Practical range for torpedoes

Guns, torpedoes, mines, bombs, missiles, ammunition, fire control, radars, and electronic warfare.
paul.mercer
Senior Member
Posts: 1224
Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 10:25 pm

Practical range for torpedoes

Post by paul.mercer »

Gentlemen,
In other topics it has been stated that the Japanese Torpedoes had a range of 15000 yards or more, surely hitting another ship moving and maneuvering at 28 knots (or more if a cruiser or destroyer) at almost 9 miles would be considered a very lucky shot - rather like hitting another ship with a shell at some extreme range. so what would be a practical distance to fire a torpedo with a good chance of a hit, given perfect sea conditions, i.e. flat calm?
Byron Angel
Senior Member
Posts: 1656
Joined: Sun Mar 06, 2011 1:06 am

Re: Practical range for torpedoes

Post by Byron Angel »

Hello Paul,
I assume that you are talking about the family of 24-inch Type 93 oxygen torpedoes carried by the great majority IJN surface warships in WW2.

In terms of pure performance specifications, this torpedo had prodigious speed and range capabilities compared to its contemporaries.

From a lazy wiki search -
22,000 m (24,000 yd) at 89 to 93 km/h (48 to 50 kn)
33,000 m (36,000 yd) at 69 to 72 km/h (37 to 39 kn)
40,400 m (44,200 yd) at 61 to 65 km/h (33 to 35 kn)

Even at the fastest 50kt setting, it would take about twelve minutes to run twenty thousand yards; in such case, any chance of success would have depended a very great deal upon an unaware opponent. Most successes in the Guadalcanal/Solomons campaign came at ranges well under 10,000 yards (Savo Island and First Guadalcanal (<4,000 yards), Tassafaronga (~5,000 yards). They were never considered "sniper" weapons, but were rather employed as "shotgun" weapons that benefited from the fact that their USN/RN/ANZAC opponents were completely unaware (until late 1943) of the Type 93's true performance and consequently operated under a false sense of tactical security.

The longest ranged Type 93 success was the sinking of the destroyer USS Strong at an estimated 22,000 yards (with another possible 20,000+ yard score claimed at Java Sea.

Hope this helps.

Byron
User avatar
wadinga
Senior Member
Posts: 2471
Joined: Sat Mar 12, 2005 3:49 pm
Location: Tonbridge England

Re: Practical range for torpedoes

Post by wadinga »

Fellow Contributors,

This thread covers the matter nicely
http://www.kbismarck.org/forum/viewtopi ... =36&t=8543

All the best

wadinga
"There seems to be something wrong with our bloody ships today!"
Post Reply