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Design constraints required the USS Maine to be over 400 feet long and displace approximately 10,000 tons.
Answer: False
Explanation: Design constraints, particularly the need to access existing American ports and docks, limited the USS Maine's length to approximately 300 feet and its displacement to around 7,000 tons.
The USS Maine featured a long and wide hull, divided into over 300 watertight compartments.
Answer: False
Explanation: The USS Maine had a long and narrow hull, measuring approximately 324 feet overall, and was divided into 214 watertight compartments, not over 300.
The USS Maine's main gun turrets were arranged side-by-side on the centerline, allowing for powerful broadsides.
Answer: False
Explanation: The USS Maine's main gun turrets were arranged in a sponsoned and echeloned configuration, not side-by-side on the centerline. This allowed for heavy bow and stern fire but limited broadside capability and caused instability when firing.
The primary armament of the USS Maine included four 10-inch guns and six 6-inch guns.
Answer: True
Explanation: The main armament of the USS Maine consisted of four 10-inch guns mounted in two twin turrets, supplemented by six 6-inch guns.
The USS Maine utilized advanced Krupp armor, offering superior protection compared to contemporary steel types.
Answer: False
Explanation: The USS Maine utilized nickel-steel armor, which was an improvement over earlier types but was surpassed by later Harvey steel and Krupp armors in terms of protection.
The USS Maine was powered by two inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines.
Answer: True
Explanation: The USS Maine was propelled by two inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines, a design choice made by George Wallace Melville.
George Wallace Melville designed the USS Maine's engines with horizontal mounting for better protection.
Answer: False
Explanation: George Wallace Melville designed the USS Maine's engines with vertical mounting, prioritizing efficiency and space over the potentially better protection offered by horizontal mounting.
During its trials, the USS Maine exceeded its contract speed of 17 knots.
Answer: False
Explanation: During its speed trials, the USS Maine achieved a maximum speed of 16.45 knots, falling short of its contract speed requirement of 17 knots.
The USS Maine's echeloned turrets were designed to improve its ability to engage targets on its flanks.
Answer: False
Explanation: The echeloned turrets of the USS Maine were primarily designed to allow for heavy bow and stern fire, a tactic favored for ramming, rather than engaging targets on its flanks.
The USS Maine's armor belt was 12 inches thick and made of Harvey steel.
Answer: False
Explanation: The USS Maine's main armor belt was 12 inches thick, but it was made of nickel-steel, not Harvey steel, which was a later development.
The USS Maine's vertical engine mounting was chosen for aesthetic reasons.
Answer: False
Explanation: The vertical mounting of the USS Maine's engines, designed by George Wallace Melville, was chosen primarily for greater efficiency and space utilization, not for aesthetic reasons.
The USS Maine's design limitations included instability caused by its echeloned turrets and a limited operational range due to low coal capacity.
Answer: True
Explanation: The USS Maine's design suffered from limitations such as instability induced by its echeloned turrets and a restricted operational range stemming from its low coal capacity.
What was a key design constraint for the USS Maine and USS Texas related to accessing American ports?
Answer: They had to fit within existing docks and have a shallow draft.
Explanation: A critical design constraint for the USS Maine and USS Texas was their requirement to fit within existing docks and possess a shallow draft to ensure accessibility to major American ports.
What was a significant drawback of the USS Maine's echeloned main gun turret arrangement?
Answer: It made the ship unstable and prone to heeling when firing.
Explanation: A significant drawback of the USS Maine's echeloned turret arrangement was that it could cause the ship to heel when both turrets fired in the same direction, contributing to instability.
What type of armor did the USS Maine primarily utilize?
Answer: Nickel-steel armor.
Explanation: The USS Maine was primarily armored with nickel-steel, an advanced material for its time, though it was later surpassed by Harvey steel and Krupp armor.
What was a limitation of the USS Maine's propulsion system as designed by George Wallace Melville?
Answer: The vertical mounting was less protected than horizontal alternatives.
Explanation: While George Wallace Melville's vertical engine mounting offered efficiency benefits, it was considered less protected compared to horizontal alternatives, placing critical machinery higher in the hull.
What was the maximum speed achieved by the USS Maine during its trials?
Answer: 16.45 knots
Explanation: During its official speed trials, the USS Maine reached a maximum speed of 16.45 knots, which was below its contracted speed of 17 knots.
What was a consequence of the USS Maine's hull shape and sponsoned gun turrets in heavy seas?
Answer: It was prone to significant motion and less dry.
Explanation: The USS Maine's hull shape and the placement of its sponsoned gun turrets contributed to significant motion and made the ship less dry in heavy seas.
What was the main armament of the USS Maine?
Answer: Four 10-inch guns and six 6-inch guns.
Explanation: The primary armament of the USS Maine consisted of four 10-inch guns housed in two twin turrets, supported by six 6-inch guns.
What was the approximate displacement of the USS Maine, based on its design constraints?
Answer: 7,000 tons
Explanation: Due to design constraints related to port accessibility, the USS Maine had an approximate displacement of 7,000 tons.
The USS Maine was classified primarily as a modern battleship, representing the pinnacle of naval design upon completion.
Answer: False
Explanation: The USS Maine was often described as an armored cruiser or a second-class battleship. Due to its protracted construction period, naval technology evolved significantly, rendering its design somewhat obsolete by the time of its completion.
The construction of ships like the USS Maine was prompted by the modernization of South American navies.
Answer: True
Explanation: The acquisition of modern warships by South American nations, such as Brazil's Riachuelo, highlighted the relative weakness of the U.S. Navy and spurred the development and construction of more capable vessels like the USS Maine and USS Texas.
The USS Maine's construction was completed relatively quickly, taking only three years from conception to commissioning.
Answer: False
Explanation: The construction of the USS Maine was notably protracted, taking approximately nine years from its authorization to its commissioning, largely due to industrial limitations and delays.
During the USS Maine's lengthy construction, naval technology evolved significantly, making its intended role less defined.
Answer: True
Explanation: The nine years of construction saw rapid advancements in naval technology and tactics, shifting the perceived role of armored cruisers like the Maine towards commerce raiding, which required different capabilities than those emphasized in its original design.
The USS Maine was commissioned in 1895 and primarily operated with the North Atlantic Squadron.
Answer: True
Explanation: The USS Maine was commissioned on September 17, 1895, and subsequently operated primarily with the North Atlantic Squadron.
Why was the construction period of the USS Maine unusually long?
Answer: Delays in receiving armored plating and a fire in the drafting room.
Explanation: The USS Maine's construction was significantly prolonged by factors including a three-year delay in obtaining armored plating and a fire that destroyed blueprints in the drafting room.
How did the rapid evolution of naval technology during the Maine's construction impact its role?
Answer: It shifted its intended role towards commerce raiding, requiring faster vessels.
Explanation: The rapid evolution of naval technology during the Maine's lengthy construction meant its intended role shifted towards commerce raiding, a function for which its design became less suitable compared to faster, more specialized vessels.
Why was the USS Maine considered obsolete upon completion despite design advancements?
Answer: Its construction took too long, allowing technology to advance beyond it.
Explanation: The protracted construction period of the USS Maine meant that naval technology advanced significantly during its build, rendering its design outdated by the time it was commissioned.
According to the source, what was the primary reason for the U.S. Navy's interest in building ships like the USS Maine?
Answer: To respond to the modernization of South American navies.
Explanation: The U.S. Navy's interest in building ships like the USS Maine was primarily driven by the modernization efforts of South American navies, which highlighted the need for the U.S. to update its own fleet.
The USS Maine was a United States Navy ship that exploded and sank in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898.
Answer: True
Explanation: The USS Maine, a United States Navy vessel, tragically exploded and sank in Havana Harbor on the evening of February 15, 1898.
The stated mission of the USS Maine upon arriving in Havana Harbor was to conduct offensive operations against Spanish forces.
Answer: False
Explanation: The USS Maine was deployed to Havana Harbor in January 1898 with the stated mission of protecting American interests during the ongoing Cuban War of Independence, not to conduct offensive operations.
The explosion and sinking of the USS Maine resulted in the deaths of over 300 crew members.
Answer: False
Explanation: A total of 261 crew members lost their lives when the USS Maine exploded and sank in Havana Harbor.
A total of 261 crew members were lost when the USS Maine sank.
Answer: True
Explanation: The sinking of the USS Maine resulted in the tragic loss of 261 crew members.
What significant event is the USS Maine most associated with?
Answer: Its sinking in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898.
Explanation: The USS Maine is most famously associated with its catastrophic sinking in Havana Harbor on February 15, 1898, an event that significantly influenced public opinion and the path to war.
What was the stated purpose of the USS Maine's deployment to Havana Harbor in January 1898?
Answer: To protect American interests during the Cuban War of Independence.
Explanation: The USS Maine was dispatched to Havana Harbor in January 1898 with the official objective of safeguarding American interests amidst the ongoing Cuban War of Independence.
How many crew members were killed in the explosion and sinking of the USS Maine?
Answer: 261
Explanation: The explosion and sinking of the USS Maine resulted in the deaths of 261 crew members.
The initial U.S. Navy inquiry in 1898 concluded that an external mine explosion caused the USS Maine to sink.
Answer: True
Explanation: The initial U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry, known as the Sampson Board, concluded in 1898 that an external explosion, likely from a mine, caused the sinking of the USS Maine.
The Spanish investigation concluded that the USS Maine sank due to spontaneous combustion of coal.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Spanish naval investigation suggested that the explosion was likely caused by the spontaneous combustion of coal in a nearby bunker, which ignited the ship's magazines. They also noted the absence of typical indicators of a mine explosion.
The 1898 Sampson Board concluded the Maine was destroyed by a mine but could not assign blame.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Sampson Board determined that a mine explosion caused the sinking of the USS Maine, noting physical evidence like the bent keel. However, the board was unable to assign responsibility for the explosion.
The 1911 Vreeland Board's findings regarding the cause of the Maine's sinking differed from the Sampson Board's by suggesting the external explosion was less powerful and farther aft.
Answer: True
Explanation: The 1911 Vreeland Board concluded that an external explosion had occurred, but they determined it was less powerful and located farther aft than the Sampson Board had suggested, and that the bending of frame 18 was a consequence of the magazine explosions.
A 1998 National Geographic investigation suggested the sinking was definitively caused by a Spanish mine.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 1998 National Geographic investigation found the cause inconclusive, though the soil depression beneath the wreck was considered more consistent with a mine explosion than other theories.
Conspiracy theories suggest the sinking of the USS Maine was a false flag operation orchestrated by the U.S. government.
Answer: True
Explanation: One prominent conspiracy theory posits that the sinking was a false flag operation, deliberately caused by the U.S. to provide a pretext for war with Spain.
The 'Judeo-Masonic plot' conspiracy theory directly explains the cause of the USS Maine's sinking.
Answer: False
Explanation: The Judeo-Masonic plot is a conspiracy theory related to broader historical narratives of secret societies and control, but it is not presented as a direct explanation for the cause of the USS Maine's sinking.
The Spanish inquiry noted the absence of a water column, which is typically seen in mine explosions.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Spanish investigation observed the lack of a water column, a common indicator of mine explosions, as evidence against the mine theory.
The Sampson Board cited witness testimonies and the bending of the ship's keel at frame 18 as evidence of a mine.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Sampson Board cited witness accounts of explosions and the physical evidence of the ship's keel bending at frame 18 as indicators supporting the conclusion of an external mine explosion.
Bituminous coal, used by the Maine, is known for its stability and low risk of spontaneous combustion.
Answer: False
Explanation: Bituminous coal is known to be more volatile and susceptible to spontaneous combustion than other types, a characteristic relevant to theories about the Maine's sinking.
Which U.S. Navy board of inquiry initially concluded that a mine explosion caused the USS Maine's sinking?
Answer: The Sampson Board (1898)
Explanation: The Sampson Board, the initial U.S. Navy Court of Inquiry convened in 1898, concluded that a mine explosion was the cause of the USS Maine's sinking.
What alternative cause for the USS Maine's explosion did Admiral Hyman Rickover propose?
Answer: Spontaneous combustion in a coal bunker igniting the magazines.
Explanation: Admiral Hyman Rickover proposed in 1974 that the explosion was likely caused by spontaneous combustion within a coal bunker igniting the ship's magazines, rather than an external mine.
How did the Spanish investigation into the Maine's sinking differ from the initial U.S. findings?
Answer: The Spanish investigation suggested spontaneous combustion and noted the absence of typical mine explosion indicators.
Explanation: The Spanish investigation proposed spontaneous combustion as the cause and pointed out the lack of typical mine explosion indicators, such as a water column, contrasting with the U.S. Navy's initial conclusion of a mine.
Which of the following was NOT listed as a conspiracy theory surrounding the USS Maine sinking?
Answer: An accidental explosion caused by faulty wiring.
Explanation: While false flag operations and internal factors like coal combustion were discussed as theories, an accidental explosion due to faulty wiring was not explicitly listed among the conspiracy theories presented.
The 1911 Vreeland Board's findings regarding the cause of the Maine's sinking differed from the Sampson Board's by suggesting:
Answer: The external explosion was less powerful and farther aft.
Explanation: The Vreeland Board (1911) concluded that the external explosion was less powerful and located farther aft than the Sampson Board (1898) had suggested, reinterpreting the evidence regarding frame 18.
What did the 1998 National Geographic investigation find regarding the soil depression beneath the wreck?
Answer: It was more consistent with a mine explosion.
Explanation: The 1998 National Geographic investigation noted that the soil depression observed beneath the wreck was more consistent with the effects of a mine explosion.
The sinking of the USS Maine was the sole and direct cause of the Spanish-American War.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the sinking of the USS Maine was a significant catalyst, it was not the sole cause of the Spanish-American War. Pre-existing political tensions, U.S. interests in Cuba, and expansionist ambitions also contributed to the conflict.
Newspapers like the New York Journal engaged in objective reporting of the Maine incident, avoiding sensationalism.
Answer: False
Explanation: Newspapers such as the New York Journal were prominent examples of 'yellow journalism,' engaging in sensationalized and often exaggerated reporting of the Maine incident, which fueled public outrage.
Yellow journalism significantly amplified the USS Maine incident, contributing to war fever against Spain.
Answer: True
Explanation: Sensationalist reporting, characteristic of yellow journalism, greatly magnified the impact of the USS Maine incident, inflaming public opinion and contributing significantly to the war fever directed against Spain.
False flag allegations propose that the U.S. deliberately caused the Maine's sinking to justify war.
Answer: True
Explanation: False flag allegations suggest that the U.S. intentionally orchestrated the sinking of the USS Maine to create a casus belli and justify military intervention against Spain.
The slogan 'Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!' was used to advocate for peace.
Answer: False
Explanation: The slogan 'Remember the Maine! To hell with Spain!' was a powerful rallying cry that fueled public demand for war against Spain, not an advocacy for peace.
The 'Operation Northwoods' proposal suggested creating a 'Remember the Maine' incident to justify intervention in Cuba.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Operation Northwoods proposal, a 1962 plan, included a suggestion to stage an incident reminiscent of the 'Remember the Maine' event to justify military action in Cuba.
The USS Maine's sinking provided the sole justification for American expansionism in the late 19th century.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the sinking of the USS Maine was a significant factor, it was not the sole justification for American expansionism; other geopolitical and economic interests were also at play.
Which factor, according to the source, served as a powerful catalyst for the Spanish-American War following the Maine's sinking?
Answer: Sensationalized newspaper reports blaming Spain and fueling public demand for war.
Explanation: Sensationalized newspaper reports, a hallmark of yellow journalism, played a crucial role by blaming Spain for the Maine's destruction and intensifying public demand for war, thus acting as a powerful catalyst.
What was the significance of the slogan 'Remember the Maine!'?
Answer: It was a rallying cry that fueled public demand for war against Spain.
Explanation: The slogan 'Remember the Maine!' became a potent rallying cry, galvanizing public opinion and significantly contributing to the pressure for war against Spain.
Which of the following best describes the role of yellow journalism in the lead-up to the Spanish-American War?
Answer: It sensationalized the USS Maine incident, inflaming public opinion against Spain.
Explanation: Yellow journalism played a significant role by sensationalizing the USS Maine incident, thereby inflaming public opinion and increasing pressure for war against Spain.
The wreck of the USS Maine was refloated and sunk in deep water in 1912 after a cofferdam was built around it.
Answer: True
Explanation: Following the construction of a cofferdam around the wreck, the hull of the USS Maine was refloated, towed out to sea, and ceremoniously sunk in deep water in 1912.
The main mast of the USS Maine is now located at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis.
Answer: False
Explanation: The main mast of the USS Maine, recovered during the wreck's removal, is located at Arlington National Cemetery, serving as a memorial.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for building the cofferdam and cutting away damaged sections of the Maine's wreck.
Answer: True
Explanation: The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers undertook the task of constructing a cofferdam around the wreck, exposing it for salvage and demolition, and cutting away damaged sections before its final sinking.
The remains of the USS Maine crew were eventually interred in the Key West Cemetery.
Answer: False
Explanation: While some unidentified remains were interred in Key West Cemetery, the majority of the USS Maine crew members' remains were eventually transferred to Arlington National Cemetery for final burial.
The USS Maine Mast Memorial, featuring the ship's foremast, is located at Arlington National Cemetery.
Answer: True
Explanation: The USS Maine Mast Memorial, prominently featuring the ship's foremast, stands at Arlington National Cemetery as a tribute to the lost crew.
The wreck of the USS Maine was rediscovered in 2000 in deep water northeast of Havana Harbor.
Answer: True
Explanation: The wreck of the USS Maine was rediscovered in 2000, located in deep water approximately northeast of Havana Harbor.
Various artifacts from the USS Maine, including guns and anchors, are preserved in museums and parks across the United States.
Answer: True
Explanation: Numerous artifacts from the USS Maine, such as its guns and anchors, are preserved and displayed in museums and public spaces throughout the United States.
Where is the main mast of the USS Maine currently located?
Answer: At Arlington National Cemetery.
Explanation: The main mast of the USS Maine, recovered from the wreck, is now a central feature of the USS Maine Mast Memorial located at Arlington National Cemetery.