Table 7-7.—Possible Damage from Air Blast, Underwater Shock, or Water Waves
to ships at a distance of several miles. Underwater
of ship damage. Flooding may occur through
shock travels much faster than an air blast; it can
arrive in from less than 1 second up to 10 seconds.
Hull damage will occur in the form of dished
and ruptured plating and damaged supporting
structures. Light equipment may be tossed about,
causing damage to other equipment and injury to
personnel. Engineering piping systems, shafting,
and boiler brickwork are especially sensitive to
underwater shock.
Damage by Water Waves
Water waves from a surface or underwater
burst of a nuclear weapon maybe over a hundred
feet in height. In deep water, waves may be a
contributing source of damage at ranges of over
1 mile from a nominal nuclear weapon and
possibly over 10 miles from a megaton-weapon
burst. Arrival time of the waves is from one-
half minute to several minutes, depending on
the distance from the burst. Only in isolated
instances will water waves be the primary source
weather doors-that have been damaged by an air
blast.
PROTECTION AGAINST AIR BLAST,
HEAT, AND UNDERWATER SHOCK
An air blast produces injuries among topside
personnel primarily by bodily displacement
(picking them up and throwing them about) and
among below-deck personnel by displacement of
personnel and loose gear. The severity of injuries
can be reduced if personnel hold on to solid ship
structures and loose gear is secured.
Heat (also called thermal radiation) produces
injuries (skin burns and eye damage) among
topside personnel and can ignite clothing or other
combustibles. The severity of potential thermal
injury may be reduced if personnel quickly cover
exposed skin surfaces while dropping out of sight
of the fireball or curling up on the deck to
present a minimum target to the fireball.
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