How well do you know the ships of the U.S. Navy?

By: Becky Stigall
Estimated Completion Time
3 min
How well do you know the ships of the U.S. Navy?
Image: YouTube

About This Quiz

Do you know which aircraft carriers are in commission right now? Do you know how many battleships the U.S. Navy is using? How about what the oldest naval ship still in use is? America's Navy not only keeps the United States secure as a world superpower, but it also develops cutting-edge technology, brings relief and medical aid to disaster zones, and instills a sense of pride and tradition in the young men and women who serve. The U.S. Navy covers the world to bring safety and peace over the oceans and in the air, and the ships it commissions are the all-important infrastructure of that security and peace.

The U.S. Navy has been serving America since 1775, and its ships have been sailing the world ever since. Maybe you know the ships because you have been a U.S. Navy sailor your whole life, or perhaps you are just a lifelong naval enthusiast. Either way, this quiz will take you from the earliest U.S. Navy ship to the latest and most advanced naval vessels in the United States Fleet. Do you have a passion for the U.S. Navy in your heart and blood? Or are you just a casual aficionado of naval warfare? Test your knowledge of the largest Navy in the world with this intense quiz to find out!

On a U.S. Navy ship, where do crew members sleep?
Rack
Bed
Bag
Sleeper
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

U.S. Navy crew members sleep in a rack. Sounds cozy.

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What was the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier called?
Saturn
Startrek
Starwars
Enterprise
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier was the USS Enterprise. It was launched in 1961 and decommissioned in 2017.

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Where do crew members eat on a navy ship?
Mess
Cafeteria
Restaurant
Bulkhead
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Navy crew members eat in a mess. That's especially true in rough seas!

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What are walls called on a navy ship?
Pieces
Dividers
Bulkhead
Screens
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On a navy ship, walls are referred to as bulkheads.

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The _______________ is the oldest ship in the navy.
USS Constitution
US Destroyer
USS Godzilla
USS Presidential
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned ship in the US Navy. It was launched in 1797.

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What is the name of the first nuclear-powered submarine?
USS Jetson
Nautilus
Destroyer
Godzilla
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first nuclear-powered submarine was called Nautilus. It was launched in 1954.

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Planes on an aircraft carrier are called _____.
Birds
Soars
Catapults
Beacons
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On an aircraft carrier, planes are called birds. The bird farm is where planes take off from.

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In what year were the first U.S. ships authorized?
1775
1897
1967
1500
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first U.S. ships were authorized in 1775. They were authorized by the Continental Congress.

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What device replaced the paddle wheel in U.S. Navy ships?
The screw propeller
The paddle oar
The screw anchor
The bomber shooter
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The screw propeller replaced the paddle wheel in U.S. Navy ships. This device made steam power better for warships.

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Who was the first U.S. Navy admiral?
George Washington
Thomas Edison
Paul Revere
David Farragut
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

David Farragut was the first U.S. Navy admiral. He fought in the War of 1812.

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The first U.S. aircraft carrier, converted from the USS Jupiter, was called _______?
USS Langley
USS Bethesda
USS Whitehouse
USS Berkley
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first aircraft carrier, converted from a warship, was the USS Langley. It was the navy's first turbo-electric-powered ship.

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Which of the following was NOT one of the first eight Continental Navy ships?
Hannah
Hancock
Franklin
Nina
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The eight ships of Washington's fleet were the Washington, Hannah, Hancock, Lynch, Lee, Warren Harrison and Franklin. The fleet was commissioned in 1775.

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Who designed the first U.S. steam-powered warship, the Demologos?
Robert Fulton
Alvin Edison
George Washington
Socrates
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Robert Fulton designed the first U.S. steam-powered warship. It fought in the War of 1812 and was destroyed in a gunpowder explosion in 1829.

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The USS Constitution was what type of ship?
Seafarer
Frigate
Bomber
Submarine
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USS Constitution was a frigate. It was used in the War of 1812.

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Who gets to name U.S. Navy ships?
The President
The Speaker of the House
The Secretary of State
The Secretary of the Navy
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Secretary of the Navy gets to name all U.S. ships. The Chief of Naval Operations gives a list of suggestions.

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What do carrier crew members call the tower/bridge?
The main room
The command center
The island
The middle
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Carrier crew members call the tower or bridge the island. It's about 150 feet tall.

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What was the name of the first aircraft carrier before it was an aircraft carrier?
Jupiter
Saturn
Pluto
Earth
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first aircraft carrier, before it was an aircraft carrier, was called USS Jupiter.

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The South Carolina and the Michigan, the first U.S. Navy big-gun ships, were put into service in what year?
1775
1910
2001
1492
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The South Carolina and the Michigan, the first U.S. Navy big-gun ships, were put into service in 1910. These ships were bigger and faster than previous warships.

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In what year was the USS Fulton, a steam-powered frigate, launched?
1775
2001
1837
1910
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The steam-powered frigate, the Fulton, was launched in 1837. The launch took place in New York.

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The first U.S. steam-powered warships were propelled using what device?
Paddle wheel
Oars
Propellers
Rowers
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first U.S. steam-powered warships were propelled using paddle wheels. They were not ideal because disabling the paddle wheel would disable the ship.

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The Monitor and the Virginia were what type of warships?
Nuclear
Armored
Paddle
Coal powered
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Monitor and the Virginia were armored warships. They both participated in an 1862 battle.

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Which of the following carrier ship crew members is called a grape?
Firefighter
Fuel handler
Air director
Munitions handler
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

On U.S. carriers, the fuel handlers are called grapes. They wear purple shirts, of course.

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Who developed and tested the technique used to land a plane on an aircraft carrier?
Shields and Yarnell
Curtiss and Ely
Laverne and Shirley
Bert and Ernie
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Curtiss and pilot Ely first successfully landed a plane on an aircraft carrier. They originally used ropes.

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How wide is the USS Missouri?
18 ft., 4 in.
108 ft., 2 in.
58 ft., 3 in.
23 ft., 4 in.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USS Missouri is 108 feet, 2 inches wide. It's classified as an Iowa battleship.

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The first U.S. Navy armored warships were powered by what?
Wood
Paddle wheels
Oars
Steam
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first U.S. Navy armored warships were powered by steam. Steam made U.S. warships more efficient.

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Which of the following carrier ship crew members wears a red shirt?
Crew chief
Mechanic
Air director
Munitions handler
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Munitions handlers wear red shirts on U.S. carriers. Don't be confused.

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Which of the following carrier ship crew members wears a yellow shirt?
Crew chief
Fire fighter
Aircraft director
Munitions handler
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Aircraft directors wear yellow shirts on US carriers. In essence, they decide where to park each plane on the carrier.

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True or False: before the TV show "Star Trek" started filming, the first draft referred to the USS Enterprise as the USS Yorktown.
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

In Gene Roddenberry's first draft of the "Star Trek" series, the Enterprise was called the Yorktown.

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What is the displacement of the USS Missouri?
743,000 tons
10 tons
57,500 tons
7,500 tons
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USS Missouri displaces 57,500 tons. That's a lot of water.

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Which U.S. Navy ship was the first fitted with a screw propeller?
Princeton
Yale
Cambridge
Smith
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The Princeton was the first U.S. Navy ship fitted with a screw propeller. It was launched in 1843.

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True or False: The first steam-powered warship was called Demologos.
True
False
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The first steam-powered warship was the Demologos. The word "demologos" means "voice of the people."

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Which of the following carrier ship crew members wears a brown shirt?
Plane captain
Fire fighter
Air director
Munitions handler
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

Crew chiefs wear brown shirts on U.S. carriers.

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How many weapons does the USS Missouri carry?
73
150
1500
3
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USS Missouri carries 73 weapons. The weapons include 32 armored Tomahawk missile launchers.

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How deep is the USS Missouri at the keel?
43 ft., 9 in.
17 ft., 9 in.
137 ft., 9 in.
37 ft., 9 in.
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

The USS Missouri is 37 feet, 9 inches deep at the keel.

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How many ships were in the U.S. Navy at the end of the Civil War?
681
3
27
18,613
Correct Answer
Wrong Answer

At the end of the Civil War, the US Navy had 681 ships. Most of them were powered by steam.

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