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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
I just finished the book "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and it
raised some questions about the air dropped torpedoes (the Mk 13) in use by the US Navy in WWII. What drove the range/speed trade-offs for the Mk 13? According to the spec's I've found, it had a range of ~6,000 yards and a speed of 33 knots. With a likely launch range of 1,000 yards or less, wouldn't it have made sense to sacrifice the 6,000 yard range to get an increase in speed? Wouldn't a 45 or 50 knot torpedo with a 1,500 or 2,000 yard range have been a better compromise? I'd certainly think the higher speed would have increased the probability of a hit, because it would have reduced the deflection at launch by 1/3 or so. Also, it would have given the target 1/3 less time to maneuver to avoid the torpedo. A second question addresses launch speed. Early in the war, drop speed and altitude were in the 110 knot, 150' range. Later, a couple of plywood fairings were added to increase drag, lift, and stability, and these add-ons improved the drop parameters for the torpedo. The sources I've found have contradictions about the launch envelope after these fairings were added. Can someone point me to a reputable source for this information? Thanks, KB |
#2
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
Ahh but the closer you get to the target the longer you are exposed to enemy
fire & the higher the chances of losing an expensively trained crew plus the aircraft; Far better to waste multiple torpedoes saving the crews & AC for further missions. DD "Kyle Boatright" wrote in message ... I just finished the book "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and it raised some questions about the air dropped torpedoes (the Mk 13) in use by the US Navy in WWII. What drove the range/speed trade-offs for the Mk 13? According to the spec's I've found, it had a range of ~6,000 yards and a speed of 33 knots. With a likely launch range of 1,000 yards or less, wouldn't it have made sense to sacrifice the 6,000 yard range to get an increase in speed? Wouldn't a 45 or 50 knot torpedo with a 1,500 or 2,000 yard range have been a better compromise? I'd certainly think the higher speed would have increased the probability of a hit, because it would have reduced the deflection at launch by 1/3 or so. Also, it would have given the target 1/3 less time to maneuver to avoid the torpedo. A second question addresses launch speed. Early in the war, drop speed and altitude were in the 110 knot, 150' range. Later, a couple of plywood fairings were added to increase drag, lift, and stability, and these add-ons improved the drop parameters for the torpedo. The sources I've found have contradictions about the launch envelope after these fairings were added. Can someone point me to a reputable source for this information? Thanks, KB |
#3
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
You might drop it 1000 yds out, but it still has to run down the target.
This can be a long chase if the target is even semi quick. Al "Kyle Boatright" wrote in message ... I just finished the book "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and it raised some questions about the air dropped torpedoes (the Mk 13) in use by the US Navy in WWII. What drove the range/speed trade-offs for the Mk 13? According to the spec's I've found, it had a range of ~6,000 yards and a speed of 33 knots. With a likely launch range of 1,000 yards or less, wouldn't it have made sense to sacrifice the 6,000 yard range to get an increase in speed? Wouldn't a 45 or 50 knot torpedo with a 1,500 or 2,000 yard range have been a better compromise? I'd certainly think the higher speed would have increased the probability of a hit, because it would have reduced the deflection at launch by 1/3 or so. Also, it would have given the target 1/3 less time to maneuver to avoid the torpedo. A second question addresses launch speed. Early in the war, drop speed and altitude were in the 110 knot, 150' range. Later, a couple of plywood fairings were added to increase drag, lift, and stability, and these add-ons improved the drop parameters for the torpedo. The sources I've found have contradictions about the launch envelope after these fairings were added. Can someone point me to a reputable source for this information? Thanks, KB |
#4
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
For a good WWII torpedo check out the Japanese Long Lance torpedo.
WDA end "Kyle Boatright" wrote in message ... I just finished the book "The Last Stand of the Tin Can Sailors" and it raised some questions about the air dropped torpedoes (the Mk 13) in use by the US Navy in WWII. What drove the range/speed trade-offs for the Mk 13? According to the spec's I've found, it had a range of ~6,000 yards and a speed of 33 knots. With a likely launch range of 1,000 yards or less, wouldn't it have made sense to sacrifice the 6,000 yard range to get an increase in speed? Wouldn't a 45 or 50 knot torpedo with a 1,500 or 2,000 yard range have been a better compromise? I'd certainly think the higher speed would have increased the probability of a hit, because it would have reduced the deflection at launch by 1/3 or so. Also, it would have given the target 1/3 less time to maneuver to avoid the torpedo. A second question addresses launch speed. Early in the war, drop speed and altitude were in the 110 knot, 150' range. Later, a couple of plywood fairings were added to increase drag, lift, and stability, and these add-ons improved the drop parameters for the torpedo. The sources I've found have contradictions about the launch envelope after these fairings were added. Can someone point me to a reputable source for this information? Thanks, KB ---------------------------------------- I am using the free version of SPAMfighter for private users. It has removed 488 spam emails to date. Paying users do not have this message in their emails. Try www.SPAMfighter.com for free now! |
#5
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
"Al" wrote in message . .. You might drop it 1000 yds out, but it still has to run down the target. This can be a long chase if the target is even semi quick. Al You're right and in a sideways way you bring up another problem with a 33 knot torpedo. If it gets in a chase situation, the torpedo can't catch the enemy, regardless of the torpedo's range. Destroyers, some cruisers, some carriers, and some battleships are as fast or faster than 33 knots. A faster torpedo gives the enemy less time to avoid the attack in the first place. |
#6
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
"Dave Deep" wrote in message ... Ahh but the closer you get to the target the longer you are exposed to enemy fire & the higher the chances of losing an expensively trained crew plus the aircraft; Far better to waste multiple torpedoes saving the crews & AC for further missions. DD Agreed, but as I stated earlier, air dropped torpedoes were launched at 1,000 yards or less. I'm not advocating launching closer, I'm simply asking why the torpedo's speed and range wasn't better matched to how the actual launch range... KB |
#7
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
"W. D. Allen Sr." wrote in message ... For a good WWII torpedo check out the Japanese Long Lance torpedo. WDA end Which wasnt an air dropped weapon Keith |
#8
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
Keith Willshaw wrote:
"W. D. Allen Sr." wrote in message ... For a good WWII torpedo check out the Japanese Long Lance torpedo. WDA end Which wasnt an air dropped weapon Keith I seem to recall the long lance was too an air dropped weapon. Kates used it in Pearl Harbor...I think. Eric |
#9
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The Japanese long lance type 93 was a 24-inch monster weighing almost 6000 lbs. The air-dropped weapon was the type 91, 450mm (17.7in) in diameter with a weight in the 1700-2300 lb range depending upon mod. There were Japanese torpedoes developed using the long lance's oxygen propulsion system, but I'm not aware of any air-dropped models in service.
www.combinedfleet.com Quote:
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#10
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Mk 13 Air Dropped Torpedo
"Eric Joiner" wrote in message ... Keith Willshaw wrote: "W. D. Allen Sr." wrote in message ... For a good WWII torpedo check out the Japanese Long Lance torpedo. WDA end Which wasnt an air dropped weapon Keith I seem to recall the long lance was too an air dropped weapon. Kates used it in Pearl Harbor...I think. Eric Nope. The Long Lance was a shipboard weapon only. It weighed something like 6,000 lbs, and was almost 30' long - a real monster. It had a range of 20,000 meters at 48 knots. On the slow setting, it had a range of 40,000 meters at 36 knots. A downsized version was used aboard submarines. It weighed 4,000 lbs and had a 9,000 meter range at 49 knots. The air dropped torpedoes used by the Japanese during WWII were 17.7" torpedoes and weighed approximately 2,000 lbs depending on variant. Very comparable to US airborne torpedos. EXCEPT for their dynamic performance, which gave a drop speed of 260-350 knots (variant dependant), a speed of 41 knots, and a 2000 meter range. |
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