OT: Bonhomme Richard

[svelte]

Anybody else notice that all the fire hose streams hitting the Bonhomme Richard appear to be bouncing off the hull of the ship?

Does San Diego not have adequate fire equipment to fight a fire aboard a ship in their harbor?

I would think you’d want to get the water on the deck…

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/military/story/2020-07-12/blaze-on-board-uss-bonhamme-richard-at-naval-base-san-diego

[Hobie]

I think spraying the exterior is to keep the steel cool to preserve its structural integrity.

[svelte]

[quote=Hobie]I think spraying the exterior is to keep the steel cool to preserve its structural integrity.[/quote]

I guess that makes sense. If you can’t put out the fire, at least save the structure.

I was also confused by the statement this may burn down to the waterline. Why wouldn’t it go below that? Is the equipment below the waterline too cool to burn?

[spdrun]

I heard a rumor that a significant percentage of the superstructure is a light aluminium-magnesium alloy, and that the metal itself is on fire. (Real bitch to put out, since it burns hot enough to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.)

Glad everyone got off. The ship has an unfortunate namesake since the original USS Bonhomme Richard burned and sank during the Revolution with John Paul Jones as captain.

[svelte]

[quote=spdrun]I heard a rumor that a significant percentage of the superstructure is a light aluminium-magnesium alloy, and that the metal itself is on fire. (Real bitch to put out, since it burns hot enough to split water into hydrogen and oxygen.)
[/quote]

I saw a Youtube video of the superstructure last night – I was shocked to see that it had toppled into an ugly pile of scrap metal.

Now I know why, thanks to your post!

[Author]

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