Why did destroyers have torpedoes?
Once destroyers became more than just catchers guarding an anchorage, it was realized that they were also ideal to take over the offensive role of torpedo boats themselves, so they were also fitted with torpedo tubes in addition to their anti torpedo-boat guns.
How does torpedo tube work?
The slide valve allows water from the ejection pump to enter the tube. When the launch command is given and all interlocks are satisfied, the water ram operates, thrusting a large volume of water into the tube at high pressure, which ejects the torpedo from the tube with considerable force.
Did ww2 destroyers have torpedoes?
The Mark 15 torpedo, the standard American destroyer-launched torpedo of World War II, was very similar in design to the Mark 14 torpedo except that it was longer, heavier, and had greater range and a larger warhead.
Did battleships have torpedo tubes?
These tubes could train 30° fore or aft of the beam, and they were hinged so that they could be folded against the hull when not in use, probably because the space was also used to hang hammocks. From then on, most battleships were equipped with some form of torpedo tube, although the exact details varied greatly.
Could a destroyer sink a battleship?
In large fleet actions, however, destroyers and torpedo boats were usually unable to get close enough to the battleships to damage them. The only battleship sunk in a fleet action by either torpedo boats or destroyers was the obsolescent German pre-dreadnought SMS Pommern.
Do destroyers still use torpedoes?
Destroyers became so much more useful, having better seaworthiness and greater capabilities than torpedo boats, that they eventually replaced most torpedo boats. However, the London Naval Treaty after World War I limited tonnage of warships, but placed no limits on ships of under 600 tons.
How long does it take to load a torpedo tube?
15 to 30 minutes.
Are torpedo tubes airtight?
They are odor proof, air tight and leak resistant. Features an internal airtight moisture resistant seal to help maintain a consistent level of humidity. Torpedoes Cone Tubes are durable, lightweight and the plastic is pre-washed.
Do modern destroyers use torpedoes?
Since 1945 the destroyer’s dual antiaircraft-antisubmarine role continued through the transition to guided missiles. A modern destroyer’s armament consists of surface-to-air missiles, antisubmarine torpedoes, antiship missiles, and one or two main guns of about 100 or 130 mm (4 or 5 inches) in calibre.
How fast could a ww2 destroyer go?
Though the ships were large, exceeding 430′ (132m) in length, they carried a correspondingly large powerplant. The destroyers could produce up to 81,000shp, enough to propel the ships to speeds of 45 knots.
Why did US cruisers not have torpedoes?
To close into gun range, let alone torpedo range was to risk the valuable scouting role of the ship. The Navy then took a few years off building heavy cruisers as they had hit their treaty limit and based new light cruisers off the designs their CA’s had evolved into.
What happens to torpedoes that miss?
As we previously mentioned, while torpedoes are close to neutral buoyancy, they are ever so slightly less so, meaning they will inexorably sink if they stop moving. There are many unexploded torpedoes still out there on the seafloor.
Why don’t we use battleships anymore?
These days, satellite technology, radars, and other long-range sensor technologies mean an attacker can see its target without ever needing to go looking for them. More importantly, a battleship (or battleship fleet) can be hit and destroyed without ever seeing where the shots were fired.
What was the most feared battleship?
The Bismarck was the most feared battleship in the German Kriegsmarine (War Navy) and, at over 250 metres in length, the biggest. Yet, despite its presence, it would sink only one ship in its only battle. So what exactly made the Bismarck so famous?
Can a torpedo sink a destroyer?
On April 13, 1940, British and German destroyers met in a duel during the course of a naval battle near Narvik. Trapped in a fjord, Z2 Georg Thiele launched a torpedo at their approaching enemy from a distance of 2.5 miles. It hit the British destroyer Eskimo, occupying the lead position of the fleet.
How deep can a torpedo go?
| Mark 48 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Propellant | Otto fuel II |
| Maximum depth | 500 fathoms, 800 m (2,600 ft) (estimated), officially “greater than 1,200 ft” |
| Maximum speed | 55 kn (63 mph; 102 km/h) (estimated) officially “greater than 28 kn (52 km/h; 32 mph)” |
| Guidance system | Common Broadband Advanced Sonar System |
What was the fastest warship ever built?
Design and description. The Le Fantasque-class ships were designed to counter the fast Italian Condottieri-class light cruisers and Le Terrible set a world record for a ship with a conventional hull of 45.02 knots (83.38 km/h; 51.81 mph).
What was the fastest battleship ever built?
The US Iowa-class battleships were powered by eight fuel oil boilers and four propellers, delivering 212,000 shaft horsepower. In 1968, during a shakedown cruise, the Iowa-class USS New Jersey achieved a top speed of 35.2 knots (65.2 km/h) which it sustained for six hours.
What was wrong with American torpedoes in ww2?
The mechanical ones were faulty thanks to heavy firing pins that couldn’t achieve the right momentum when the torpedo was at full speed, so they were replaced with a lighter metal alloy. Ironically, the alloy chosen had made it into U.S. arsenals after it was discovered in a Japanese fighter shot down at Pearl Harbor.
Did light cruisers have torpedoes?
The Imperial Japanese Navy rebuilt two Kuma-class light cruisers into torpedo cruisers during World War II. Unlike the earlier vessels, these ships were intended to launch their Long Lance oxygen torpedoes at extreme range at night to surprise enemy warships.
How fast can a torpedo go underwater?
The British Spearfish torpedo designed to counter high-speed Russian submarines, such as the Alfa-class submarine, is reputed to have a speed in excess of 70 knots (130 km/h). The Russian rocket-powered supercavitating torpedo VA-111 Shkval is reportedly capable of speed in excess of 200 knots (370 km/h).
What fuel does a torpedo use?
Otto Fuel II is a distinct-smelling, reddish-orange, oily liquid that the U.S. Navy uses as a fuel for torpedoes and other weapon systems. It is a mixture of three synthetic substances: propylene glycol dinitrate (the major component), 2 nitrodiphenylamine, and dibutyl sebacate.
Can USS Missouri still sail?
Well, that or a tugboat. The USS Missouri was finally retired in 1992 and turned from a warship into a museum—just like the one in the movie. Today, it stays docked in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, where there is no crew at the ready, nor any ammo or fuel on board.
Can US battleships be reactivated?
Unfortunately, the cost of fuel and 1,500 sailors make any reactivation simply a pipe dream with today’s military technology and efficiency. Of course, when you compare the 16 inch gun with a P-700 Granit cruise missile onboard a Russian Kirov-class with 388 miles of range at Mach 2.5+— well that’s that.
Can a U.S. aircraft carrier enter the Black sea?
Under Article 11, Black Sea states are permitted to transit capital ships of any tonnage through the straits, but Annex II specifically excludes aircraft carriers from the definition of capital ship.