[Robert A Cook PE]

That much acceleration? (Well, deceleration, but then again, I'm being picky.)

Sure.

Imagine a depth charge going off (1000 lbs equivalent of TNT) going off a few feet away from the hull.

This is a slightly less jarring force (energy spread out over more time) and the collision (since it wasn't "head on" because the port MBT plates were torn away, was "spread out" over a larger surface area.....

Think about the crumple zone of a car -> same idea, the non-pressurized sonar dome and mbt's (already full of water while submerged) absorbed the impact energy and helped preserve the pressure hull so it "ricocheted off" the bottom at an angle, further spreading the impact forces out over time and distance.

[Bob]

Thanks for the clarifications. As I said, it was a bit speculation on my part.

Imagine a depth charge going off (1000 lbs equivalent of TNT) going off a few feet away from the hull.

No thank you. If one goes off that close, I know darned right well that the fuse was set way too short when we dropped it. :=)