Before the hijacking really kicks in (too late aren't I),
"I know subs are "steam-powered", but that is the nature of the nuclear reactor. I did know that ships used "real" gas on those ships, only knew of coal. Or was it merchants only used coal :hmm:"
Yep, most ships used diesel, that was atomised and squirted into the furnace, with the correct mix of oxygen, this gave off tonnes of heat. The water was turned to 'saturated steam' this then passed through a second heat exchange which superheated it.
Superheated steam runs at 1265 degrees c, 200psi pressure. It is dry, invisible, and odourless. On old steamies, they used to keep a straw broom in the boiler room to check for pipe leaks. Any leaking steam at those pressures and temperatures would cut the bristles off.
When the boiler room blew, it therefore, really blew!. Anybody within that compartment would be vapourised in a split second.
When the ship slipped under, and the boilers were suddenly quenched, this caused an implosion, which, with the internal pressures, would then create a giant explosion. Anyone in the water within a cretain distance of the ship (i forget how far) would be killed by the shockwave moving through it.
So to answer several questions here, yes, hitting the boiler room is effective, no the engine room would not be. and no, in a large ship, the boiler rooms and engine rooms were separate, divided by watertight bulkheads
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