The decisive technique relied on more than direct deck hits. Alexander Seversky, drawing on World War I experience bombing German ships, advised placing heavy bombs in the water beside the target so the blast would transmit through the water and damage the hull. Six 2,000-pound bombs were dropped in quick succession, producing near misses that staved in plates and drove progressive flooding. The method was technically significant, while the failure to inspect promptly sacrificed valuable evidence about underwater protection.
Notable Point · 1:02:56-1:04:48
Seversky's near-miss method attacked the hull through water
Russian combat veteran Alexander Seversky advised aiming heavy bombs beside Ostfriesland so underwater concussion would buckle hull plates.