@Nocturno Culto para comparar la eficiencia de la aviacion anti buque en el Pacifico, mira estos dos reportes de los cruceros Dorsetshire y Cornwall.
| DORSETSHIRE, whilst proceeding from Colombo to Addu Atoll at 27 knots, was dive bombed by enemy aircraft. Direct Hit on the quarter deck put the steering gear out of action. Direct Hit on the catapult wrecked both WT offices. Direct Hit port side amidships put all the AA armament on the port side, with the exception of the pom-pom, out of action. Direct Hit through the base of the foremost funnel put A boiler room and S 1 HA mounting out of action. Direct Hit on the quarter deck put X turret out of action and flooded the magazines. Direct Hit through the base of the after funnel caused the HA Magazine to explode, and put both pom-poms out of action. The ship heeled heavily to port within five minutes of the first attack. Serious fires occurred on the upper and stoker's mess deck. All communications, WT and AA armament except the .5 inch machine guns were out of action. The ship sustained damage from several near misses during the attack, and later sustained four more direct hits. The vessel lost speed, heeled heavily to port, turned over on her side, and sank, stern first, about 8 minutes after the first attack. |
| CORNWALL was dive bombed by enemy aircraft whilst proceeding at 27 knots from Colombo to Addu Atoll. Near Miss abreast the bridge, port side, flooded the port bulges, wrecked the LP room, and dislocated all electric power. The steering motors also failed. Direct Hit between the forward and centre funnel partially wrecked A boiler room fan flat. Near Miss abreast the starboard hangar exploded close to the after engine room, as a result of which the ergine room became flooded. Direct Hit, port side, between X and Y turrets. Direct Hit in neighborhood of the dynamo room. No 1 and No 2 dynamos were put out of action and a fire started. Direct Hit exploded on the starboard PV and splinters pierced B barbette. Near Miss abreast foremast, starboard side. The main steam pipe joint leaked, and the boiler room was evacuated due to flooding and escaping steam. Direct Hit in vicinity of main switchboard room, starboard side. Severe damage was caused and the compartment was evacuated due to flooding. Direct Hit in the sick bay flat caused a fire, and many important personnel were killed. Direct Hit on the waterline abreast hangar, starboard side, burst in the forward engine room. The main steam pipe was cut, and a fire started. The compartment was evacuated. Direct Hit in the recreation space. Killed first aid parties. Near Miss under the fore end, port side B boiler room was open to the sea, and all boilers were shut down temporarily. Near Miss port side of B boiler room caused the compartment to be evacuated, due to flooding. Direct Hit with an oil bomb on S 1 HA mounting. Direct Hit on quarter deck killed important personnel. Near Miss abreast the catapult port side, caused bulges in the vicinity to be flooded. Power and circuits to all armament failed shortly after the hits. In less than five minutes all power, main WT and telephones were out of action. Both boiler rooms and engine rooms flooded rapidly. The port gunwale was awash, and the starboard outer propeller was breaking surface. Vessel heeled 70° to port and sank by the bows twelve minutes after the first attack. |
