What does it mean to say survival depends on which side of a warship's bulkhead someone is standing?
Short answerThe bulkhead can contain an explosion, so people in the struck compartment may die while those just beyond it survive the shock.
NotesA sailor inside the compartment where an explosion occurs is trapped with blast, heat, and fragments in a confined space. A watertight or armored bulkhead can shield people in the next compartment, leaving them exposed mainly to shock rather than the full event. If the explosion breaches that boundary, the next bulkhead becomes the protective line instead. The exchange explains why casualty patterns aboard damaged warships can appear abrupt and why compartmentation is central to survivability rather than merely flood control.