Torpedo protection was intended to withstand weapons striking at intervals along a ship. Three torpedoes struck within a few meters of one another and detonated almost simultaneously. Their combined effect concentrated the damage in a way that ordinary spread assumptions did not address. The hit locations also leave room for a boiler explosion alongside the accepted magazine explanation, although the cause remains uncertain.
Notable Point · 2:40:13-2:41:30
Why Barham's clustered torpedo hits overwhelmed protection
Three near-simultaneous hits within a few meters concentrated underwater shock unlike the spaced impacts expected from a normal torpedo spread.