Magnesium alloy.

[Screwdriver]

HMS Sheffield definitely was Aluminium superstructure. Obviously very famous around these parts (Sheffield). The previous one had loads of stainless and was nicknamed the Shiny Sheff

The exocet set fir to the Aluminium which will burn in the right conditions (windy)

I stand corrected. In my defence I was only 18 and am recounting the story from memory.

I should'a looked at Wiki first or maybe mythbusters

 

[TechnicAl]

I stand corrected. In my defence I was only 18 and am recounting the story from memory.

I should'a looked at Wiki first or maybe mythbusters

I am wrong.....its neither...........it was Steel

The Aluminium bit was an urban myth

 

[TechnicAl]

Yeah it was a very common misconception for some reason - I think it was actually published in the press and so it kind of stuck. The type 21s were as far as I know the only British ones - there was an instance of a (peacetime) fire on one of those when they were new and firefighting was hampered because of ladders and suchlike buckling.

Aluminium burns so its plausible............Aluminium plus Iron (steel) is the basis of the Thermit Process used to weld Railway Rails........so the provenence is obvious.

 

[Screwdriver]

There certainly was a lot of chatter going around about mag alloy and aluminium superstructures. Some of the boats (and I am not going to name them!) definitely were form over function with impressive top weight.

The problem at the time was that ship board computers were fantastically crude and the gun firing solution from a platform moving in every direction with a target moving at very high speed - well you get the picture. We were only just beginning to develop laser guided aiming defences, still operator controlled with a firing solution then needing to be applied in real time. This was when the best solution was a bloody big gun with a stupendous firing rate!