Torpedo

The torpedo was the greatest single game-changer in the history of naval warfare. For the first time it allowed any small, cheap torpedo-firing vessel – and by extension a small, minor navy – to threaten the largest and most powerful warships afloat.

The traditional concept of sea power, based on huge fleets of expensive capital ships, required radical rethinking.

It had long been understood that the most effective way of sinking a ship is to make a hole below the waterline, but centuries of experiments had failed to produce an effective method of achieving this. After many false starts and developmental dead ends, the answer proved to be the ‘locomotive’ or self-propelled torpedo, which became a practical proposition in the late nineteenth century.

This book is a broad-ranging international history of the weapon, tracing not only its origins and technical progress down to the present day, but also its massive impact on all subsequent naval wars.

Torpedo is the first dedicated study of this highly significant subject for over thirty years, a period in which much new information has come to light and the capabilities of the weapon itself have improved beyond recognition.

Available in a hardcover copy and as an e-book from:

Pen and Sword / Seaforth Publishing

Amazon

Here are some coloured versions of the B&W photos in the hardcopy edition, plus additional photos for which there was no room in the book:

RN Carrier HMS Speaker loads Kaiten Type 2 or 4 at Hong Kong in 1945. It is possible this is the Kaiten held by the RN Museum in Portsmouth.

USS Mississinewa on fire and a bow her wreck today, lying on her port side, sunk by Kaiten attack. Described on page 28.

Kaiten Type 10 preserved in the Yamato Museum.

An interesting twin prop torpedo, possibly an experimental comparison with the in-line contra-rotating type, seen in the Split Naval Museum. Photo courtesy of Erwin Sieche.

The twin-prop torpedo with other exhibits in the Aladdin’s cave in Split Naval Museum.

A Whitehead 8-cylinder torpedo engine, Rijeka. Photo courtesy of Erwin Sieche.

The Obry gear in a US Navy 18in Whitehead torpedo of 1898.

Detail from the plans of an Austro-Hungarian Navy Whitehead dated 1902, showing the vertical stabilisers. Because of the addition of contra-rotating two-bladed propellers, the rear vertical stabiliser is fixed, and is not in fact a rudder. Directional changes are activated by the two smaller flaps in front of the propeller cavity, almost small enough to be classed as ‘trim tabs’ in aviation terms, giving only small changes of direction. Plan courtesy of Erwin Sieche.

In contrast, the horizontal control surfaces are movable planes at the rear end of the torpedo, as presumably the depth-keeping control is more variable than the directional control. Note the small directional trim tab which can be set at the desired angle and fixed with a screw. This would be used to correct any directional deviation discerned in the individual torpedo as the result of its test runs. Plan courtesy of Erwin Sieche.

See also – the previous photo of the twin-prop torpedo in Split Naval Museum, where these features are clearly visible.

Colour version of the Mark 45 torpedo on page 71.

Colour version of Spearfish on page 72.

Colour version of the tail of Spearfish on page 72.

Mark 54 as shown on page 75.

Colour view of Russian Shkval on page 73.

The tail of Shkval on page 73, showing the rocket nozzles.

Colour version of ASROC on page 137.

Colour version of the HAAWC ALA on page 137.

Torpedo Gunboat HMAS Boomerang prepares to launch Whitehead torpedoes. A boat's crew prepares to launch, to recover the practice torpedoes.

Torpedo launch from Boomerang. One only hopes she never lived up to her name when firing torpedoes.

Tatra Class Austrian DD re-ammunitioning, including torpedoes. The twin torpedo tubes were manufactured by Whitehead, and the rear doors bear the company’s logo. Note the trainer’s seat and wheel. Photo courtesy of Erwin Sieche.

Colour version of the painting of HMS Khartoum on page 100.

In the above plan view, note that the lateral torpedo launch tubes are too long to open at the inner end. They therefore have top sections which hinge open to load. Note also the retracted launch protection rails which will be extended to protect the emerging torpedo.

Inboard profile and plan of the French VTB of the late 1930s, showing the rear launch troughs for two torpedoes, just as on the RN CMBs.

Two examples of the Simonot Device – described on page 119 – on the deck of the French submarine Papin, off the Dalmation coast in 1915. From “L’Illustration”.

The six 18in torpedo tubes in the bows of an R-Class RN submarine, designed to give a devastating spread against a German U-Boat. (Photo courtesy of the Submarine Museum).

Modern Russian cartooon of loading torpedoes into a submarine. These sailors are obviously taking their work seriously.

The harbour end of the launch ramp.

Aerial view of Oscarsborg fortress in Oslo Fjord. Kaholmen, the site of the secret torpedo base, is the island in the centre of the photo.

Pre-dreadnought SMS Pommern taking heavy fire at Jutland before the torpedo hit which sank her.

Mark Postlethwaite’s painting of the new heavy cruiser Blücher on fire in Oslo Fjord, hit by two 11in and many 5.9in shells, her steering connections severed and her hangar on fire. She is about to be struck by the two torpedoes launched from the underwater tunnels of the secret torpedo station, as described on page 190.

Norge and Eidsvold on exercises pre-war.

The Greek Victory stamp issued in 1946 to commemorate the sinking of the cruiser Helle as described on page 199.

Colour version of the view of USS Idaho on page 203.

Captain Tim Johnson’s painting of a Daphne Class sub, from page 230.

Here are some reader comments about TORPEDO:

“A huge subject and one which I think the author has tackled really well.

Altogether a really interesting history that has been well-thought-out in how the story is told, and profusely illustrated throughout with appropriate and well-captioned illustrations.” Reviewer: Robin Buckland in Military Modelling Magazine.

“You’ve heard of kamikaze pilots but these poor fellows were kamikaze divers, the super secret “Crouching Dragons”….. In 1945! At a time when – one would have thought – the torpedo had long advanced from its crude early days of being (delivered by) harpoons, dragged by kites, or steered into its target by swimmers. If you don’t already know all of this, the first 20 pages of this book will have you palpitating.

Branfill-Cook’s former professional life as an insurance underwriter will have shaped his ability to think in cost/benefit terms, and half a decade-worth of studying naval subjects has given him a commanding grasp of the existing literature. He offers this book as an encyclopedic overview and introduction to a vast topic, its main purpose being to combine a multitude of sources into a convenient one-stop reference work.

His focus is on the mobile type of torpedo…. Although there are only a few basic types there are hundreds of different models and so to keep the narrative flowing, their pages and pages of specs have been relegated to an Appendix.

Everything is thoroughly illustrated with drawings and photos … and the book will not fail to engage the reader’s imagination and impart an interest in something the proverbial man in the street has little occasion to think about – until it makes headline news and the fate of the world is in peril… [as in] 2010 when a South Korean corvette was sunk by what all the world believes to have been a North Korean fish.” Reviewer: Sabu Advani on speedreaders.info.

“5 Stars. This is a good book on the history and development of a major weapon system. I rate it highly… As in other books by this publisher, the photographs are superb, and the research is excellent.

If you want to know about torpedoes, this is the book. Its coverage is remarkably inclusive.” Reviewer: Amazon customer lyndonbrecht.

“5 Stars. First-rate survey of torpedo technology and operational history. While this is a relatively small book (256 pages including Index), it does a very thorough job of covering the history of torpedoes, their delivery vehicles, and torpedo countermeasures. The writing is crisp and to the point, and it includes the best collection of torpedo photographs that I have ever seen. I am a big fan of naval history and I found this book a real “page turner”.

The subject of torpedoes is an immense one. The author acknowledges in the book’s Introduction that a complete history of the torpedo would take thousands of pages. However, Branfill-Cook has done an excellent job of focusing on the key technologies and incorporating information from many sources, including the Web.” Reviewer: Amazon customer M. Biegert.

“5 Stars. I don’t love this book like I love God or my wife. The “L” word is over-used these days. But, I have to say this book is the most exhaustive treatise I’ve ever seen on this subject. Since I am not an expert on torpedoes, I can’t say how exhaustive. But for me, where I am, it covers the subject more and better than anything else I have seen. Great text and superb illustrations!” Reviewer: Amazon customer J. Book.

“5 Stars. A lot of information about torpedoes’ history and their supporting equipment and use, [in the] air, in coastal batteries, and on ships and submarines. Also has some surprise history notes, a lot of battles using torpedoes that don’t get [the same] attention [as for] the major actions.” Reviewer: Amazon customer Richard M. Abramson.

Update to Page 93 under “Torpedo armament vulnerability”

R/V Petrel’s ROV dived on the wreck of the Japanese heavy cruiser Chōkai on 30th May 2019.

Contrary to previous theories concerning her loss, researchers were surprised to see that all four of her quadruple torpedo mounts were undamaged. In the tubes, plus reloads stored around the aft funnel, there should have been at least 12 torpedoes visible on her starboard side, but none were seen.

The following three photos are from the wreck survey published on https://uncommonsenseok.blogspot.com/2019/11/the-wreck-of-chokai.html

This is her empty forward starboard torpedo mounting. 

The starboard torpedo loading hatch, with no torpedoes visible inside. The plain hull side plating forward of the loading hatch is badly damaged, probably by 5inch shellfire.

The rear set of starboard tubes, again empty of torpedoes.

 At 08h51 lookouts on Haguro which was steaming some 1,500 metres to starboard of Chōkai noticed her coming under accurate shellfire. Hits were concentrated on her side and amidships. At 08h59, with her bridge and amidships area shrouded in dense smoke, and with her speed dropping, Chōkai signalled that her engines were out of commission. She made a rapid turn to port and was set on by a swarm of attacking aircraft.

From the survey photos, it appears that one or more 5inch shell hits around her starboard torpedo tubes, probably from the carrier White Plains, had not caused any warheads to explode, but had started a serious blaze, no doubt from oxygen fuel. Smoke and flames sucked down into her engineering spaces had caused temporary loss of power.  While trying to bring the blaze under control the crew had jettisoned all their Type 93 torpedoes. The crippled cruiser was subsequently an easy target for the Avenger bombers which caused so much extra damage, that Chōkai had to be abandoned and scuttled.

DOUGLAS DEVASTATOR TORPEDO BOMBER RE-EVALUATION 

The Douglas TBD suffered from a bad reputation because of the uncoordinated attacks during the Battle of Midway.

But the contemporary British carrier-borne torpedo bombers of the period, Swordfish or Albacores, would have suffered as badly or even worse.

Devastators were never intended to be sent into action against carriers without their fighter protection.

The primitive nature of the Mark 13 aerial torpedo was the cause of the problems.

But the Devastator was a masterpiece of design meant to make the best of the available torpedo armament.

Purchasing a 1:32 scale model, depicting the very first production aircraft modified with twin floats as a project for the KNIL, but doomed to remain the unique example when Holland fell to Hitler’s forces, enabled me to evaluate and appreciate the airframe design.

Forced to fly low and slow to deliver the Mark 13, in relation to the length of its slim fuselage the Devastator had a large wing area, almost like a huge glider, and in addition the tail surfaces were very large, to give control during a low, slow approach.

Given these circumstances, it was never felt necessary to update them with a much more powerful 1,200 horsepower Twin Wasp engine, as the additional power would be of little use during the torpedo drop. The more powerful engine would also have used more fuel, thus reducing the operational radius of the TBD.

Douglas TBD Devastator of VT-6 dropping a Mark 13 torpedo, "low and slow" on 20th October 1941.