The first of the two bombs to hit the ship penetrated the main deck and exploded near “wardroom country", the blast ripping through the light sheet metal bulkheads that comprised the boundaries of the compartment. Blessman, who, as the ship's senior aviator had no air defense station and was in the wardroom at the time, was killed instantly by the concussion.
The first bomb to hit the ship struck the main deck near the wardroom, causing a blast that ripped through the light sheet metal bulkheads separating the compartment. Blessman, as the senior pilot with no air defense system and who was in the wardroom at the time, was killed instantly by the concussion.