HMS Antelope: bomb damage, magazine fires, and protection

Did the destruction of HMS Antelope cause major changes in naval design?

There were some design effects, although the need to protect magazines was already understood. A bomb detonating close to a magazine could overwhelm its protection, and later ships received more protection than the Type 21s.

An unexploded Argentine bomb detonated during a disposal attempt, killing a member of the team and tearing the ship open from the waterline towards the funnel. The blast started major fires in both engine rooms, and the starboard fire main fractured. Missile magazines began exploding shortly after Commander Nick Tobin left the abandoned ship, and explosions continued through the night. Antelope remained afloat until the following day, when the broken hull separated and sank. Magazine protection was already a recognised requirement, and a bomb exploding close to a magazine could defeat even substantial protection. The Type 21s reflected what their designers considered sufficient at the time, while subsequent ships received more protection. Landing craft Foxtrot 7 helped Corporal Allen White rescue 41 crew members; its association with the Royal Marines Museum is mentioned, but its availability for public viewing was uncertain.