[Blueflag]

FWIW, that's the anechoic tiles buckling, not necessarily the 'hull'. Nonetheless, the frame is bent ...

It's not like the Cole.

[AndyJackson]

that's the anechoic tiles buckling, not necessarily the 'hull'. Nonetheless, the frame is bent ..

It is ok if the framing is bent as that is "superstructure" that is relatively easily rebuilt. The real question is whether the pressure hull is intact. If sections of the pressure hull are damaged, then the boat may be a total loss.

[Robert A Cook PE]

Nope.

Those tiles are buckled because the underlying 1/2" thick steel plates covering the MBTS's is itself buckled. If only the tiles were buckled, then you wouldn't see the outlines of the frames inside the MBT's that are still relatively straight.

Each buckle is due to compressive failure due to force from the left (port side) due to the glancing blow from the collision. So the entire bow was forced to the right as the boat recoiled up and to the right when it hit the cliff. The frames are 6" thick (in that area) and are separated from the pressure hull.

BUT - The port side torpedo tubes and all of the MBT3B is directly attached to the pressure hull and the tanks inside the hull.

So driving the torpedo tubes aft (even only 1-2" is enough to put extreme pressure and deformation into the "perfect" cylinder shape you need to withstand crush depth, and nearby shock and explosions.

The torpedo tubes (in particular) because their long thick "stiff" tubes would tend to act like nails being driven back into the pressure on the port side.