Re: [Epic] [Fwd: War Engine Names]

From: Sean Robert Smith <srsmith_at_...>
Date: Mon, 23 Feb 1998 08:40:21 +1200

>On Fri, 20 Feb 1998, Harlequin Master wrote:
>
>> > 'Hood' should be reserved for the SHV that tends to explode impressively
>> > the first time anything is fired at it ......... (sounds like my
>> scorpions)...
>> > JAC
>>
>> Nope, should only explode on the first critical damage.
>>
>> BTW, HMS Hood exploded when the shells from Bismark hit at the same time as
>> the doors to the guns' ammo supply were also open.
>>
>> A huge flashback occurred and Hood exploded!!
>
>Wasn't the last guess on this that a 15" shell lit off a secondary 6"
>magazine( or torpedo warheads) which chain reactioned into the main
>magazine?
>
>A "lucky" shot, indeed.
>

I believe a contributing factor to the hood destruction was that some of
the deck armour (which protected against plunging shells) had been removed
to compensate for the weight of additional AA guns that had been installed
on the Hood in 1940. Originally the Hood had very few AA guns because the
RN throught that aircraft would not be much of a threat to ships at sea,
when they released they were wrong they quickly installed more AA guns on
all their cruisers and battleships.
Received on Sun Feb 22 1998 - 20:40:21 UTC