Table of Contents
Why did battleships not have torpedoes?
For one thing, battleships were way too heavy. Torpedoes on submarines are fired from water-tight “tubes” under water, and to have such tubes below the water line in the hull of a battleship would compromise the integrity of the extremely thick hull. For another, torpedoes are precision weapons.
Did WWII battleships have torpedoes?
Battleships remained the most heavily protected ships afloat; nonetheless, sixteen were sunk or crippled by bombs or torpedoes delivered by aircraft, while three more were sunk by submarine-launched torpedoes.
Did any battleships have torpedoes?
Almost all battleships were fitted with torpedoes up until World War I. The image below is of the torpedo room of the USS Oregon, heroine of the Spanish-American War, 1898. Torpedo ranges had increased from about 3,000 yards in 1905 to about 10,000 yards by 1914, so their running distance was comparable to gun ranges.
Did Dreadnoughts have torpedoes?
Dreadnought carried five 18-inch (450 mm) submerged torpedo tubes, two on each broadside and one in the stern. Twenty-three torpedoes were carried for them.
How do modern ships avoid torpedoes?
The effective anti-torpedo defense depends on early detection of the torpedo. Once the torpedo is launched, sonar tracking from ships and helicopters may manage to spot it in time to destroy it with anti-torpedo torpedoes or by maneuvering the ship away from any visible torpedo track.
What was the most frustrating attack of World War II submarines?
On the morning of July 24, 1943, Lieutenant Commander L.R. Daspit and the submarine Tinosa launched what may have been the most frustrating attack of the United States’ World War II submarine campaign against Japan.
Was the Tinosa in danger of being sunk?
Although dead in the water, the well-compartmented tanker was in no immediate danger of sinking. Although fire from Tonan Maru No.3 ‘s deck guns forced Tinosa to remain submerged, the Japanese could do nothing to prevent the next salvo of torpedoes.
How did Daspit shoot down the tanker?
To Daspit’s dismay, the tanker did not explode or begin to list, but rather turned away and put on speed. Tonan Maru No.3 ‘s abrupt course change left the submarine in a poor firing position, but Daspit fired the remaining two torpedoes from his forward tubes by instinct.
What caused the tanker to stop and sink?
Both weapons struck the ship aft at obtuse angles and exploded, causing the ship to stop and begin to settle slightly by the stern. Although dead in the water, the well-compartmented tanker was in no immediate danger of sinking.