Steve
Penultimate Amazing
Maybe the translators didn't know the difference between valves and sprinklers. But they definitely cite 'Drencher' system as though they thought it was a brand.
ETA: It says:
"By pushing a respective bottom the watch officer started the fire pump and activated one or more quick-opening valves of the sprinkler system installed underneath the car deck ceiling"
so it was a valve (drencher/deluge) system and not a sprinkler.
If a person who worked in the field for many years, and has actually designed the type of systems - for buildings, not marine vessels - some here are attempting to describe, may comment:
The term used in the industry, and as per the National Fire Protection Association Standard for Water Spray Fixed Systems for Fire Protection - NFPA 15, is "deluge system". I have never encountered the term "drencher" in this context prior to this thread. Maybe it is specifically European. The heads used to discharge water in a deluge system are commonly referred to as sprinkler heads as the water from each head is distributed in a spray pattern similar to all other overhead sprinkler systems. Deluge systems are commonly activated automatically by heat or smoke sensors in order to reduce the chance of human error affecting the required operation of the system. But manually activated systems are not unheard of. Deluge systems are normally zoned in order to keep the fire pump or water supply capacity to a reasonable level. If a fire is detected that crosses zone boundaries this would complicate the decision making process of the person responsible for manual activation
Semantics aside, the argument over terminology is irrelevant. The fire suppression system is (was) a standard deluge system, manually activated, with open sprinkler heads for water discharge and distribution. It appears to not conform in many respects to NFPA standards, but that may be more common in European and/or ocean going design practices than I am aware of.