[golux]

You are correct! I am neither a ship's engineer, though I have logged many thousands of miles at sea, nor am I an early-twentieth century radioman. But I am a variant of what is still called a radioman.

It just seemed to me, as the radio rooms of so many ships of the "early" radio period were generally high and near the wheelhouses and aerials, that a flooded radio room would contain a particularly courageous and selfless radioman.

Plenty of ships sink without turtling, especially if they hole deeply and take water fast. My opinion is, though I am not a naval architect, that it is the heavy superstructures of so many famous WWII era warships and the great amount of footage we see of their sinkings that convinces us all ships 'fall' as they sink. To be sure, there are also the top-heavy cruise-ships, invariably captained by Italians, that make such a fuss. But per tonne? I am not so sure.

[null and void]

It just seemed to me, as the radio rooms of so many ships of the "early" radio period were generally high and near the wheelhouses and aerials, that a flooded radio room would contain a particularly courageous and selfless radioman.

Too true! But the selfless radioman knows no report of a sinking/no coördinates=no rescue=few/no survivors. I should be so brave.

Plenty of ships sink without turtling, especially if they hole deeply and take water fast. My opinion is, though I am not a naval architect, that it is the heavy superstructures of so many famous WWII era warships and the great amount of footage we see of their sinkings that convinces us all ships 'fall' as they sink. To be sure, there are also the top-heavy cruise-ships, invariably captained by Italians, that make such a fuss. But per tonne? I am not so sure.

Excellent point! Guns and armor plate are heavy. I need to, as Ayn Rand would say, check my premises.

Thanks!