Posted on Mar 20, 2016
Japan's Super-Torpedo Was the Hypersonic Missile of WWII
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The Long Lance was a big torpedo for its time, some two feet in diameter, almost thirty feet long and weighing almost three tons. It was armed with a 1,080-pound warhead that was 50 percent larger than most other torpedo warheads. Most important was the Long Lance's propulsion system. Most other nations fielded torpedoes propelled by steam, diesel or electric propulsion. But the Japanese opted for a pure oxygen-based system (inspired by an earlier British design) that could send the Long Lance out to twelve miles at a speed of 48 knots, or an incredible 24 miles—about the same range as a battleship's gun—at a speed of 36 knots. The Long Lance also didn't leave telltale bubbles on the surface to warn enemy ships a torpedo was approaching.
Japan's Super-Torpedo Was the Hypersonic Missile of WWII
Posted from nationalinterest.org
WWII World War Two
Navy
Warfare
Military History
Technology
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 7
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It did leave a wake, but otherwise was as superior to those of other navies as you say.
Between 1904 and 1941 Japan had a long and solid history of naval innovation, starting with ordering technology from other countries and ultimately leading the world with their own.
Japan also has the largest submarines (complete with seaplane hanger), biggest gun caliber from 1911 (14 inch), 1919 (16 inch) and 1941 (18.1 inch). Japanese ships were also faster and better armored than their competitors.
They did through size and weight, which greatly exceeded treaty limitations and then lying about it. An example is heavy cruisers which were limited to 8 inch guns and 10,000 ton displacement, but which actually displaced over 14,000 tons. Japan's light cruisers (8,000!ton limit) actually displaced 11,000 and in some classes (such as Mogami) carried 8" guns, making their light cruisers actually better heavy cruisers than the heavies of other navies.
Between 1904 and 1941 Japan had a long and solid history of naval innovation, starting with ordering technology from other countries and ultimately leading the world with their own.
Japan also has the largest submarines (complete with seaplane hanger), biggest gun caliber from 1911 (14 inch), 1919 (16 inch) and 1941 (18.1 inch). Japanese ships were also faster and better armored than their competitors.
They did through size and weight, which greatly exceeded treaty limitations and then lying about it. An example is heavy cruisers which were limited to 8 inch guns and 10,000 ton displacement, but which actually displaced over 14,000 tons. Japan's light cruisers (8,000!ton limit) actually displaced 11,000 and in some classes (such as Mogami) carried 8" guns, making their light cruisers actually better heavy cruisers than the heavies of other navies.
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LTC (Join to see)
SGT John " Mac " McConnell - My pleasure. I actually wrote my MA thesis on Japanese Naval Development from 1870 to 1940, so this is a rather special topic for me and a lifelong fascination. I even have a large colorized photo of the battleship Mikasa (Russo-Japanese war) hanging in the wall in my office.
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LTC (Join to see)
Battleship Bismarck rare WW2 Movies , in battle vs Hood , documentation and paintings
The battleship Bismarck and the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen in battle with HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales. Documentation Movies and oil paintings by military...
I guess the German Battleship Bismark was also over the limit too LOL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgqJ-O_UkE8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgqJ-O_UkE8
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LTC (Join to see)
LTC (Join to see) - Bismarck may have been, but not by much. For battleships the limit was 35,000 tones, Bismarck was estimated at 38,000 unloaded. Bismarck's armor was thick and strong, but her armament was quite small, only 8 15" guns compared to the 9 16" of the then-current US designs and 14 14" of the latest British. Bismarck's main armament was essentially identical to the World War One Bayern class. Bismarck also added a lot of weight in fuel capacity pushing her well over 40,000, but her primary role was commerce raiding, not slugging with other battleships.
It was a lucky shot to a known weak-spot that sunk Hood (read up on WWI British battle cruisers at Jutland which were of essentially the same, though smaller design. Hood was too far along to alter when Jutland occurred.
It was a lucky shot to a known weak-spot that sunk Hood (read up on WWI British battle cruisers at Jutland which were of essentially the same, though smaller design. Hood was too far along to alter when Jutland occurred.
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If it has a propeller, it can be detected from a long distance away and dealt with.
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MCPO Roger Collins
MAJ (Join to see) - When I looked into this, 134 ships sank, no details on the types.
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LTC (Join to see)
Long lance was no exception, but it was a vastly superior, more accurate, more reliable and more powerful weapon than any of its contemporaries.
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MCPO Roger Collins
And yet American subs sank 30% of their ships, including 8 carriers, with our substandard torpedoes. While comprising 2% of the Navy.
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When it came to thinking outside the box. The Japanese were in a league all their own. Designed some brilliant weapons systems.
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CPO Frank Coluccio
The modifications to the torpedoes they used in the Pearl harbor attack was brilliant. The US believed that the harbor was shallow enough to not allow the use of air-dropped torpedoes that they eschewed the use of torpedo nets.
Amazing to think that a plywood disk and plywood extensions of he controlling fins would allow the torpedoes to be able to over come natural obstacles.
Amazing to think that a plywood disk and plywood extensions of he controlling fins would allow the torpedoes to be able to over come natural obstacles.
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