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These ships used coal and deisel. Neither is explosive like gasoline. Coal bunkers in ships were even known to spontainiously combust from time to time so the crews had to know how to deal with coal fires. If the coal bunkers were prone to explosion these fires would have been fatal. In a large ship I have read the coal bunkers even acted as a sort of armor around the engine room.
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It seems that coal can be quite dangerous cargo. My last attack on small coal tender was very short - as 20mm flak had no visible effect on her I have switched to deck gun - after single hit with 88mm round tender exploded and sunk...