[Eddie01]

[McGavin999]

God rest the souls of those not rescued and grant comfort to their families

[Steely Tom]

Concentrated hydrogen peroxide (the Germans called it T-Stoff) is super-dangerous, just like many other rocket fuels (such as liquid oxygen, nitrogen tetroxide, or the various hydrazine molecules).

[BenLurkin]

Guess the collision with a US sub theory has been forgotten

[CrazyIvan]

No such thing as a “freek accident of chemistry”. You mix the right chemicals and boom! Hydrogen peroxide has quite a safety record. The Meshershmit ME-163 used it as a propellant. At least one had a tank rupture and dissolved the pilot.

[headstamp 2]

Interesting hull shape.

[IronJack]

For all practical purposes, a torpedo is just a bomb with an engine attached. The engine needs fuel, and the fuel needs oxygen to burn. You can't get it from the air if you're underwater, so an oxidizer is supplied as well.

That's what peroxide is.

So you have, in essence, a binary explosive. Combine the two ingredients and you get a "boom." Hopefully, it's a controlled "boom," but if not, you just set off a bomb in your submarine.

[Ndorfin]

The torpedo was one from a group where 6 of 10 were failed for poor welds. The torpedo was never inspected as it was a practice torpedo with no warhead and was deemed unnecessary of inspection.

This was not to be blamed on chemistry but on human arrogance and economy.

Russia was the last remaining force to use HDP torpedos and promptly removed them from service after destroying a 1.2 billion dollar submarine with false economy saving a flawed torpedo.

[Jimmy Valentine]

I think we experimented wHydrogen Peroxide and abandoned it as too unstable.

[Rummyfan]

Isn't this the same theory about the loss of the USS Scorpion? A torpedo malfunctioned and detonated and the boat was lost.

USS Scorpion

[dfwgator]