 At 09 : 53 , about 81 seconds after Moosally 's order to load and 20 seconds after the right gun had reported loaded and ready , Turret Two 's center gun exploded . A fireball between 2 @,@ 500 ° F ( 1 @,@ 370 ° C ) and 3 @,@ 000 ° F ( 1 @,@ 650 ° C ) and traveling at 2 @,@ 000 feet ( 610 m ) per second with a pressure of 4000 lb per square inch ( 281 kg per square cm ) blew out from the center gun 's open breech . The fireball spread through all three gun rooms and through much of the lower levels of the turret . All 47 crewmen inside the turret were killed . The turret contained most of the force of the explosion . 
