Table of Contents
How were torpedo tubes reloaded?
Reloading for the Japanese destroyers was relatively simple in theory: traverse the tubes to fore-and-aft, wheel the torpedo out on its trolley or lift it out by crane, line it up with the tube, slide it in.
How are torpedoes stored?
Spare torpedoes are stored behind the tube in racks. Speed is a desirable feature of a torpedo loading system, but safety is paramount. There are various manual and hydraulic handling systems for loading torpedoes into the tubes.
How many torpedoes can a ship carry?
These powerful engines could make use of planing hull designs and were capable of the much higher speed of 30 to 50 knots (56 to 93 km/h) under appropriate sea conditions than displacement hulls. The boat could carry two to four torpedoes fired from simple fixed launchers and several machine guns.
How many torpedoes can a destroyer carry?
They were also to carry no fewer than five 5 in (127 mm) guns and ten deck-mounted torpedo tubes on the centerline, allowing them to meet any foreign design on equal terms.
How are torpedoes propelled?
Thermal torpedoes use a fuel, such as OTTO Fuel II, which can be burned without an external oxygen source. A gas turbine or axial piston engine converts this fuel into torque that spins counter-rotating propellers, propelling the torpedo up to speeds in excess of 60 knots.
Can destroyers fire torpedoes?
These destroyers also carry anti-submarine rockets and torpedoes. The destroyers have the capability to carry two Sea King helicopters.
How did torpedoes work in ww2?
In the first, the warhead exploded just as it armed. These premature explosions were easily discerned by the submarine because the torpedo exploded before it had a chance to reach its target. In the second, the warhead exploded just before reaching the target ship but far enough away that it did no damage.
Could a torpedo sink a cruise ship?
Back through World War II, the primary way torpedoes did their damage was with a direct hit. The impact of the torpedo on a ship’s hull would drive a firing pin that sets off a warhead. Generally, this approach worked well, but it could take many direct hits to do damage enough to sink a vessel.
How many torpedoes should a boat have?
The typical U-boat was 214 feet long, carried 35 men and 12 torpedoes, and could travel underwater for two hours at a time.
Why are destroyers called tin cans?
Johnson emphasizes in his book how destroyers were nicknamed “tin cans” because they had thin, metal hulls that were useful for quickly navigating the seas but not a great protection for the soldiers that they transported, and the men serving on these ships.
Why are destroyers called DD?
DD stands for destroyer, CV for carrier. DDG means guided missile destroyer, CVN means nuclear carrier, etc.