USN Bureau of Ordnance, Naval Ordnance 1937 Edition, paragraph 1318: "The impact damage which a projectile itself does is entirely secondary to that which results from its burst. The design of most naval projectiles is based primarily on using the projectile as a vehicle with which to carry a quantity of explosive into a ship and secondarily to provide missiles with which to carry the force of the explosion."
ADM 234/509: H.M.S. Prince of Wales' Gunnery Aspects of the "Bismarck" Pursuit. http://www.hmshood.org.uk/reference/official/adm234/adm234-509guns.htm. Problems in Prince of Wales' turrets during her first action against Bismarck, according to her Gunnery Aspects Report: 'A' Turret: No. 1 gun failed after the 1st salvo, from a previously known defect. No. 2 and no. 4 guns suffered from intermittent safety interlock problems. "A" turret suffered from water entering the lower portion of the turret/barbette structure, but there is no indication that this caused any problems other than discomfort for the crew. At salvo 18, when Prince of Wales turned away, 3 of 'A' turret's guns were in operation. 'B' Turret: No problems reported. At salvo 18, when Prince of Wales turned away, both (2) of 'B' turrets guns were in operation. 'Y' Turret No. 2 gun had loading problems and missed salvo 14 onwards. No. 3 gun had problems with safety interlocks causing it to miss salvoes 15 to 20. At salvo 18, 2 of "Y" turrets guns were in operation. 'Y' Turret's shell-transfer ring jammed at salvo 20, due to a shell sliding out of its tray due to the motion of the ship as the ship turned.
kbismarck.com
”Bismarck Armour”. Bismarck Armour. http://www.kbismarck.com/proteccioni.html. ”Post WWII proving ground test indicated that KC was only slightly less resistant than British cemented armour (CA), and markedly superior to US Class A plates.”
Naval Weapons index, The KM 38 cm/52 SK C/34 carried a 41.4lb bursting charge, while the USN 16-inch Mk VI 2700 lb AP shell carried a 40.9lb bursting charge
