Is it really THAT easy to sink a 1,200-ton naval ship?
It depends upon a number of things, firstly ship design and the degree of watertight subdivision (i.e. how many watertight compartments the ship can be divided into when all internal watertight door and hatches are closed). Secondly the degree of preparedness, i.e. were all watertight doors and hatches closed or open at the time. Thirdly crew training, how quickly and efficiently can they react to a command to “close all red openings” (red is the usual colour to mark a watertight door or hatch). Fourthly the size of the explosion and where it was. If the explosion damaged two major compartments such as two adjacent large machinery spaces it would be very difficult to save the ship. Last consideration is how efficient are the watertight closures, when were the doors and hatches tested to make sure they all had a good seal (there is a way of doing this without flooding the place).
