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Post by cbuehler on Mar 14, 2012 2:10:21 GMT 8
This massive damage appears to have been caused by very large projectile or aerial bomb and is just behind the blown off casemate top of Btry. McCrea. I almost looks to have been enlarged at sometime subsequently? Note the splash marks eminating only from one side. Although everyone who has been on Fort Drum has seen it, I have not been able to determine more about it. Conrad Attachments:
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Post by cbuehler on Mar 14, 2012 2:11:55 GMT 8
More of the same. C Attachments:
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Post by okla on Mar 14, 2012 5:29:11 GMT 8
Hey cb...To my knowledge, after viewing numerous photos (mostly on this forum) of the top deck of Fort Drum, I don't recall ever, actually, seeing one case of where an external explosion penetrated said surface. Maybe an internal explosion ruptured the top deck, but otherwise, I am drawing a blank. What say you after prowling that storied structure? Correct me if I am in error, which has happened numerous times. Cheers.
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Post by cbuehler on Mar 14, 2012 6:02:29 GMT 8
Hi okla, There is no penetration, but a mighty big and deep gouge! It is the biggest one on the top by far and I wonder if some of it was the base or mounting of something that became enlarged by an artillery or air strike?
Conrad
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Post by fireball on Mar 14, 2012 7:56:42 GMT 8
That was, I believe, one of the four fire control stations - see the plan in the access to main deck thread
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Post by okla on Mar 14, 2012 8:15:20 GMT 8
Hey Guys....Well, one thing I think is for sure. That relic will be at that exact location, in one form or another, when we are all standing muster in front of St Peter, regardless of the outcome of that event. Methinks that is a comforting thought. lol. Cheers.
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Post by Karl Welteke on Mar 14, 2012 14:47:04 GMT 8
This is a teasing (in a friendly way of course) reply to cbuehler and okla Where is: “and is just behind the blown off casemate top of Btry. McCrea”. Is that forward, aft, port side or stbd side of the reference point? Conrad, I tried to repost your above picture here but it didn't work for me!!!! He, he your 2nd picture told me of course! Okla what is the definition of penetration? Will this qualify? It didn’t go thru the deck but it went in about 2 feet. It is forward of the after turret, the turret you see is the forward one, one deck down on the focsle.
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Post by okla on Mar 14, 2012 20:13:22 GMT 8
Hey Karl....My land lubber idea of "penetration" is for the missile to go completely thru at least one deck and to explode,etc on the second (or maybe even further into the target vessel (or in this case, the "Concrete Battleship"). I suppose some armor piercing shells go completely thru the victim ship. Busting thru that reinforced concrete would take quite a charge, I would think. Not being an artillery expert or a gunner's mate, etc I will have to request, once again, the expertise of our resident "expert" on big ordnance, Battery Boy. Cheers. Postscript...Again, to my non-nautical eye, Battery McCrea is Midship, Starboard side........I think.
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Post by batteryboy on Mar 14, 2012 22:31:04 GMT 8
This massive damage appears to have been caused by very large projectile or aerial bomb and is just behind the blown off casemate top of Btry. McCrea. I almost looks to have been enlarged at sometime subsequently? Note the splash marks eminating only from one side. Although everyone who has been on Fort Drum has seen it, I have not been able to determine more about it. Conrad This one was caused by a 240mm shell. Notice the blast radiance which is typical of an artillery shell burst detonating via an angle or trajectory coming from the Cavite side. In this case, more likely a salvo on the same area and MAY have been hit with two shells just foot or a yard a part. Bombs tend to make a crater type of explosion.
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Post by cbuehler on Mar 16, 2012 1:45:48 GMT 8
Judging from what batterboy (Pareng Tony) has said, it would appear to be from a 240. The angle of the blast radius points to the north east, so the shot (or shots) could only have originated well south of the Ternate area and close to the coast off of Limbones island facing the southern point of Carabao Island. Does anyone have more info on the locations of the Japanese Artillery prior to the move to Bataan? I am aware that they were scattered and frequently moved.
Conrad
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