Spontaneous Magazine Explosions

[Jonathan Saunders]

To repeat myself - it does look as if cordite self combustion was an explanation raised when courts of enquiry couldn't find any thing else to think of and all other explanations had been exhausted rather than a proven fact. In different circumstances 'pilot error' is used in the same way.

I think certainly in the case of HMS VANGUARD, following on the loss of HMS BULWARK (mine), HMS PRINCESS IRENE (faulty primer) and HMS NATAL (similar circumstances to HMS VANGUARD?), that the Admiralty did not want a Court of Enquiry that found their own working practices and methods as responsible for the loss of another 850 officers and men. Far better to let the sabotage/spy myth unfold (which is still believed today by many to be the cause).

Following the Enquiry in to the loss of HMS VANGUARD practices for handling and storing cordite and recording temperatures of magazines, ventalition practices, age of cordite etc., were reviewed and updated, standardised, and vigourously enforced.

Regards,

Jon S