[ARC5] Torpedos - Type 93

[Geoff]

> The Japanese Type 93 (Long Lance) torpedo had a maximum range of 25
> miles at 44 mph and had an 1100 lb warhead.
>
> It's fuel was highly compressed pure oxygen and alcohol. It had to be 
> started
> on compressed air, then slowly switched to the O2. If started on O2, it 
> would
> most often explode with enough force to sink or severely damage the ship 
> it
> was going to be fired from.
>
> However, due to this choice of fuel, it left very little wake.
>
> The cruiser Chokai was very severely damaged by a single hit from the DE,
> Samuel B. Roberts' 5 inch guns during the battle off Samar which exploded
> all the Chokai's torpedoes. The Chokai was so badly damaged by this that 
> its
> own crew had to scuttle it.
>
> By contrast the later U.S. Mark XV torpedo had a maximum range of about
> 7.5 miles at 30 MPH and carried an 830 lb warhead.
>
> Kenneth G. Gordon W7EKB
>


And the current fleet heavy duty torpedo, the MK-48 has been deployed since 
1972 with a number of upgrades since it is a modular design.
http://www.navy.mil/navydata/fact_display.asp?cid=2100&tid=950&ct=2

Submarine warfare has always been one of my favorite military subjects from 
real facts to novels.

Carl