Explosives traces found on sunken S.Korea warship

AFP via Space Daily ^ | 5/06/2010 | AFP via Space Daily

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

Traces of explosive from a torpedo have been found on debris from a sunken South Korean warship, fuelling suspicions that North Korea sank the vessel, a report said Thursday. Aluminium fragments from a torpedo casing have also been found, Dong-A Ilbo newspaper quoted a member of a team investigating the blast as saying.

President Lee Myung-Bak hinted Tuesday that North Korea was involved in the sinking, which cost 46 lives. He promised a "resolute" response when the cause is established following the multinational probe.

The unidentified team member was quoted as saying the explosive traces were found on a funnel that was torn off the Cheonan by the blast on March 26 near the disputed border with North Korea.

"It has been confirmed that the explosive came from a torpedo," the team member was quoted as saying.

Detailed analysis of salvaged aluminium fragments also confirmed they are from a torpedo, the individual said.

"This type of aluminium is not in use in this country. As long as the torpedo was not ours, there is only one country that may attack a South Korean navy vessel," the team member reportedly said.

The paper quoted a senior military official as saying investigators would announce their findings no later than mid-May.

[rdl6989]

Bttt.

[funfan]

Maybe they can dust the oil rig

[trickyricky]

Hey SK, stock up on KIO3.
Don't expect 0 to help.

[ChiMark]

Nothing here to see, move along...

[RC one]

NK smells weakness and lack of resolve and has responded exactly how we predicted. Every inch of ground that Obama gives them will make them hungry for more.

[Virginia Ridgerunner]

I have no doubt that the torpedoing of this ROK warship was a revenge attack for this:

North Korea says naval skirmish was 'planned provocation' by South

[FreedomPoster]

I wonder if there is a SK version of this site:

http://ki4u.com

[BallyBill]

I’m sure this means, Explosives foreign to the warship itself. I would hope a warship has traces of explosives.

[trickyricky]

Wow, That brings back memories!
Duck and Cover!

[TXnMA]

"The unidentified team member was quoted as saying the explosive traces were found on a funnel that was torn off the Cheonan by the blast on March 26 ..."

The Pohang-class has only one funnel. The funnel and associated superstructure from Cheonan was directly above the point of explosion, and was blown upward and separated from the two main sections.

If I understand the article correctly, explosives residue was recovered from the underside of the light-colored (due to paint spalling) section in this photo. That section is clearly blown convex-upward.

~~~

As can be seen in this reconstruction, the explosive residue reached upward into the Cheonan at least as far as the main deck.

That indicates that the explosive charge was very near -- or in actual contact with -- the keel just forward of the funnel. If it was a free-running torpedo, the steering and placement was nearly perfect,

[TXnMA]

Ping to #11...

[GeronL]

Can they trace it?

[TXnMA]

IMHO, the U.S. should join our allies in retaliation by providing the ordnance and technical means to detonate a maximum-practical yield TN device beneath one of our own ships...

This one...

[TXnMA]

"Can they trace it?"

If not the explosive, they do have metallurgical (aluminium) samples.

You would be amazed at what we could tell you about Russian technology -- based on the sample of aluminum from a (Israeli-) destroyed Egyptian MIG that a GI brought back from the desert as a "souvenir" from a Bright Star exercise... '-}

[GeronL]

lol

[Doe Eyes]

Don't expect 0 to help.

Why does the United States need to protect South Korea from North Korea?

Our money protects them. They keep their taxes low so they can sell stuff to the USA.

[TigerLikesRooster]

the explosive charge was very near -- or in actual contact with

That is apparently what investigators have found out, according to SK reports.