The Mark 27 torpedo was the first of the United States Navy 19-inch (48-cm) submarine-launched torpedoes.[2] This electrically-propelled torpedo was 125 inches (3.175 m) long and weighed 1174 pounds (534 kg).[2] The torpedo employed a passive acoustic guidance system and was intended for both submarine and surface targets.[2] Nicknamed "Cutie" [3] by submarine crews, the Mark 27 entered service in 1943 as a defensive weapon.[4] The torpedo was classified as obsolete in the 1960s.[2]
| Mark 27 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Type | Acoustic torpedo[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1943-1946[1] |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Wars | World War II |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Bell Telephone Laboratories |
| Designed | 1943[1] |
| Manufacturer | Western Electric |
| No. built | 1000[1] |
| Variants | Mark 27 Mod 4 |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 720 pounds (330 kg)[1] |
| Length | 90 inches (2.3 m)[1] |
| Diameter | 19 inches (48 cm) (21-inch (53 cm) guide rails)[1] |
| Effective firing range | 5,000 yards (4.6 km) (approx. 12 minutes search duration)[1] |
| Warhead | Mk 27 Mod 0[1] |
Detonation mechanism | Mk 11 Mod 2 contact exploder |
| Engine | Electric[1] |
| Maximum speed | 12 knots (22 km/h)[1] |
Guidance system | Gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | Submarines[1] |
The Mark 27 was essentially a Mark 24 mine which had been modified for submarine launching in a 21-inch (53 cm) submerged torpedo tube by the addition of 1" (25 mm) wooden guide studs mounted on the torpedo's outer shell.[1][5]
Modifications and improvements
edit| Mark 27 Mod 4 torpedo | |
|---|---|
| Type | Acoustic torpedo[1] |
| Place of origin | United States |
| Service history | |
| In service | 1946-1960 |
| Used by | United States Navy |
| Production history | |
| Designer | Ordnance Research Laboratory, Pennsylvania State University |
| Designed | 1946[1] |
| Manufacturer | Avco[1] Naval Ordnance Station Forest Park |
| Produced | 1946-1954[1] |
| No. built | 3000[1] |
| Specifications | |
| Mass | 1,175 pounds (533 kg)[1] |
| Length | 125.75 inches (3.194 m)[1] |
| Diameter | 19 inches (48 cm) (with 21-inch (53 cm) guide rails)[1] |
| Effective firing range | 6,200 yards (5.7 km) (12 minutes search duration)[1] |
| Warhead | Mk 27 Mod 2, HBX[1] |
| Warhead weight | 128 pounds (58 kg)[1] |
Detonation mechanism | Mk 11 Mod 2 contact exploder |
| Engine | Electric[1] |
| Maximum speed | 15.9 knots (29.4 km/h)[1] |
Guidance system | Gyroscope[1] |
Launch platform | Submarines[1] |
The Mark 27 Mod 4 torpedo was designed by the Ordnance Research Laboratory of Pennsylvania State University in 1946 as an improved version of the Mark 27 torpedo.[1]
Fully compatible with electrical setting fire control systems through the use of the standard 65-pin umbilical cable, this weapon was in service on submarines for about ten years. It was withdrawn from service use in 1960 with the introduction of the Mark 37 torpedo.[citation needed]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad Jolie, E.W. (15 September 1978). "A Brief History of US Navy Torpedo Development: Torpedo Mk 27 Mod 0". Retrieved 19 June 2013.
- ^ a b c d Kurak, September 1966, p.145
- ^ "USS Pampanito - Mk 27 Torpedo". Archived from the original on 3 December 2010. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
- ^ Jones, Edward Monroe; Roderick, Shawn S. (19 November 2014). Submarine Torpedo Tactics: An American History. McFarland. pp. 111, 113. ISBN 9781476617589.
- ^ US Navy torpedo history, part 2
References
edit- Kurak, Steve (September 1966). "The U. S. Navy's Torpedo Inventory". United States Naval Institute Proceedings.
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