Q&A · 4:03:06-4:03:28

Could USS West Virginia have become a second Arizona?

A bomb detonation in West Virginia's turret could produce an Arizona-like loss only if flash reached the magazines; detonation by itself did not guarantee that chain reaction.

Question

Would USS West Virginia have become a second Arizona if the bomb in her turret had detonated?

Short answer

Only if the resulting flash penetrated the magazine; without that, the damage would not automatically destroy the ship.

Notes

A detonation in West Virginia's turret would create the possibility of an Arizona-like loss if its flash reached the magazine. If the flash did not reach the magazine, that particular catastrophic outcome would not follow. The outcome therefore depends on flash penetration rather than treating the bomb's detonation as sufficient by itself.