Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!att!cbnews!military
From: carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson)
Newsgroups: sci.military
Subject: Re: U.S.S. Iowa
Keywords: battleship explosion oxygen-masks gun-turret
Message-ID: <6742@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Date: 20 May 89 03:17:16 GMT
References: <6502@cbnews.ATT.COM>
Sender: military@cbnews.ATT.COM
Organization: The Mitre Corporation
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Approved: military@att.att.com



From: carlson@gateway.mitre.org (Bruce Carlson)
In article <6502@cbnews.ATT.COM> btni!ferrel@uunet.UU.NET (Roger Ferrel) writes:
>A question came to mind shortly after the explosion on the U.S.S Iowa.
>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?
>Roger L. Ferrel (402) 498-6618

One guess is that the oxygen in the air is burned so quickly that there is no
time to put on any mask.  From what I remember reading about Napalm, many/most 
of the deaths are due to asphyxiation because the intense fire takes all
the oxygen from the air.  Burning powder probably doesn't burn as
"cleanly" as Napalm, but in an enclosed area I'm sure it flashes and 
burns very quickly.

Bruce Carlson