wilson@b11.b11.ingr.com (Jon Wilson) (05/29/91)
From: wilson@b11.b11.ingr.com (Jon Wilson) fcrary@lightning.Berkeley.EDU (Frank Crary) writes: > Why does the Burke have an all steel design? I had thought all recient ships > used aluminum? According to Norman Polmar in _Ships and Aircraft of the U.S. Fleet_, the Burke class has a steel superstructure because aluminum has proved to be a nightmare for damage control. This design decision was taken not, as is often said, because of the troubles of USS Stark or the British frigates in the Falklands war, but after the cruiser USS Belknap was severely damaged in collision with the carrier USS Kennedy in the Med. Pictures of the Belknap after the collision and subsequent fire show a large smoking hole where the superstructure used to be. The ship was rebuilt, resuming service several years later. Jonathan Wilson DEC Systems Support Intergraph Corporation uunet!ingr!b11!wilson or wilson@b11.b11.ingr.com