Murmansk Run Teacher Answer Sheet

Read the 'Canada Remembers the the Murmansk Run' historical sheet and answer the following questions.

Section A: True or False

1. Germany secretly signed a non-aggression pact with the United States in 1941.
   
   True or False (Correct)
2. Allied navies decided to ship supplies to the Soviet Union via seaports on the Arctic Ocean (known as the Murmansk Run) even though it was the most dangerous route.
   
   True (Correct) or False
3. During the Second World War, a total of 41 Allied convoys sailed to the Soviet ports of Murmansk and Archangel.
   
   True (Correct) or False
4. Canadian merchant sailors served on Allied ships making the Arctic runs from the beginning, which was late summer 1941.
   
   True (Correct) or False
5. The Germans had so many resources (U-boats and planes) hunting for the Allied ships and the Murmansk Run was so dangerous that strict orders were given that no merchant ship was allowed to stop, even to rescue sailors who fell overboard.
   
   True (Correct) or False

Section B: Multiple choices

1. During the Second World War, most of the equipment, fuel and food desperately needed for the Allied war effort in Europe had to come from North America and therefore had to be shipped across the . . .
   1. Arctic Ocean
   2. Atlantic Ocean (Correct)
   3. Indian Ocean
   4. Pacific Ocean
2. When Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, the Soviets joined the Allied powers and agreements were quickly reached to...
   1. allow the Soviet Union to export wheat to the Allied powers.
   2. send supplies in order to assist the Soviets in their fight against the German invaders. (Correct)
   3. install Allied missile ramps in the Soviet Union.
   4. start the development of a joint space exploration program.
3. Many ships bound for the northern Soviet Union ports of Murmansk and Archangel departed North American ports such as...
   1. Halifax and New York (New York) (Correct)
   2. Saint John and Boston (Massachusetts)
   3. Charlottetown and Charleston (South Carolina)
   4. Vancouver and Seattle (Washington)
4. Why did many of the convoys on the Murmansk Run take place in the winter time?
   1. Because the U-boats couldn't operate when the outside temperature was below 0° Celsius.
   2. Because Soviet ports relied on ice roads to carry the supplies.
   3. Because more merchant sailors were available during winter time.
   4. Because the Allies wanted to take advantage of the almost constant darkness in the northern seas. (Correct)
5. The Royal Canadian Navy destroyers and frigates became involved in the Murmansk Run as convoy escorts in...
   1. August 1941
   2. December 1942
   3. January 1943
   4. October 1943 (Correct)

Section C: Written answers

1. The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest battle of the Second World War. When did it start and end?
   
   The Battle of the Atlantic lasted from the first day of the war in September 1939 until the last day of the war in Europe in May 1945.
2. Did Germany respect the non-aggression pact it secretly signed with the Soviet Union early in the Second World War? Please justify.
   
   No. Germany invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941 and soon pushed deep into Soviet territory.
3. Why did the Soviets desperately need weapons, fuel and supplies following the German invasion of their land?
   
   The Soviets desperately needed weapons, fuel and supplies because their country's most industrialized areas had been captured by the Germans.
4. What kind of supplies was shipped through the Arctic route from Allied countries like the United States, Great Britain and Canada during the Second World War?
   
   The Arctic convoys delivered millions of tons of supplies, including aircraft, tanks, jeeps, locomotives, flatcars, rifles and machine guns, ammunition, fuel and even boots.
5. According to the Merchant Navy Book of Remembrance, how many Canadian Merchant Navy men and women lost their lives during the Second World War?
   
   More than 1,600 Canadian Merchant Navy men and women lost their lives during the Second World War.