Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: greg%ncelvax.UUCP@nosc.mil (Greg Ramsey)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: U.S.S. Iowa
Summary: Turrets probably are equipped with alternate oxygen supplies.
Keywords: battleship explosion oxygen-masks gun-turret
Message-ID: <6597@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 16 May 89 03:57:17 GMT
References: <6502@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: Naval Civil Engineering Lab, Port Hueneme
Lines: 39
Approved: military@att.att.com



From: greg%ncelvax.UUCP@nosc.mil (Greg Ramsey)

In article <6502@cbnews.ATT.COM>, btni!ferrel@uunet.UU.NET (Roger Ferrel) writes:
> A question came to mind shortly after the expolsion on the U.S.S
> Iowa.  Since I have not seen it addressed here it is.

> My understanding is that most of the deaths (espically on the
> decks below the guns) were due to asphyxiation.  My question is
> why not have oxygen masks on the wall for everyone in the
> turret?  It seems to me a supply lasting only a few minutes is
> needed.  (Just long enough for air from that outside to resupply the
> oxygen.)

> Perhaps these are already there and the concussion from the
> expolsion kept the men from putting the masks on.  Does anyone
> know?  Could this simple addition reduce the deaths the next
> time this happens or increase the hazard?
> -- 

All the navy ships I have been on or worked on the last ten
years have been equipped with an emergency escape system
called either a Survival Support Device (SSD) or Emergency
Escape Breathing Device (EEBD).  This is a plastic hood with a
compressed oxygen source good for either 15 or 30 minutes.  It
is usually provided near each rack and in spaces such as the
main enginerooms.  None of the ships I served on had manned
gun mounts so I can only assume that a turret would be a
logical location.

Greg


-- 
                    ___                  Greg Ramsey                    
          _n_n_n____i_i ________         Naval Civil Engineering Lab
         (____________I I______I         Code L54                805/
         /ooOOOO OOOOoo  oo oooo         Port Hueneme, CA 93043  982-4619