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| Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo | |
|---|---|
 Bliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo sitting on the deck ofPT 21 | |
| Type | Anti-surface shiptorpedo[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1911–1945[1] |
| Used by | United States Navy Royal Navy |
| Wars | World War I World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Frank McDowell Leavitt |
| Designed | 1911[1] |
| Manufacturer | Naval Torpedo Station[1] Naval Gun Factory |
| Variants | Mod 1[2] Mod 2 Mod 2A Mod 2B Mod 3[3] Mod 3A Mod 3B Mod 3C Mod 3D Mod 5 Mod 6 Mod 8 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 2,600 pounds (1,200 kg)[1] |
| Length | 256.3 inches (6.51 m)[1] |
| Diameter | 21 inches (530 mm)[1] |
| Maximum firing range | 16,000 yards (15,000 m)[1] |
| Warhead | TNT, Mk 8 Mod 4[1] |
| Warhead weight | 466 pounds (211 kg)[1] |
Detonation mechanism | Mk 3 Mod 2, contact[1] |
| Engine | Turbine[1] |
| Propellant | Air (2,800 psi or 190 bar, 23.4 cu ft or 0.66 m3) Water (90 US pints or 43 L) Alcohol (49 US pints or 23 L) |
| Maximum speed | 36 knots (67 km/h; 41 mph)[1] |
Guidance system | gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | Destroyers andPT boats |
TheBliss–Leavitt Mark 8 torpedo was theUnited States Navy's first 21-inch (530 mm) by 21-foot (6.4 m)torpedo.[1] Although introduced prior toWorld War I, most of its combat use was byPT boats inWorld War II. The torpedo was originally designed in 1911 byFrank McDowell Leavitt of theE. W. Bliss Company and entered full mass production in 1913 at theNaval Torpedo Station inNewport, Rhode Island. It was deployed ondestroyers andbattleships duringWorld War I andcruisers built in the 1920s. All US battleships and most cruisers had their torpedo tubes removed by 1941. The Mark 8 remained in service through World War II on older destroyers, primarily theWickes andClemson classes. It also equippedPT boats early in World War II, but was replaced by theMark 13 torpedo on most of these in mid-1943.
Under theLend-Lease Act, about 600 Mark 8 torpedoes were issued to the United Kingdom for use with 50 pre-1930 destroyers it received under theDestroyers for Bases Agreement.[1]
The design was originally intended to be used ondestroyers in an anti-surface ship role.[1] When it was first released, it was a highly advanced torpedo, but when it was actually deployed into service during World War II it was showing its age and unable to compete with modern torpedo technology. The low speed of the torpedo was one of the complaints; its Japanese counterpart, theType 93 torpedo, was significantly faster and more difficult to spot in the water.
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The Mark 8 had many technical difficulties with its design that would be a bane to the torpedomen who would use them. The first issue came with the process of simply launching the torpedo, which was fraught with its own set of difficulties. Thegyro in the torpedo was sensitive when it was first launched and it would need to be launched from an evenkeel, otherwise the torpedo would lose stability when it hit the water. The other issue concerned the launching mechanism. The initial system was set with ablack powder charge to push the torpedo out of the tube. This was a problem in theSouth Pacific, where the humid climate would cause these charges to misfire, sometimes not putting enough force behind the torpedo to fully eject it from the tube. One other risk of these misfires was what is called "hot running", where the torpedo would run in its tube. Though thewarhead could not detonate, the motor would overheat and explode without water to cool it, sending splinters across the deck. Another issue was that the tubes were heavily lubricated with oil and grease to ensure that the torpedo was smoothly launched from the tube. Sometimes during launch, the charge would ignite the lubricants in the tube causing a fire emitting black smoke that would reveal the location of the torpedo boat.
The torpedo lacked the explosive power of newer models. It carried less than 500 pounds (230 kg) of TNT-based explosives, which was far from a guaranteed ship kill. This frustrated many captains who, when hitting an enemy dead on, had the warhead detonate but not sink the target, and many targets escaped.
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Preceded byUS patrol boats - Followed byPTF boat | |
