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China-Japan-Koreas
South Korean freighter damage assessment video: torpedo or mine?
2012-01-16

My money was on loose mine, but a hit directly in the center of the hull like that looks like a homing torpedo. Or was it one of those mines that isn't a floating bomb, but releases a torpedo instead?
Posted by:gromky

#18  FYI that stuff amidships is actually the deck peeled back, and blackened. That says tank explosion to me.
Posted by: OldSpook   2012-01-16 22:33  

#17  Addendum: reports that it is a fuel carrier would seem to add to the vapor explosion in an empty tank theory.
Posted by: OldSpook   2012-01-16 22:31  

#16  Had it pointed out to me that the construction of a multi-hold tanker may have had more water-tight integrity for large areas of the ship than a military vessel (if said vessel is not at an alert/battle standing with all hatches closed etc). Plus riding higher in the water due to less displacement may help it survive catastrophic damage better than a loaded ship. So there's no ruling out weapons but there are also no good reasons to rule one in given the ship. I wish I had more location on the depth and distance from shore - depth would be a big clue to help rule out mines, and distance from shore would make midget subs less likely, if either of those numbers is large enough.
Posted by: OldSpook   2012-01-16 22:30  

#15  sharks with laser beams. Count on it
Posted by: Frank G   2012-01-16 21:47  

#14  It is high in the water because it is an empty liquid carrier. A lot of bouyancy
Posted by: gromky   2012-01-16 21:44  

#13  Bright Pebbles, I think you're correct, ship is very high in the water. Making a flyby like Carnival ship in Italy?
Posted by: Squinty Angarong8068   2012-01-16 21:21  

#12  That "breaking in half" look is classic naval warfare. Explode below the keel and break the ship's back.

Or it hit an iceberg.
Posted by: Angie Schultz   2012-01-16 21:11  

#11  Posted for Old Spook:

Look at the charring on the structure amidships. Could have been a fire that heated the deck, then caused a vapor explosion in an empty chemical tank, especially if the previous contents of the tank were volatile and they didn't flush it out.

Also consider that this is not a large naval vessel, its a rather small coastal freighter. Not reinforced structure, no extra keel or hull strength. Compared to a warship, this thing is a pop can. I would speculate that a real naval warfare weapon like a mine or a torpedo would not just damage the ship, it would have shattered it and sunk it.
Posted by: lotp   2012-01-16 18:00  

#10  Nope, Im at a loss now.
Posted by: OldSpook   2012-01-16 17:36  

#9  I cannot see a word that stops it. chemical?
Posted by: OldSpook   2012-01-16 17:36  

#8  probably a word you used on the "banned list". Add a number or sumpthin in it, like cas1no
Posted by: Frank G   2012-01-16 17:30  

#7  Ok why isnt this posting my comment?
Posted by: OldSpook   2012-01-16 17:05  

#6  Like that cruise ship in Italy, BP?
Posted by: Barbara   2012-01-16 13:24  

#5  Looks like it ran aground at high speed.
Posted by: Bright Pebbles   2012-01-16 12:50  

#4  Sure, something could have exploded under the ship. But why is it sitting up high in the water instead of sunk. There isn't a lot of water under that ship. Not enough evidence here to know what happened.
Posted by: rammer   2012-01-16 12:11  

#3  That "breaking in half" look is classic naval warfare. Explode below the keel and break the ship's back.
Posted by: gromky   2012-01-16 11:37  

#2  I don't see any evidence of an explosion of any kind. Perhaps there was something that exploded in the waters underneath the ship, but then how did it get where it is? How much do high and low tide change there? Something odd happened, I just cant tell what that might have been.
Posted by: rammer   2012-01-16 11:26  

#1  Who's got dibs on the rising methane bubble theory?

I remember a bottom anchored mine that would release itself into the path of an oncoming vessel but this is too perfect of a hit, directly in the path, detonating at midpoint.
Posted by: Skidmark   2012-01-16 08:47  

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