) 1986
B) 1984
C) 1990
D) 1987
  • 86. What technology did the USS Nautilus use to reach the North Pole in 1958?
A) Inertial navigation system
B) Satellite tracking
C) Visual star navigation
D) Upward-beamed fathometer
  • 87. What is the typical crush depth for tourist submarines?
A) 100–120 feet
B) 400–500 feet
C) 800–1000 feet
D) 200–300 feet
  • 88. What is the state of a surfaced submarine regarding buoyancy?
A) Positively buoyant
B) Negatively buoyant
C) Neutrally buoyant
D) Weightless
  • 89. To submerge hydrostatically, what must a submarine do?
A) Release all ballast water
B) Achieve negative buoyancy
C) Increase internal air pressure
D) Increase its displacement
  • 90. What is another name for depth control tanks (DCTs)?
A) Hard tanks
B) Main tanks
C) Soft tanks
D) Compression tanks
  • 91. What is the maximum pressure on a steel submarine hull mentioned in the text?
A) 10 MPa
B) 50 MPa
C) 1 MPa
D) 4 MPa
  • 92. Which material is used for the hull of the K-278 Komsomolets?
A) Aluminum
B) Titanium
C) Carbon fiber
D) Steel
  • 93. What describes the equilibrium state of a submerged submarine?
A) Static equilibrium
B) Perfectly stable equilibrium
C) Unstable equilibrium
D) Neutral stability
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