The Sinking of MS Estonia: Case Re-Opened

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Jack by the hedge said:
...ventured a range of shockwave velocities which might narrow down the type of explosive which could have done the job.
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Well, at least you got one thing right over Vixen: the numerical values Vixen gives for the "force" of the alleged explosion, expressed in meters per second, are actually detonation rates in the relevant medium. I was waiting to see whether Vixen bothered to look that up rather than just shooting from the hip. So yes, it's the velocity of the shock wave, not the "force" with which it strikes.

Also, the witness in the bow area who was just a few meters from the alleged detonation would likely have been killed. Are they claiming they were shaped charges?

I suspect they did not rule out that the distortion could also have been caused by the metal being wrenched apart by a very large applied force rather than a detonation.
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Microscopic examination of the recovered metal revealed evidence of twinning, a particular disposition of metal crystals in the lattice. It is consistent with high-strain rate deformation. But it's also consistent with something else that I'm going to make Vixen attempt to guess, so I'm not going to reveal it now. I know Captain Swoop asked Vixen to explain twinning, and I've sort of stolen that thunder (apologies!) by giving a brief explanation.
 
For those not familiar with shaped charges a BBC demonstration.

 
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Vixen said:
He did dive down and cut out a panel from the Estonia.

At least he actually had the Estonia tested and not use a dummy model as the BAM did.
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"Since he commenced working with us Lt. Commander Braidwood has made himself acquainted with the condition of the wreck and the merits of the case by prolonged watching of video footage, studying drawings and reports as well as long discussions with our expert team, where after he drew up his Investigation Report. – See Chapter 34.7 of our Report. Only thereafter, viz. in August 2000 after completion of the Rabe/Bemis diving expedition, the samples cut off the wreck were brought ashore for examination."

https://www.estoniaferrydisaster.net/chapter05/05-0.html

Can't see anywhere where it states he dived on the wreck.
 
JayUtah said:
WAre they claiming they were shaped charges?
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pg1099.jpg



The alleged shaped charge. Which apparently vanished at a later point.
 
RolandRat said:
"Since he commenced working with us Lt. Commander Braidwood has made himself acquainted with the condition of the wreck and the merits of the case by prolonged watching of video footage, studying drawings and reports as well as long discussions with our expert team, where after he drew up his Investigation Report. – See Chapter 34.7 of our Report. Only thereafter, viz. in August 2000 after completion of the Rabe/Bemis diving expedition, the samples cut off the wreck were brought ashore for examination."

https://www.estoniaferrydisaster.net/chapter05/05-0.html

Can't see anywhere where it states he dived on the wreck.
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Or cut the samples
 
JayUtah said:
Dramatic, and completely unnecessary for engineering purposes.

Also, the professor notes the double crease in the deepest part of the indentation and says this indicates tremendous impact force. He is simply wrong. A double crease indicates the material was compressed in-plane.
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Haven't you sheep heard of those secret CIA crinkle charges?

Okay, me neither.

ETA, oh wait, this is for the submarine impact theory, so it would be the crinkle *prow*.
 
JayUtah said:
Did they show a visual comparison between this photographed artifact and known packaging of shaped charges? We use shaped charges all the time in rocketry. I've never seen one packaged like that.
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They did not:

"After a relatively silent 1998 when most of the interested people were analysing and subsequently criticising the report of the JAIC a new person appeared in Sweden apparently with sufficient time, and an undisturbed mind, to analyse again all the publicly available video footage and documentation on this subject collected by the JAIC. He found among other things on the video B40b, made by the SPRINT ROV on 03.12.94, a package on the port superstructure in way of the 5th deck which appeared suspicious to him. Video images were made and shown among others also to experts in explosives in Sweden and Germany. See the following image.

Both identified the package with about 90% certainty to be an explosive charge used underwater.

Evaluation of the footage made by ROV on 02. and 09.10.94 revealed, however, that the package had not been at the identified location on the 5th deck on these dates, thus must have been placed there between the 09.10. and 03.12.94 and therefore could not be casualty related."

https://www.estoniaferrydisaster.net/estonia final report/chapter32.htm

Which, assuming I'm reading this correctly, means it couldn't be related to the accident.
 
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Is the other alleged explosive which the report states:

"The cube was clearly visible and had been closely looked at by the ROV during the inspection on 09.10.94, it could not, however, be found on the 02.10.94 videos which was possibly due to restricted visibility and was definitely not in this location on the SPRINT ROV made on 03.12.94 respectively on the diver video of the same date.
Images were made from the orange coloured cube and identified by all three experts from Sweden, England and Germany with a high degree of probability as an "explosive charge".

As this charge attached in way of a very sensitive area - the port side locking devices of the visor and the fastening of the port bow ramp actuator - obviously did not explode, the corresponding area of the starboard side was analysed for possible explosion damage which was positively identified by the underwater explosive expert Brian Braidwood. This resulted in a further analysis of the available video footage all received from the JAIC. The results are outlined in the following subchapters."

They then go onto show areas in which they believe explosions occurred. Incase you're interested in those areas, the images and comments are here:

https://www.estoniaferrydisaster.net...eport/32.2.htm
 
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