Recent threads have examined underwater hull damage, shafting and sub-division in particular.
Three cases tend to underline the push for magnetic pistols on torpedoes; move the explosion 'bubble' under the ship or even partially so, and the damage gets much worse.
HMS Belfast - magnetic mine under the hull
HMS Ark Royal - apparently torpedoed under the TDS as a result of heeling in a turn.
USS Houston - about the same as the Ark.
The "Anatomy of the Ship" on Belfast gives details of her damage; it does not look like the ship was in danger of foundering but clearly the damage was severe and repairs by an over-stretched ship repair industry took two years to completer. The Ark was not immediately in danger of foundering but ultimately did. It would be interesting to address whether this ultimate end would have been reached without the large off-center compartmentation. I would opine the steaming boiler would have not had to be shut down, so even without emergency power the ship more than likely could have been saved.
Houston was in immediate danger of sinking and if fact was momentarily abandoned. Two things IMHO, allowed her to be saved. First, the presence of emergency power that was immediately available. Second, no off center list as a result of no large off-center compartments. It was a closely run thing; 5000 tons of flooding water had created free-surface conditions that, in the presence of worse weather mostly like would have resulted in the ship's loss. Post-damage photos show her basically on an even keel; contrast this with similar photos of Ark Royal.
The damage to Houston, past the opening to the sea, resembled that to Belfast - cracked machinery foundations, shafting parted from the reduction gear on one engine, and so forth. Both Houston and Canberra were repaired basically during the war (Canberra by October 1945, and both had post war careers. Just the list of Houston's damages makes me wonder how the repair yard did it in such a short time.
Three cases tend to underline the push for magnetic pistols on torpedoes; move the explosion 'bubble' under the ship or even partially so, and the damage gets much worse.
HMS Belfast - magnetic mine under the hull
HMS Ark Royal - apparently torpedoed under the TDS as a result of heeling in a turn.
USS Houston - about the same as the Ark.
The "Anatomy of the Ship" on Belfast gives details of her damage; it does not look like the ship was in danger of foundering but clearly the damage was severe and repairs by an over-stretched ship repair industry took two years to completer. The Ark was not immediately in danger of foundering but ultimately did. It would be interesting to address whether this ultimate end would have been reached without the large off-center compartmentation. I would opine the steaming boiler would have not had to be shut down, so even without emergency power the ship more than likely could have been saved.
Houston was in immediate danger of sinking and if fact was momentarily abandoned. Two things IMHO, allowed her to be saved. First, the presence of emergency power that was immediately available. Second, no off center list as a result of no large off-center compartments. It was a closely run thing; 5000 tons of flooding water had created free-surface conditions that, in the presence of worse weather mostly like would have resulted in the ship's loss. Post-damage photos show her basically on an even keel; contrast this with similar photos of Ark Royal.
The damage to Houston, past the opening to the sea, resembled that to Belfast - cracked machinery foundations, shafting parted from the reduction gear on one engine, and so forth. Both Houston and Canberra were repaired basically during the war (Canberra by October 1945, and both had post war careers. Just the list of Houston's damages makes me wonder how the repair yard did it in such a short time.
