Barham took three closely grouped torpedo hits amidships before capsizing and exploding. Her 4-inch magazines lay outboard of the 15-inch magazines, and a fire spreading between them provided an explanation for the final explosion. The torpedoes also struck close to a 4-inch magazine, although open doors and the route taken by the fire raise further questions. Kongō's main magazine lay much farther from her reported hits, so Barham's explanation cannot simply be transferred to her.
Notable Point · 1:44:01-1:46:08
Why Barham's magazine explosion does not settle Kongō's loss
Different torpedo-hit positions and magazine arrangements limit the comparison between Barham and Kongō.