Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainHaplo
The Arizona blew because of a bomb penetration right next to a turret. "Ready" ammunition went off sympathetically (some theorize that the main forward magazine was not secured and that some powder was in fact stored outside unsecured doors) - causing a chain of events that resulted in the magazine blowing.
Extensive investigation showed that the hull of Arizona blew outward - meaning the explosion originated interally - not fror a torp hit.
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The "bombs" dropped on the battleships were modified 41cm (16.1") armor-piercing shells, dropped by level bombers from high altitude by level bombers. As far as I know that was the only one that actually hit anything. I was unaware of the extra powder storage and had assumed that the "bomb" penetrated all the way to the main magazine, which was certainly possible with that shell.
Here is a very good discussion on the subject.
http://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewt...hp?f=36&t=1839
Note that the final post really is the final word on the subject. Nathun Okun is widely recognized as the world's leading expert on naval armor and the shells designed to defeat it.