Jessica your theories are much the same as mine. When i say it can't have broken up at the surface i meant, quite a way down. ie half a mile to a mile.

I do however agree completley with your theory. I beleive turbulent flow would have destoyed most of the bow. As you said it created less Drag(parastic) and would have created greater vorticies. Your theory on the stern floating under the surface i beleive is absolutley correct. Untill the pressure inside has equalized it would have been impossible for the ship to decend, Unless the air could escape. This as you say would have caused emense damge to the super structure as weel as the hull.

Thanks jessica.
best wishes shaun
oh and are you an aerodynamacist? many of your theories are based around aerodynamics.