ANSWERS Submarine Multiple Choice Questions of the Week - 18 July 2016

Related information, photo(s) and links for questions are found in the original posting here. 

Questions of the Week with ANSWERS

1 -  What 'Consumer Discretionary' company recently agreed to assist the U.S. Navy in development of hydrogen fuel cells for fleets of submarine drones (UUVs)?
a) Duracell
b) Eveready
c) ANSWER > General Motors  
d) Electric Boat

The following relate to the Royal Navy's ballistic nuclear missile subs:
2 -  What are"letters of last resort"?
a)  pleas by ballistic missile sub sailors addressed to wives / girlfriends.
b)  ANSWER > identically-worded, handwritten letters from the Prime Minister to commanding officers of his four British ballistic missile submarines.  many sources
c)  pleas by creditors addressed to ballistic missile sub sailors to make payments before repossession.
d)  offers from the Chief Admiral of the Royal Australian Navy to transfer to his Collins-class subs.

3 - Does Brittain's royal monarch sign or receive a copy of such"letters of last resort"?
a)  absolutely
b)  definitely not
c)  never even consulted about them
d)  ANSWER >  unknown: no authoritative reference was found 

4 - What part does BBC-4 Radio play in using such "letters of last resort"?
a)  BBC-4 has a strong reputation for comedy, plus experimental and alternative comedy.
b)  BBC-4 broadcasts a wide variety of of spoken-word programmes including news and science.
c)  BBC-4 never goes off air.
d)  ANSWER > BBC-4 signals British Trident ballistic missile subs when to open "letters of last resort"?  (According to Peter Hennessy's book The Secret State: Whitehall and the Cold War, 1945 to 1970, the process by which a Vanguard-class submarine commander would determine if the British government continues to function includes, amongst other checks, establishing whether BBC Radio 4 continues broadcasting. ^[8])
 
5 - Is it necessary for British Royal Navy (RN) Trident ballistic missile subs to ascertain the health or disposition of the Royal Monarch prior to opening "letters of last resort"?
a)  unnecessary
b)  absolutely
c)  ANSWER > unknown: no authoritative reference was found
d)  not possible

6 - In what section of a Trident sub are "letters of last resort" maintained?
a)  the mess deck
b)  ANSWER > the control room
c)  the commanding officer's stateroom
d)  the reactor compartment

7 - Within the above submarine section how are "letters of last resort" stored?
a)  in a locked file cabinet by sailor name
b)  under a sailor's mattress, usually
c)   ANSWER > in a double safe (outer and an inner)
d)  they are immediately incinerated after reading

8 - When must "letters of last resort" be destroyed?
a)  Only when a new skipper assumes command.
b)  Only when related debts have been paid.
c)  Only when the British government, Prime Minister and his "second" have been been incapacitated.
d)  ANSWER > When a newer version is authorized by a successor PM.     

Submarines are always silent and strange.