WW2 Welding

[fesm_ndt]

Welding being part of my job has a great deal of interest and in some ways aided the war effort. SMAW and SAW were developed by the Soviets with much of their armour being welded when other countries were still riveting. GTAW and GMAW were developed by the US for fabricating aircraft parts. Lots of different stories around different things.

 

The investigation into the failure of T2 tanker 'Schenectady' to me is interesting as this failed in the harbour and given the nature of the failure mechanism people have assumed many more most likely were lost on the Murmansk run but at the time were though sunk by the enemy

 

A summary of what occurred is here http://www.twi.co.uk/news-events/case-studies/schenectady-t2-tanker-165/

 

Brittle fracture to I guess most people is a bit odd as normally we would think anything thicker is better or stronger but anything above an inch in a susceptible material can be extremely brittle.

 

For the visual people I have attached a video which shows quite a thick piece snapping like a carrot

 

 

 

ps I tried to use the youtube link but kept coming up with an error message is there some trick?

[Rangie]

I also have a morbid fascination in most things mechanical/metallurgical

 

If you get the chance I can wholeheartedly recommend "Until the Sea shall free them" by Robert Frump.

 

An astonishing read, written at a reasonably technical/factual level about the American Merchant Marine service after WW2 and their "recycling" of vessels. Culminating in the sinking of the Marine Electric in 1983.

 

Alec.

 

 

Found link on amazon...... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Until-Sea-Shall-Free-Them/dp/1591142849

[fesm_ndt]

I also have a morbid fascination in most things mechanical/metallurgical

 

If you get the chance I can wholeheartedly recommend "Until the Sea shall free them" by Robert Frump.

 

An astonishing read, written at a reasonably technical/factual level about the American Merchant Marine service after WW2 and their "recycling" of vessels. Culminating in the sinking of the Marine Electric in 1983.

 

Alec.

 

 

Found link on amazon...... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Until-Sea-Shall-Free-Them/dp/1591142849

 

I'll have to grab that, need a new book....... Funny enough a lot of documentation suggests that the fracture on the Titanic was brittle after the impact, but I have not seen any conclusive document stating that. Given they recovered that piece of metal it would be fairly evident either way.

 

I suppose my fascination is that the same mistakes occur over and over again yet welding has been around a long time now.