[Oztrich Boy]

My thoughts as well. The HMS Sheffield essentially “melted” after being struck by an Exocet missile. Burned for 6 days, then sank. Aluminum is fine for bass boats, not so war vessels...

Nope. Damage was from internal fire of flammable fittings.

Sheffield was a steel ship anyway

Note damage below. Paint is blistered off the hull, and fibreglass stack and radar dome are cooked, but structure and above deck fittings are intact (even the aluminium boat).

NB this is a offside picture of the side not hit.

[donozark]

Ok. It was the Ardent that had the aluminum superstructure. But it got hit with 6-7 bombs, so it would have made little difference.

My understanding is that although the Exocet missile itself did not explode on impact, nor did the delay mechanism work, the rocket motor caught fuel on fire and knocked out the water equipment used to fight the fire?

.There are many articles out there stating aluminum was used in construction of Sheffield. Thanx for correcting me!