Ran across this in my files and thought it might interest some people here. This was a report of an inspection of damage conducted with MARLBOROUGH in dry dock.
HMS Marlborough
The principal damage, two views of which are given, was caused by the explosion of a torpedo which struck the ship on the Starboard side about 20 feet below the Water Line in the vicinity of 86-88 Stations.
The Outer Bottom Plating was holed irregularly from the lower edge of the armour belt to the outside edge of the Docking-Keel plate transversely and about from 85 to 98 Stations longitudinally, an area of about 20 feet x 26 feet in extent. Beyond this the plating was distorted and indented generally to about 78 Station on the Forward side and 111 Station on the Aft side, and towards the Middle Line to between the 1st and 2nd longitudinals.
The Inner Bottom Plating was holed to an extent similar to that of the Outer Bottom and damaged over an area corresponding to that of the damaged Outer Bottom which was also pierced in several other places adjacent by the lower ends of the stiffening angles on the transverse framing being forced through it.
The framing, both transverse and longitudinal, was torn and much distorted where the plating was holed and very badly crushed over the remaining damaged area.
The Bilge Keel was completely carried away between 85 and 110 stations a portion of the wood filling being found in a beam space under the Lower Deck against the Magazine Protective Bulkhead in the Dynamo Room. Between 78 and 85 stations the Bilge Keel was distorted and torn away from the connecting angles which were forced inboard with the Outer Bottom Plating. At the After end of the damaged area, the upper part of the Bilge Keel was doubled back.
The outer edge of the slope of the Middle Deck between 80 and 111 stations was drawn downwards and inboard as was also the covering plate, the fastening of the latter being carried away from the armour plate, but remaining intact in the outer bottom plating.
The bulkhead between the Wing Space and the Dynamo Room was penetrated and bulged in from the Middle Deck to the Inner Bottom. The inner Coal Bunker bulkhead was bulged in to a corresponding extent and also the bulkhead to the Forward Boiler Room, this limiting the extent of the damage in an inboard direction, although the watertight doors on the bulkhead were rendered non-watertight by distortion. The bulging of this bulkhead jammed the telegraph shafting running adjacent to it, and communication had to be made by other means.
The crown of the Dynamo Room, which formed the floor of the Hydraulic Machinery Room and the floor of the Electric Lead Passage were bulged upwards, also the floor of the Dynamo Room, the Oil Drain Tank beneath it being badly damaged. The Hydraulic Tank was also damaged considerably.
The transverse bulkhead at 78 station was damaged at its outer edge, where the fastenings were carried away over a small area, that at 90 station was much distorted over an area extending from the Outer Bottom to the inner bulkhead of the Dynamo Room, a distance of about 20 feet. The bulkhead at 92 station forming the after boundary of the transverse Coal Bunker was also badly buckled from the Inner Coal Bunker Bulkhead to about 6 or 8 feet from the Middle Line. The Coal Bunker Bulkhead at 100 Station was buckled over practically the whole of its area, while the damage to the 111 transverse bulkhead was limited to slight buckling at its outer edge where connected to the Inner Bottom.
The flats of the compartments between 66 and 78 Stations below the Middle Deck were strained, causing leaks.
The torpedo net shelf above the position of the damage was forced up by the explosion, three supporting brackets being torn away from the armour. The Upper Deck stringer plate was also slightly set up in the vicinity and fractured transversally for a short length.
Difficulty was experienced in opening the Conning Tower door after the explosion and it was found that the lower hinge pin was slightly bent.
The belt armour was neither damaged nor displaced by the explosion.
MACHINERY – The 6 cylinder oil-driven Dynamo Engine was extensively damaged, also the circulating water inlet and discharge tubes and valves, weed-traps, ready-use oil and drain tanks, lubricating oil tanks, oil suction and supply pipes in the Dynamo Room and Fore Boiler Room. The forward Hydraulic Pump cylinder-feet were torn off due to the distortion of the deck. A 17” x 6” Brotherhood’s Air-Blowing Engine in the Forward Boiler Room was displaced from its seating, fracturing the holding-down lugs, the crankshaft being distorted, and the air cylinder being fractured beyond repair.
The bearers of Nos. 1 and 6 Boilers in the Forward Boiler Room were slightly distorted and the feet of the outboard water pockets were found badly leaking. Some floor plates in the vicinity of these boilers were also damaged.
ELECTRICAL – The armature of the Oil-driven Dynamo was forced from its bearings and the windings damaged, the brush gear carried away, and the whole saturated with sea water. All the Electrical fittings in the Dynamo Room including ammeter and voltmeter, telephone instruments, lighting fittings, wiring and cables were either destroyer or injured beyond repair. Sea-water forced its way through the main cable from the Dynamo Room to the supply-breaker in the Switchboard Room. The flooding of the Hydraulic Machinery Compartment, Electrical Stores, Flour Store, Medical Station, Switchboard Room and Electrical Lead Passage caused damage to all electric wiring and circuits in these compartments. The Diesel Oil pump Motor in the Fore Boiler Room was damaged through the bulkhead being bulged in and electric light fittings and circuits at the forward end of the Fore Boiler room were damaged or torn away through the same cause.
The compartments flooded as the result of the explosion comprised the following – Hydraulic Machinery Room, Electrical Stores, Dynamo Room, Coal Bunkers, and Wing Compartments, Transverse Coal Bunker, and all double bottom spaces between Stations 66 and 111, which gave the ship a list to Starboard of 6.5 degrees, this being subsequently reduced by trimming to 2.75 degrees. On reaching port she drew 33ft 6in forward and 31ft 0in aft.
The only damage sustained by this ship , other than from the torpedo explosion, was the fracture of the jacket of the right 13.5in gun of “A” turret by a hit from a shell.
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B
HMS Marlborough
The principal damage, two views of which are given, was caused by the explosion of a torpedo which struck the ship on the Starboard side about 20 feet below the Water Line in the vicinity of 86-88 Stations.
The Outer Bottom Plating was holed irregularly from the lower edge of the armour belt to the outside edge of the Docking-Keel plate transversely and about from 85 to 98 Stations longitudinally, an area of about 20 feet x 26 feet in extent. Beyond this the plating was distorted and indented generally to about 78 Station on the Forward side and 111 Station on the Aft side, and towards the Middle Line to between the 1st and 2nd longitudinals.
The Inner Bottom Plating was holed to an extent similar to that of the Outer Bottom and damaged over an area corresponding to that of the damaged Outer Bottom which was also pierced in several other places adjacent by the lower ends of the stiffening angles on the transverse framing being forced through it.
The framing, both transverse and longitudinal, was torn and much distorted where the plating was holed and very badly crushed over the remaining damaged area.
The Bilge Keel was completely carried away between 85 and 110 stations a portion of the wood filling being found in a beam space under the Lower Deck against the Magazine Protective Bulkhead in the Dynamo Room. Between 78 and 85 stations the Bilge Keel was distorted and torn away from the connecting angles which were forced inboard with the Outer Bottom Plating. At the After end of the damaged area, the upper part of the Bilge Keel was doubled back.
The outer edge of the slope of the Middle Deck between 80 and 111 stations was drawn downwards and inboard as was also the covering plate, the fastening of the latter being carried away from the armour plate, but remaining intact in the outer bottom plating.
The bulkhead between the Wing Space and the Dynamo Room was penetrated and bulged in from the Middle Deck to the Inner Bottom. The inner Coal Bunker bulkhead was bulged in to a corresponding extent and also the bulkhead to the Forward Boiler Room, this limiting the extent of the damage in an inboard direction, although the watertight doors on the bulkhead were rendered non-watertight by distortion. The bulging of this bulkhead jammed the telegraph shafting running adjacent to it, and communication had to be made by other means.
The crown of the Dynamo Room, which formed the floor of the Hydraulic Machinery Room and the floor of the Electric Lead Passage were bulged upwards, also the floor of the Dynamo Room, the Oil Drain Tank beneath it being badly damaged. The Hydraulic Tank was also damaged considerably.
The transverse bulkhead at 78 station was damaged at its outer edge, where the fastenings were carried away over a small area, that at 90 station was much distorted over an area extending from the Outer Bottom to the inner bulkhead of the Dynamo Room, a distance of about 20 feet. The bulkhead at 92 station forming the after boundary of the transverse Coal Bunker was also badly buckled from the Inner Coal Bunker Bulkhead to about 6 or 8 feet from the Middle Line. The Coal Bunker Bulkhead at 100 Station was buckled over practically the whole of its area, while the damage to the 111 transverse bulkhead was limited to slight buckling at its outer edge where connected to the Inner Bottom.
The flats of the compartments between 66 and 78 Stations below the Middle Deck were strained, causing leaks.
The torpedo net shelf above the position of the damage was forced up by the explosion, three supporting brackets being torn away from the armour. The Upper Deck stringer plate was also slightly set up in the vicinity and fractured transversally for a short length.
Difficulty was experienced in opening the Conning Tower door after the explosion and it was found that the lower hinge pin was slightly bent.
The belt armour was neither damaged nor displaced by the explosion.
MACHINERY – The 6 cylinder oil-driven Dynamo Engine was extensively damaged, also the circulating water inlet and discharge tubes and valves, weed-traps, ready-use oil and drain tanks, lubricating oil tanks, oil suction and supply pipes in the Dynamo Room and Fore Boiler Room. The forward Hydraulic Pump cylinder-feet were torn off due to the distortion of the deck. A 17” x 6” Brotherhood’s Air-Blowing Engine in the Forward Boiler Room was displaced from its seating, fracturing the holding-down lugs, the crankshaft being distorted, and the air cylinder being fractured beyond repair.
The bearers of Nos. 1 and 6 Boilers in the Forward Boiler Room were slightly distorted and the feet of the outboard water pockets were found badly leaking. Some floor plates in the vicinity of these boilers were also damaged.
ELECTRICAL – The armature of the Oil-driven Dynamo was forced from its bearings and the windings damaged, the brush gear carried away, and the whole saturated with sea water. All the Electrical fittings in the Dynamo Room including ammeter and voltmeter, telephone instruments, lighting fittings, wiring and cables were either destroyer or injured beyond repair. Sea-water forced its way through the main cable from the Dynamo Room to the supply-breaker in the Switchboard Room. The flooding of the Hydraulic Machinery Compartment, Electrical Stores, Flour Store, Medical Station, Switchboard Room and Electrical Lead Passage caused damage to all electric wiring and circuits in these compartments. The Diesel Oil pump Motor in the Fore Boiler Room was damaged through the bulkhead being bulged in and electric light fittings and circuits at the forward end of the Fore Boiler room were damaged or torn away through the same cause.
The compartments flooded as the result of the explosion comprised the following – Hydraulic Machinery Room, Electrical Stores, Dynamo Room, Coal Bunkers, and Wing Compartments, Transverse Coal Bunker, and all double bottom spaces between Stations 66 and 111, which gave the ship a list to Starboard of 6.5 degrees, this being subsequently reduced by trimming to 2.75 degrees. On reaching port she drew 33ft 6in forward and 31ft 0in aft.
The only damage sustained by this ship , other than from the torpedo explosion, was the fracture of the jacket of the right 13.5in gun of “A” turret by a hit from a shell.
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statistics: Posted by Blutarski — 22 minutes ago — Replies 0 — Views 4