An American aircraft accidentally dropped a bomb between Shropshire and the destroyer Warramunga during Pacific operations. The miss appeared harmless, but four days later the cruiser's engines began to malfunction and repair work found components shifted off their bearings. Machinery rafting was intended in part to isolate equipment from blast shock. Engineers then found that the same mounting could also reduce transmitted noise, making it valuable for anti-submarine warfare. The delayed failure explains why even apparently quiet equipment may be rafted and how a near miss can impose mechanical damage.
Notable Point · 45:41-47:00
A near miss shows why machinery is rafted
A bomb that missed Shropshire still disturbed her engines, illustrating the shock damage that resilient machinery mounting is meant to reduce.