战列舰如果甲板被轰炸机的炸弹砸穿的话会沉没吗?

昨晚的宿舍夜话,缘起舍友熊哥重温了电影《珍珠港》。

亚利桑那号战列舰被高空扔下来的炸弹砸穿了甲板,然后直接引爆了弹药库沉没。

日本飞行员用的还是高爆弹。战列舰的甲板如果被炸弹砸穿的话会重伤还是沉没?

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亚利桑那是被穿甲弹不是高爆弹命中的,世界上唯一一艘被高爆弹击沉的战列舰,是这玩意:

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这是原H.M.S. Wellesley,在泰晤士河口被俯冲轰炸机命中沉没。

至于问题本身,‘击穿“甲板”’大多数时候不会有严重后果。战列舰承受‘积累性’损伤的能力是极强的(俾斯麦,威尔士亲王,南达科他,大和,etc)。有问题的是击穿装甲甲板,尤其是主装甲甲板威胁到下轮机舱、弹药库或者传动装置的情况,此时就可能会出现‘重伤(critical damage)’。而和炮弹/鱼雷命中一样,如果出现弹药库殉爆,那么舰艇大概率会损失掉(比如胡德、巴勒姆、陆奥、罗马,etc)。这是限制老舰活动范围的最大要素之一。

题目中提到亚利桑那,那么就以亚利桑那为例子简单一提。

亚利桑那,标准的标准战列舰。第一层连贯甲板在Y炮塔高度,按照美式命名规则为主甲板/第一甲板。此下总计有两层完全连贯的甲板(依次第二、第三甲板),向上有一层不连续的首楼甲板/上甲板(A炮塔高度)。主装甲甲板是第二甲板,在1929-1931现代化改装之后在弹药库上方厚度达到了4.77in(121mm) STS的水平,从Frame 20延伸到Frame 128。在主装甲甲板下面的有一层龟背/防破片层,厚度在1-2in(25-38-51mm)间。

这是间战/大战期间非常典型的改造舰。其弹药库绝对水平防御厚度上达到了4.8in+1in(不计算backing),高度上达到了第一层全通甲板下第一层的高度(KGV高度或者说英/美战高度,高于纳尔逊、欧洲设计1-2层)。虽然仍然不如‘老’舰中更大者比如密西西比改(5.5in STS+backing装甲甲板,2.75in+backing破片甲板)、纳尔逊(弹药库6.25in)或者长门改(26+70+100mm NVNC);但是和同级别改造舰相比属于较好者。扶桑改装甲甲板不过75mm DS/135mm NVNC;QE改(比如厌战改)的水平防御改动只是在弹药库(1in)贴了4in NC,在动力舱贴了2.5in而已。

亚利桑那的前部弹药库在Frame 31到48之间,任何命中抵达弹药库需要击穿四层甲板(上甲板、主甲板、第二甲板、第三甲板,其中第二第三为装甲甲板;后部弹药库则为三层,不包括上甲板)。

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最初(5.2.1942)美方推定该舰在最多8发航弹和1发鱼雷(一说命中在Frame 35附近一说位于舰尾)命中后沉没,但是此后更准确的推定来看更可能只有4-5发穿甲弹命中/近失( Reference (a) found evidence of only five bomb hits, all of which were aft of the foremast structure.)。41年12月17日报告显示分别为:

(1) One 500 lb bomb hit the face plate of #4 turret on the stbd side, glanced off and passed through the deck at Fr. 123, stbd side of the quarterdeck, betwthe Captain's hatch and #4 turret and exploded in the Captain's Pantry, destroying the Captain's Pantry and Admiral's Pantry. A small fire started which apparently burned itself out in a short time.(2) One. 500 lb bomb hit the ship at Fr. 85, port galley deck. Width of hole in deck is about 24 inches in diameter, depth of penetration is not known.(3) One 500 lb or 1000 lb bomb hit at Fr. 96, port side of quarterdeck in M.B. Stowage, depth of penetration is not known, width of hole in deck is approx, 24 inches.(4) One bomb, approx. 1000 lb, hit on the boat deck just fwd of stack, at Fr. 67. Width of hole on boat deck is approx, four feet, depth of penetration is not known.(5) One heavy bomb apparently 1000 or 2000 lb, went down the stack. Extent of damage is not known.(6) One bomb hit, size of bomb not known, on boat deck at Fr. 66, portside, by #4 Antiaircraft gun ammunition hoist, extent of damage done by this bomb is not known.(7) One heavy bomb hit, estimated over 1000 lb, at Fr. 73, portside of boat deck just fwd of the incinerator, by #6 Antiaircraft gun. The extent of damage done by this bomb is not known.(8) Apparently one large, possibly 2000 lb, armor piercing bomb hit forecastle by #2 turret, which it is believed penetrated to the black powder magazines, setting off the smokeless powder magazines adjacent and causing the explosion which destroyed the ship fwd.

显然因为该舰彻底损毁的情况,很难判断每一发炸弹的实际穿深,此时美方也不清楚日方实际上使用的16in改装的1757lb航弹,但是总的来说命中情况可以总结为:

一发命中在舰尾Y炮塔后进入后方右舷附近的位置(Frame 119-Frame 123),似乎未击穿至主装甲甲板,造成第二甲板以上起火;一到三发命中了左舷舰体中段,引燃了防空炮弹药点摧毁了部分火炮和厨房;一发命中了后桅前方舰载艇甲板上,穿深不明;一发重型航弹命中了B号炮塔右舷方向(Frame 44)。这发命中美方推定为2000lb左右,此后该舰殉爆后坐沉。

毫无疑问B炮塔附近的命中后的殉爆是该舰沉没的直接原因。问题是殉爆的原因是否和航弹有关,如何和航弹有关。44年10月的分析中说:

There is no doubt that the smokeless powder magazines detonated. It is not clear, however, what initiated the smokeless powder detonation.

此后有几种不同的解释。第一种是航弹直接击穿水平防御在弹药库中引爆。显然80号16in穿甲弹在高度足够的情况下是有能力击穿5in不足的水平防御的(实际上1948年FAA用2000lb航弹在4000ft上击穿了纳尔逊的6in+弹药库装甲)。问题主要是穿甲弹的小当量是否有能力引爆弹药库。报告中说:

A bomb detonation within the smokeless powder magazines presumably could cause a detonation, although smokeless powder as such is not an unusually severe hazard. The Army's experience indicates that it is difficult to detonate smokeless powder as the result of fire, unless confinement, temperature, pressure, and high density of loading are present. Our own war experience has indicated that an appreciable interval of time (longer than 7 seconds) is required for these factors to build up and create a mass detonation following a fire.

考虑到命中后8秒左右的起爆时间,直接击穿引起殉爆是可能的。其他的解释主要涉及其他引爆的方法,有人认为有防火舱门没有密封引起高温进入了药室,有人推测是附近的黑火药引燃后点燃了无烟药包,也有人认为附近的燃油被引燃后进入了弹药库。报告也倾向于这一点。最终总结认为,无疑有一发航弹击穿了首楼甲板/上甲板(Summarizing, there seems to be no doubt that at least one bomb struck and penetrated the forecastle deck in the vicinity of either turret I or turret II.)这发航弹要么直接击穿了弹药库引起了爆炸,要么引起了首楼大火最终引燃了弹药库:

This bomb, and possibly others, caused an intense fire which shortly covered the entire forecastle. Burning oil on the surface of the water was ignited. Approximately 7 seconds after the start of this fire and after the initial bomb detonation, the main magazines exploded, almost completely destroying the ship forward of frame 70, Undoubtedly, the smokeless powder magazines detonated en masse. Whether this mass detonation resulted from a bomb detonation within either the smokeless powder or black powder magazines or whether it was initiated by fire traveling down thru open hatches to the black powder magazine is unknown; but the time involved between the first bomb detonation and the detonation of the main Magazines (approximately 7 seconds) and the visible intense fire above the waterline makes the latter supposition the more reasonable.

如何理解亚利桑那的战沉?

首先,总的来说,‘大多数航弹无法对战列舰造成太大的威胁’,尤其是改造舰/新舰。虽然这些航弹可以毁伤上层结构,引起起火,摧毁小型火炮,但是大多数中小型航弹无法对核心区保护下的与‘沉没与否’直接相关的核心舱室造成威胁。因为如此,才需要专门改造的16in穿甲弹和鱼雷;

而其次,重型航弹在投放高度足够的时候有可能击穿水平防御。此时如果击伤轮机舱会造成减速,摧毁传动装置和舵机会影响机动,击穿弹药库或者引起足够的损伤引燃弹药库...那么就会胡德。虽然真正造成殉爆的可能性非常小,但是一旦殉爆全舰损失的情况一般足以限制水平防御不足的老舰的活动范围。

用更加通俗的话来说,单纯面对航弹的情况下,‘对大多数航弹有较强免疫能力的新舰比较安全、在大重量航弹面前有危险但是经过了最基本水平改造的改造舰可堪一用、未改造舰无人权’。

至于格奈森瑙的损失,那可以特事特论再谈。亚利桑那的损失最大的问题是打破了USN‘航弹无法独立击沉战列舰’的幻觉。就在1941年,USN向陆军吹嘘,‘无论航空爱好者如何吹嘘,迄今为止还没有战列舰被航弹击沉。’配图这里就是亚利桑那。

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一周之后,该舰被航弹击沉。

因为这种‘落差’,该舰的损失才变成了一个文化符号。就好像威尔士亲王的损失一样。该舰的损失实际上主要是因为损管失误和强行开机的结果,但是就好像USN对航弹击沉了改造舰大吃一惊一样,海军部对于航空兵(哪怕是岸基航空兵)独立在港外(区别于塔兰托)新舰的能力极为震惊,于是也就成了所谓的历史时刻。至于最终大和的‘最后一战’,反而有点水到渠成的感觉,那是后话。

无论这些船里没有一艘是被高爆弹击穿的,这个太损了,太损了,太损了。

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