Famous Shipwrecks Quiz

Answer: It turned American opinion against Germany, as more than 120 Americans died. The British liner sank in 18 minutes off Ireland, killing nearly 1,200 people. The outrage helped turn American opinion, although the United States only entered the war in 1917. Germany claimed the ship was carrying munitions, which was partly true.

Answer: Fuel from its bunkers has been slowly leaking since 1941; they are called the 'tears of the Arizona'. The battleship exploded during the Japanese attack of 7 December 1941; 1,177 sailors died. Most still lie in the wreck, over which a white memorial was built without touching it. Some survivors have even chosen to have their ashes placed there.

Answer: The White Star Line. Running short of coal, the Atlantic diverted towards Halifax and struck a rock at night. More than 500 people died, including almost all the women and children, who had stayed below. It was the White Star Line's worst disaster before the Titanic.

Answer: Its cargo, estimated at billions of dollars, is claimed by Colombia, Spain and others. Sunk in a battle with British ships, the galleon carried gold, silver and emeralds. Colombia announced its location in 2015. Spain, descendants of Indigenous peoples and a salvage company also claim a share, and exploration remains tightly controlled.

Answer: At exceptionally low tides. This Dutch East India Company ship, bound for Java on its maiden voyage, ran aground in a storm and sank into the mud. The very well-preserved hull remains largely buried. A full-size replica is moored in Amsterdam.

Answer: Second World War motorbikes, trucks, ammunition and locomotives. This British freighter was waiting to enter the Suez Canal when German bombers attacked. Its cargo of supplies for the troops in North Africa has remained almost intact. Brought to public attention by Jacques Cousteau, the wreck has become one of the world's most famous dives.

Answer: Violet Jessop, nicknamed 'Miss Unsinkable'. A stewardess and later a nurse, she was also aboard the Olympic, the third ship in the class, during a collision in 1911. When the Britannic struck a mine in the Aegean, she jumped from her lifeboat and was hit on the head by the propeller, yet survived again.

Answer: It was a target ship for training airmen. Stripped of its big guns, the old battleship had been turned into a floating target, its deck covered with timbers to absorb practice bombs. Japanese pilots may have mistaken it for an aircraft carrier. Like the Arizona, it still lies in the harbour with part of its crew.

Answer: To hide from the enemy that it had been sunk and avoid a blow to morale; a medium who mentioned it was even prosecuted. Torpedoed in the Mediterranean, the Barham capsized and exploded in minutes, a scene filmed by a cameraman. Families were informed only late. Scottish medium Helen Duncan, who allegedly mentioned the sinking at a seance, was convicted in 1944 under an old witchcraft law.

Answer: 'The Wager'. Stranded on a freezing island, the survivors turned on each other; two groups made it back to England separately after incredible odysseys, each accusing the other of mutiny. Among them was young John Byron, grandfather of the poet Lord Byron. A film adaptation by Martin Scorsese has been announced.

Answer: It was the first complete underwater excavation carried out with rigorous archaeological methods. Led by George Bass, the archaeologists recorded the Bronze Age wreck meticulously on the seabed, as on a land dig. This approach gave birth to modern underwater archaeology, later applied at Uluburun and many other sites.